I just finished an online livestream about perspectives and future growth in IT education for Vietnam and the broader ASEAN region.
Usually, when people discuss this topic they concentrate on the question: “What programming languages, what frameworks, etc. should we teach this year”?
But this is not a question to ask. The world has changed dramatically last year. The question to answer in 2024 is “what will be needed from IT specialists in the world of the future? And will IT specialists be needed at all?”
What kind, indeed? The market shifts faster than any curriculum can keep up. By the time you launch a new program, it’s already on its way to being outdated. So the usual tactic to teach the latest tools and hope for the best just doesn’t cut it.
Fortunately, I’ve been working around this my whole life and my usual answer was to focus on principles, not just the instruments. But here is where another problem comes to light.
In this new world, who is our student? Over the next decade, I see career switchers as one of the main, most driven groups. Unfortunately though, they're short on time. They don’t want academic theory. They need quick, real-world solutions. And if you can’t deliver that, you’re just wasting their effort.
Here we come to a paradox of an unstoppable force (being principles) meeting an unmovable object (people’s wish for fast solutions). So where does the truth lie?
Так что брать — золото или серебро? Short answer: no one knows for sure. However my point still stands. Every program either sets people up for what’s coming... or dumps them into a market where their skills are expiring on arrival. And the most straightforward thing you can offer a student is a solid thinking framework.
There’s no long game without fundamental education!