Our Education System Is Failing IT

Nemo the Magnificent (2786867) writes "In this guy's opinion most IT workers can't think critically. They are incapable of diagnosing a problem, developing a possible solution, and implementing it. They also have little fundamental understanding of the businesses their employers are in, which is starting to get limiting as silos are collapsing within some corporations and IT workers are being called upon to participate in broader aspects of the business. Is that what you see where you are?"

Comments

Heck yes...

[Zelig]

Most of the folks in IT are Operators of Interfaces.

Re:Heck yes...

[beheaderaswp]

I think I agree with you. My first IT related job was transcribing sheet music into basic music code back in 1984.

Since that time I've seen the intellectual capacity of IT workers drop consistently- while their arrogance has increased. It's a function of the field expanding so fast... in order to man departments you have to compromise on quality by hiring for specialties. Also there's the problem of industry certifications. They are not at face value bad... but those with real skills know that the certification is more or less a learning permit- while management considers it a qualification.

In my day (I'm a year or two from 50) people made their way in IT based on ability. That was the catalyst for the entire industry. It is what built silicon valley and the economic ripples it created.

The way I see it, we've gone from recruiting people who loved computers and played with them on their own, to hiring people who shop for a career in their educational choices. That's a path to mediocrity. Always has been- always will be.

Re:oh

[Billly Gates]

You can. In India.

The fact that MBAs and CIOs are the ones whining make me always suspicious who of course get quoted in all these articles and probably contribute to them. How convenient this propaganda can now be used and passed around to politicians to increase H1B1 visas as a response.

Sadly many with years of experience now can be as good if not better than the native ones anyway so go cheap.

Not our education system

[EMG at MU]

You can't blame everything on our education system.

First, the majority of people do not possess the ability to think critically. You can't teach that skill. You can try to foster what ability a person might have but you can't turn someone with no ability to think critically into someone who exemplifies that ability. By middle school someone either can think for themselves or they can't.

Second, why is everything the education systems fault? Why don't parents encourage their children to think critically? Why aren't parents responsible for enriching their child's development so that they develop the skills needed to succeed.

Reality check: not all teachers think critically. There are a lot of people of average to below average intelligence / critical thinking ability that are teachers. Want great teachers? Do you want the cream of the crop? Then pay them to deal with your whiny privileged spawn instead of the much more glamorous and lucrative jobs they have. Instead of attracting the best talent we have states actively eroding teacher benefits which drives the talent away and opens the door for Teach for America type excuses for real teachers.

Yes I agree there are a ton of people in IT and every other profession who completely lack the ability to think critically.

No I do not blame "our education system"

"Get off my lawn"

[redmid17]

Is Slashdot linking to Bennett Haselton's dad now?
If the IT sector were really that devoid of workers with an iota of critical thinking ability, the entire state of IT in the country would be in shambles. Now he does have some valid complaints (ie plenty of Cert WIZARDS!), but the entire article is one giant strawman he constructed. I don't think IT (or at least non H1Bs) is any worse off than any other sector of the US job market. This strikes me as a case of "this new generation sucks a lot" which we roll through every 20 years or so. The WW2 generation said the same thing about the Boomers and Gen X.

The first track consisted of self-motivated high school and college students who taught themselves the necessary PC skills to get a job, sometimes before graduation. The second was the trade school, which produced droves of "certified" 20-somethings ripe for the picking in the rapidly growing IT field.

My mileage will vary from most of the people here, but these two sectors make up a small minority of what I've encountered. The first "track" is essentially career service desk folk. They don't really need to think super critically. They aren't paid enough to. The ones who are very good at it end up as Tier-2 or Tier-3 support. They do triage work and respond to critical incidents. They need to know how to diagnose problems and think critically. The second track definitely exists. I've met them. I haven't seen them actively employed for the most part, and those that were employed didn't remain for long.

The circle jerk in the comments section is pretty hilarious too.

Re:education doesn't work

[Anonymous Coward]

Essentially that means that classes need to slow down to the pace of the slowest pupil

That's called detracking and it began long before Bush.

Re:education doesn't work

[erikkemperman]

Most people think critical thinking is something that "haters" do.

Well, I've heard Ken Ham use the phrase, arguing that critical thinking is the goal behind pushing his own literal interpretation of Genesis into science classes. Of course he has a very particular definition, because in the next sentence he was saying that this will lead kids to "think the right way" -- which is to say, not at all critical, or even really thinking, but good old blind faith.

In general though, study after study seems to be showing that the US, while still ahead at its most prestigious institutions, is falling behind when considering education in breadth. For instance, this seems to me like it should worry educators no end.