Graduateness of computing students in a Sub- Saharan African context

Abstract

This poster presentation discusses graduate attributes that are required of students in Computer Science and Information Systems disciplines in Africa in general and in South Africa in particular. Graduate attributes as envisioned by students and employers internationally are discussed, complemented by an international, liberal education perspective, to indicate the importance of graduate attributes from both of these groups’ perspective. This discussion is followed by insights specific to Computing disciplines in Sub-Saharan African countries. An overview of the graduate attributes required by the South African National Qualifications Framework and the South African Qualifications Authority is compared to the attributes suggested by the Association for Computing Machinery for Computing syllabi. This association may help African-, and in particular, South African Computing departments to self-assess their programs in terms of international standards.