Selecting Programming Languages for Information Systems Students

Programming languages are essential components of information systems (IS) education, enabling students to develop a deeper understanding and utilize computers efficiently. Education on programming languages for IS students is also important as possessing programming skills can significantly enhance job prospects in areas such as web development, mobile application programming, and business analytics. Nonetheless, the IS 2010 Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Information Systems treat programming as secondary capabilities, making it an elective course (Topi et al., 2010). This approach had been criticized by proponents of programming as a core course (Janicki and Cummings, 2022), who argue that this approach undervalues the importance of programming skills for IS students. Subsequently, the IS 2020 Curriculum Guidelines have recognized the significance of programming and reinstated it as a core course (Leidig & Salmela, 2020), acknowledging the necessity of programming skills for IS students. With the reinstated status of programming language education for IS students , the next question is which programming languages should be taught to IS students. While the selection of programming languages has been studied frequently in computer science and software engineering, it remains scarce in the information systems area. For example, a survey conducted by Smith and Jones (2021) among US colleges teaching programming languages in IS or business analytics courses found that Python, Java, and Visual Basic were the most popular choices; however, the selections were not based on a clear rationale, as the selection process appears to be arbitrary or influenced by external factors such as limited faculty availability or the adoption of a popular language used by other institutions. Our paper proposes a systematic approach to identifying relevant programming languages for IS major students. This framework uses intrinsic attributes of programming languages (technical features, pedagogical value, and practical comprehensiveness) and extrinsic forces (purpose and industry demand) to help educators select appropriate programming languages for IS students. The proposed approach will be illustrated with practical examples from contemporary popular programming languages.