Software engineering curriculum change in University of applied sciences: perspectives of teachers, students and graduates

The field of software engineering continually shapes university curricula to meet industry and societal demands. In response to the growing need for 21st century competences, a project-based curriculum is recommended as an effective way to develop these competences. Project-based learning has been shown to foster crucial professional competences and practical experiences, preparing students for the challenges of their profession. CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) is a notable approach that aims to develop technical knowledge and leadership abilities in engineering students. The significance of competences in communication and teamwork has increasingly become a priority as recruiting criteria for potential employers. Project-based learning serves as a primary method for enabling students to acquire these essential competences during their studies. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences offers education in fields such as Business, Technology, Arts and Health Care. In 2014, a new project-based curriculum was deployed in Metropolia with the aim of providing students opportunities to acquire not only professional knowledge, but also professional competences. Additionally, the target was to improve retention as the new funding model was tied to student success. In autumn 2014, the first IT student groups started their studies according to the new project-based curriculum. The new IT curriculum consisted of 15 ECTS modules taught by a multidisciplinary teacher team. This dissertation examines curriculum change by using the perspectives of students, teachers, and graduates. It comprises three journal papers focusing on student experiences, retention, graduate competence perceptions, and teachers’ views on team teaching, as well as two conference papers and one book chapter. The study results suggest that project-based learning significantly improved first-year retention rates. Graduates reported acquiring essential professional competences such as teamwork, communication, and project work. Furthermore, they felt they had acquired adequate technical knowledge and skills during their studies. Teachers expressed concerns about losing autonomy, especially those not involved in team teaching. The thesis concludes by offering ideas for universities planning to transition to a project-based curriculum based on the results and analysis.