Analyzing a dynamic curriculum change process to bridge the skills gap

• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20209298

This research study provides a detailed account of how one college went about making continuous changes to their video game curriculum to generate a program that will prepare students with relevant skills sought by the dynamic tech industry. The changes were made despite some of the millennia-old constraints that colleges and universities abide by when updating curriculum. This thesis used a case study methodology conducted in a private, non-profit, non-tenure, open-enrollment college in the Northeast region of the United States. The research was conducted inside the Bachelor's and Associate's Degree programs in video game development. Data were collected from professors and administrators, document reviews, and investigator's field notes. The resulting data were interpreted in an inductive manner. The key findings included the following themes: 1) Innovative ideas were introduced by an individual faculty member who then collaborated with peers and administrators to adopt the idea and integrate it into the curriculum; 2) Changes that were needed to fill the skills gap were identified by individual educators (faculty members or administrators) who then integrated both external industry views and internal college procedures to initiate curriculum modifications; 3) Industry involvement with the College, through faculty members reaching out to industry experts, was central to narrowing the skills gap; 4) Unceasing change in industry directions and needs required ongoing adjustments in internal college policy to bring about dynamic curricular change; 5) Dynamic curriculum change needs to be prompt, but well-paced, ranging from implementation in as short a time as one quarter to implementation in less than one year; 6) The culture and climate must be one of teamwork: honest thinkers, who trust, collaborate and unite to support shared goals. The overarching theme was that to bridge the skills gap, educators must innovate and become "social" by reaching out to industry experts, collaborating with other educators, and by conversing with students.