Empowering Tomorrow's Information Technology Professionals: Bridging Competencies and Personalized Learning through “Topics in Tech”

This innovative practice full paper in competencies development describes how Topics in Tech, a weekly speaker series featuring university alumni and information technology leaders, enables current students to connect with alumni and technology leaders, gaining insights into career milestones, ongoing projects, and college experiences. Topics in Tech is a key component of BentleyPlus, an innovative program grounded in self-observation theory that enhances students' engagement and learning experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. BentleyPlus integrates essential skills identified by top employers, aligning extracurricular activities with professional growth under advisor guidance and emphasizing self-reflection and introspection. Exposure to networking opportunities and career insights encourages students to apply self-observation techniques, fostering deeper self-awareness and metacognitive skills aligned with the principles of self-observation theory. Students participating in “Topics in Tech” engage in reflective practices, assessing their reactions and takeaways from each session. This reflective learning approach enriches students' educational experiences and empowers them to make informed decisions about their educational and professional paths. The combination of BentleyPlus and self-observation theory within “Topics in Tech” contributes to holistic student development, preparing them for success in the dynamic and competitive information technology industry by cultivating essential competencies valued by employers. Survey results gathered from more than 1200 students during a five-semester period suggest that because of their participation in Topics in Tech, a majority felt connected or benefitted significantly from their chosen speaker's experiences, recognized the importance of analyzing information before making decisions, and had a high degree of engagement with the content either during the session or afterward, in discussions with their peers. These results indicate that Topics in Tech effectively meets the goals of the university's BentleyPlus program, fostering identity awareness, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills among the participants.