About Computer courses, should have licensure exams.. (Please read...)
@taki_takaishi (1279)
Philippines
April 6, 2009 9:34pm CST
This matter is something I would like to discuss in my project. I would like to know your ideas about this matter. Hope you could help me with it.
Many students are taking B.S. Information Technology, B.S. Computer Science and other that is related to Computer studies. It is very common now that some High School students would like to take these courses, not because it is in demand both here and abroad, but it is a very nice course because our country is revolving in matters of computer-based technology.
When we have problems with our computers or programs we install, we usually ask technicians or even programmers to help us with these problems. Computers are really hard to understand, but we use them because it is needed. There are lots of tweaking that is needed that some would not even understand what does this and that do. Now enter those professionals who works in a computer shop or even computer hardware shops in our country. They do the fixing and we pay them.
Now here enters my topic. Some people would just pay these people without knowing their background, we see their stores with license to work but we do not see if they are really professional or not. Usually we learn things on the net, but that is not enough, we need applications with these as well. Now when we let our PC go for a repair, they usually name the price. They would fix this and that and even say that they will change the parts because this and that is not working anymore or something. We spend too much money just to let our computer be fix, after the fixing, you test it at home, then there goes a problem, windows is not like this or that and others, then you go back to the shop to have it repaired and they would say the a different symptom and all. We spend too much money for just a repair that it can't be ever repaired. Some sure are very good at computers, but are they really that good, they say they are but, all they have sometimes is words. They say they can fix it, but the truth is, they can't.
Our country (Philippines) is really very known to this lies where they can fix it and that. Kinda bit annoying sometimes. I had this experience already, and some of them do a poor job fixing computers.
I am a Information Technology student who will soon be graduating. When I go out there in the real world and do my job, I just don't want all talk, I want to show people proof that I am indeed a professional and not all just talk and try to help them fixed their problems. That is to be sure that they are dealing with someone who has a background in this.
The answer to this is a License Exams for those who are taking Computer related courses. Like Nursing and Medicine and Engineering, it is to proved that they are qualified to work. Many can lie just to earn money. And I don't want that. I want people to have a good quality in both service and products. With license it is to prove to the customers that they are certified and they can really be trusted. Because for me, without license, anybody can be fooled. Certificates can be just copy or faked.
I am very sorry for this very long discussion of mine, but I just want to know if you really agree with this. Some people even oppose this because it is a lot of hard work. They don't hear my side, they say it just a waste of their time when they can work immediately. But for me, it is to ensure other people that you could be trusted.
What do you think? Do you think our country should have this so that it is to prove to you that they can be trusted? To ensure that your money will not be wasted.
What are your ideas about this issue. Please your ideas. It would be a great help with my final project. Other people outside Philippine are welcome to share their thoughts.
2 people like this
8 responses
@rsa101 (38126)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
That may sound to be a good thing for the IT industry to professionalized its ranks as well as to regulate the practices of the skills they have. But right now, I feel that the IT community is not yet ready to accept it as a professional job as there is really no organized IT community around as of yet. I guess to become one they have to have a set of rules to follow as professionals. If you would look at the regulated professional jobs you would notice that they have a formal organization to stand by their profession plus a code of ethics they have to follow in the practice of their profession. So I guess before they have to formulate this to become a licensed profession.
One thing about IT is its fast changes and evolving of its practice. Like for example in computer languages. They really do not work on one language at all there are many other languages that sprout out in the open and adopted as. For the computer IT people these just means that the one who will formulate the exams should also be as flexible as the technology is. If you would notice and IT guy of the past is far from different from the IT of today. There is more knowledge that an IT graduate of today is knowledgeable than an IT guy of the past. The only difference they have is that an Old IT guy of the past has more experience on hand then a fresh IT grad is. So there seems to be a problem in identifying what a truly professional IT guy is.
@rsa101 (38126)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
I guess we are just in the same wave length despite some of my statements which I mentioned above. IT is evolving fast and you could not just test an IT practitioner as to its competency as its scope is very broad and ever changing unlike those that are being regulated nowadays. Right now, there is no clear cut definition as to when you are said to be doing what you are trained for because of its broadness in what IT really means. That is why it is hard to regulate or professionalized it like what doctors and other PRC licenses are.
@taki_takaishi (1279)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
To: rsa101
What you said may be true. With technology advancing we get to learn new things. With new graduates every year, we say they are more advance because they can . But for me, since we get to learn new things, we leave behind those old ones. An example of this is low level languages, because of the new high level languages, we tend to forget that they came from low level. Some teachers say that low level languages are hard to learn, but one good thing about it is that, low level languages can sometimes be the answer. What I mean is that some graduates don't even know how to work a low level language.
The reason for the license exams is to make sure that these new graduates when they work, they know how to this and that. They can find alternatives. For me, An ideal professional should be adaptable top both the future and the past. Because we will never know when will old programs or even hardware to make a move that no IT graduate can solve. Can you imagine what I am saying? I mean, I got lot of things to say and I don't know how to explain it properly. Sorry about that.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38126)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
Yeah that is the point I am trying to in my posts above. It is really hard to really determine how competency would be measured in an IT practitioner. Since there are many ways and means that it can be done with the technology of today. Unlike us accountants or lawyers there is a way or measure they can be tested since the laws are established already and it may evolve but the thought is still there. In your case, it can differ from age to age. You skills right now can just become obsolete in the coming years since technology has adopted another language or what. Although there seems to be some kind of exams that you can get online that measures your ability to a certain kind of softwares I think that would be enough. Like a certified Microsoft something..... The poster above me may be right it all depends on your output and not some fancy paper telling us that you are good at what you are trained for.
@eichs1 (1934)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
Wow! This is a good thread with very informative post exchanges. I do agree with the responses that the it will be impossible have a license examination for IT as the field is very fluid/constantly evolving, it covers lots of fields and has no set of widely accepted established principles to based the examination from. And besides, license examination is not the answer to the problem you pointed out. With or without license examination, fake technicians will still exist. Even with the bar and medical board exams, there are still bogus doctors and lawyers, right?
The good thing with IT is that, a practitioner can be rightly judged by his/her work. If I am to hiring one, I don't even need to see the applicants' diploma. To know the applicants capability, I will just have to request for sample works or have them do some tasks. See, what's the need for the IT graduates' license if they can not do the needed work?
@taki_takaishi (1279)
• Philippines
9 Apr 09
True. Even with the exams, there are still numerous out there who will not serve everyone well.
I guess it is up to the interviews where they can see if it is worth working or not.
@zenki08 (700)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
I have read your thoughts and do appreciate your discussion. I do not see the need to have a licensure exams for computer professionals. Simply because the curriculum for computer courses are not the same for all schools so it would be hard to have an exam for this because you are talking about hundred of colleges with different computer courses and different curriculum and with differen number of units for each subject.
Now about the computer repairs done by technicians. Technicians are licensed. Tests for these kinds of jobs are given by Tesda so I think this does not affect the other computer professionals.
I know this thing for a fact because I am also a computer professional (comsci grad) and I took some units in as a computer technician but I did not finish it. Until CHED comes up with a common standard that each school will follow I think it will be hard to have this Licenssure thing
@online_jon (1476)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
Hi taki_takaishi, good day to you my co-mylotter. I think here in our country there must be a licensure exams in orther for the computer courses because i know. Most of the computer students take this course very easy and which causes for them to not be able to go to school and just not study well. This is only my opinion because here in our school, i noticed that gives those reason why there must be a computer licensure exam. Well that's all my response to your forum topic discussion entitled "about computer courses,should have licensure exams.. (please read...)" thank you! I hope give a good interesting response. Happy posting and happy earning to us.
@taki_takaishi (1279)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
I am too seeing this reality based world in school. It is unfair for us that these students who don't even go to class passed the subject as well as the level. This is a matter of telling that this is unfair already and this should be settle with a test. This would also teach them that messing up is going to give them a bad shape. I don't know, some would disagree but I can see their point, but, what can it be done to make sure people get what they deserve.
@iloveorange05 (127)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
hello there kababayan.. I'm an ADCS multimedia student soon to be graduating too.. i agree with you.. there should be a licensure exam too in all computer related courses.. knowing pinoys, they will do anything just to earn money by faking their diplomas or certificates just to have a proof that they're a graduate of computer related courses..
@taki_takaishi (1279)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
True. The exam should both practical and written. The written is focus more on terms or topology or whatever. The practical is more on how to troubleshoot and more. This is to isolate the fakes. Sure they can fake the paper, but they can't fake their skills.
1 person likes this
@wuwenlong3032012 (16)
• China
7 Apr 09
That's the Truth!
In china,Repair xp system,you have to to spend 50 yuan,equal with 9 dollers.I think it's too expensive,so I hope rookies are try to learn how to fix computer by yourself..
@taki_takaishi (1279)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
Yes, you spend money and you can't even get a decent service. Hehehe. But trying to learn to fix the computer by yourself might also lead to disadvantages.
@angelbelle578 (1635)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
Yeah, me too dont agree with the licensure exam. My thoughts in ur story about the technician who fix ur comp is maybe he is just saying those thing for you to pay him big amount. Some professional take advantages of innocents who has lack knowledge in comp. They say this, they say that for them to be paid big amount. But it doesn't mean they're not really professional on the job. Even real professional can lie like that for the sake of money.
