30.11.2018
Abdulla Samir (Cat) @rootsysadmin MV Developers Maldives
Higher Education in the field of Information Technology is one of the most widely available and sought after areas by Maldivian Individuals. In a recent meeting with the members of the MV Developers community, one of the topics discussed was the reason for such abundance of IT students, yet the lack of those skills in Maldives. The discussion resulted in a rather unusual and worrisome revelation that many of this students choice of studying in this field may be simply because it is “easy”. This is worrisome due to two primary reasons:
- It is widely accepted notion that most students undergo higher studies just for the certification paper, and for the not the knowledge and skills it brings. If proven true, it further demonstrates that the quality of higher education in Maldives is continuously deteriorating.
- A common complaint amongst employees is that Maldivian IT graduates “knows nothing” regarding the tasks involved in a real work environment. In a good scenario, some of these students are just “book smart” but lacks the knowledge and skills to undertake the responsibilities of a real world job at an acceptable capacity. If students are indeed undertaking higher studies just for the paper, it only stands to worsen the situation. Maldivian employees will be forced to hire foreign workers to address the lacking knowledge and skills gaps of the Maldivian IT graduates, while the competitiveness of Maldivian IT students continuously decrease.
Therefore, this research project aims to establish statistical evidence regarding the areas that concerns the future of the Maldivian IT education sector. If our assumptions are proven to be correct, it will provide sufficient evidence for policy makers to take immediate steps in restructuring the IT Education frameworks in Maldives, as well as the Higher Education Sector of Maldives in general. The continued existence of the broken systems that currently dominates the IT education sector in Maldives would require an immediate reform. Regardless of the outcome, it is our hope that this evidence will be of immense importance to Maldivian Education Institutions, Policy Makers and the general public in making informed decisions in the future.
- Identify if a significant number of students are undertaking IT higher education just because it is an easy field of study
- The confidence level of students regarding their IT knowledge and skills.
- The proficiency of IT trainers from the viewpoint of students.
Data is to be collected using a simplified and minimal questionnaire that specifically targets the objective areas. A draft of the proposed questionnaire is available in Appendix A at the end of this document. It is proposed that the questionnaire will be delivered to students via Google Forms, as well as paper based questionnaire to their classes directly. To ensure maximum reach, negotiations should be made with the management as well at least one of the IT instructors in all the Higher Educational Institutions in the Maldives. A modified version of this research proposal will be shared with the relevant parties and face to face discussions with the management may be necessary to ensure the success of this project.
The target population is all the students in Maldives that are currently undertaking both academic and professional higher education qualifications in the Information Technology field in a Maldivian Institution. While most of these students reside in Maldives, some are present in Islands. Effort will be made to include the students currently studying in islands as well. Effort should also be made to ensure that the maximum sample size is collected from all higher educational institutions in the country that provides IT education.
A team of experienced analysts should conduct the data analysis using the current available technologies. The detailed methodologies of this should be included in the final Research Proposal. Given a significant sample size, It is expected that the analysis will yield highly statistically significant and accurate results.
The research results should be published under the MV Developers community, or under the registered NGO, Maldives Digital Society, and should be made available to to the general public. The publication should also be individually shared with the relevant institutions, including Educational Institutions, Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology.
A research of this significance will cost in terms of both money and human resources. Therefore, interested volunteers are welcome to come forward to assist in this research to ensure that it becomes a success.
To fund the research, sponsors should be seeked out as well. Once the initial feedback stage is completed, it is advised that the Research Proposal document is shared with potential sponsors and negotiate sponsorships in person.
At least 5 volunteers and 1 sponsor is received for this proposal. However, more is always welcome at every stage of the research.
This proposal is discussed with the interested and relevant parties and their feedback is received and incorporated into the proposal, and specific deadlines are agreed upon amongst the research group of volunteers.
A complete research proposal is made and shared with the stakeholders.
The data collection phase begun and is successfully completed and a significant amount of data is captured.
The data analysis is successfully carried out and the research report is fully written and completed.
The research report is shared with stakeholders for comments and the final research report is published as specified under “Research Publication”.
As Ben Parker said to Spiderman, “With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility”. We may not have great powers, but I believe we are strong advocates of high quality IT education in Maldives. And that gives us great enough power to take the responsibility of ensuring that the future of Maldives is bright with highly skilled and passionate individuals steering the wheel of the Maldivian IT industry. It is my great hope that all of you will assist in this project and I sincerely request all your help and support in any way you can to ensure that this, much needed rupesearch project is a success.
The idea for this research would not have happened if not for the fruitful insight of our mates @isseykun aka Dhiraagu Isse and @haaaah aka Somebody @ Earth. Additionally @hammadh_ar aka Hammad A. Rahman and @shihaam_me aka Shihaam Abdul Rahman also made valuable contributions to the discussion. I would also like to thank the MV Developers community for making the discussion/coffee possible.
- Age and Gender
- Why did you choose IT as your field of study (rank each one?)?
- Interested in the Field
- Good job/salary in the future
- Easy to study compared to others
- Parents / peer recommendation
- After your studies, do you plan to pursue a career in the field of IT? Yes/No
- If Yes to above, which area? Dev/Design/SysAdmin/Devops/Security/Other
- Do you plan on undertaking further studies in IT? (Diploma/Degree/Masters?)
- Would you be interested in participating in an internship in the IT field? Yes/No
- How proficient do you believe you are in the field of IT? (rank)
- How motivated are you in studying your current course? (rank)
- How proficient are your lecturers/instructors in general? (rank)
- What is your favorite module/subject so far?
- What is your least favorite module/subject so far?
- Do you believe you have gained enough knowledge in your course? (so far?) Yes/No
- What do you think can be done to improve the quality of education in your institution? (Opinion)
https://www.dhe.gov.mv/institutes http://www.mqa.gov.mv/institutes/local
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXhJPQZCMu1tk2zwtdhY86401eXSa54CWU50MAahWkjOrPVg/viewform