The Optimal Graduate Profile for DfA Based on the Needs of Industry and the Possibilities of/within Educational Institutions

Strobbe, Christophe; Nicolle, Colette; Velasco, Carlos A; Darzentas, Jenny; Romero, Rafael; Verelst, Tony; Miesenberger, Klaus; Weber, Gerhard; Weimann, Kurt; Craddock, Ger; Boyle, Bryan; Petrie, Helen; Degouzon, Frederic; Tahkokallio, Päivi; Gladstone, Keith; Strobbe, Christophe

The Optimal Graduate Profile for DfA Based on the Needs of Industry and the Possibilities of/within Educational Institutions

Author:

Strobbe, Christophe

Nicolle, Colette ; Velasco, Carlos A ; Darzentas, Jenny ; Romero, Rafael ; Verelst, Tony ; Miesenberger, Klaus ; Weber, Gerhard ; Weimann, Kurt ; Craddock, Ger ; Boyle, Bryan ; Petrie, Helen ; Degouzon, Frederic ; Tahkokallio, Päivi ; Gladstone, Keith ; Strobbe, Christophe

Keywords:

DocArch, Design for All, ICT education, industry needs, graduate profile

Abstract:

This report describes the needs of the ICT industry with regard to DfA knowledge and skills in employees and graduates. First, it describes links between research in industry needs and curriculum design. The next section presents a number of observations from previous investigations and surveys; these include: barriers to the adoption of DfA, the dichotomy between large companies and SMEs, and the importance of support from upper management. The next two sections present the findings of a new survey (described in the Annex), combined with results from previous surveys that covered similar ground. Findings about professional training are fit into the subcategories of the taxonomy of core DfA knowledge sets and skills defined in report D3.2. The final section outlines the ideal graduate profile for DfA in ICT and makes some suggestions on how the current findings can be used for defining an optimal graduate profile for DfA.