Preparing graduate students for industry and life long learning: A project based approach

Abstract

The case is made that by undertaking projects that have a real-world dimension the students are more likely to gain the skills and abilities which industry requires. Background information is presented relating to links between academia and industry and the role of student projects. Details are given of taught masters level computing programmes at the University of Sunderland and the project that each involves. A particular approach that has enabled hundreds of successful projects to be undertaken with industry ever year is then described along with an assessment of its effectiveness in giving students life-time skills. © 2009 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.