Empiricism through activity theory: Australian undergraduate ICT education

This research paper outlines our research approach relating to analyzing current trends within five Australian undergraduate ICT curricula. Combined with data collection techniques to better understand the education-employability mismatch and improve graduate employability, our intention is to address a knowledge gap in the literature through identifying the strengths and challenges of the university curriculum. We develop an educational matrix based on the information literacy framework and the Australian Qualifications Framework. Third-generation Activity Theory is used to analyze the nexus between the universities, students/graduates, and employers. A mixed methods research approach is adopted for data collection and our study includes publicly available secondary data from unit guides across universities in Sydney. The results are the first reported outcomes from a larger in progress project. The findings should enable current tertiary educational sectors to improve their curricula and learning outcomes, with a view towards increasing IT employability rates post-graduation.