The Compatibility of Computer Science Curriculum in Preparing Undergraduates for the Future of Work in South Africa

The critical goal of universities is multifaceted and includes economic participation, societal service, and the development of students’ social skills, critical thinking, empathy, and commitment to civic engagement. Equally, it is expected that universities represent this goal and have it reflected in their graduates through adequate provision of a responsive curriculum. The purpose of this study was to explore the compatibility of computer science curricula in preparing undergraduates for the future of work. This qualitative study followed an exploratory case design where eleven (11) computer science lecturers from two universities in South Africa were sampled. Data was collected through interviews and classroom observations. The findings of this study reveal that the undergraduate computer science curriculum in one of the sampled South Africa’s universities is not compatible with preparing undergraduates for the future of work. This lacuna was mainly caused by the lack of internationalisation and globalisation components in the curriculum to foster internal and external collaboration, underutilisation of digital technology and the available learning management systems for synchronous and asynchronous instruction. A further finding indicates that academics and those working in eLearning did not seem to understand the new normal that the 4IR has brought to our attention. As a result, this study recommends that the computer science curriculum needs to be restructured, do away with the bundling of critical skills and knowledge with other modules and constant curriculum review to the national skills alignment framework. It is hoped that this study will provide a lifeline on where to improve in order to stay relevant in computer science. Keywords: Computer Science, Future of Work, Universities, Undergraduates