Adopting Competency Mindful of Professionalism in Baccalaureate Computing Curricula

While in this 21st century computing artefacts regularly influence the exercise of judgement and deci- sion-making, computing baccalaureates remain largely absorbed in the “what” and the “how” of com- putation with a limited emphasis on the “why.” Computing is reshaping social structures and interrelationships through waves of innovation and disruption that span the micro and macro scales of human activity. The “why” demands more attention than ever. While laying a foundation for the gradu- ates’ livelihood remains essential, computing educating must also nurture a professionalism mindful of the social impacts and consequences of their handiwork. The Computing Curricula 2020 Project (CC2020) proposes a baccalaureate philosophy that expands and emphasizes computing proficiency aligned with career paths in industry while promoting a curricular architecture that explicitly nurtures behaviors indicative of ethical and social responsibility. The instrument of CC2020’s initiative is compe-tency, a model of knowledge skillfully applied in task while disposed to an ethic of professionalism. Although competency is a familiar term in a variety of clinical and vocational contexts, only recently have computing curricula explored its relevance to baccalaureate education. A competency articulates (1) a task made actionable by combining elements of (2) knowledge, (3) skills, and (4) dispositions. CC2020’s conception of competency defines a disposition as an inclination toward principled behaviorthat conditions choices and frames the subsequent assessment of conduct in professional practice. This paper outlines CC2020’s rationale and strategy for integrating competency in curricula and reflects upon the significance of the transformative potential of competency on baccalaureate computing education.