Ask the Educator
First-Year Students become XML Masters to Get a Leg Up on the Competition
We interviewed Mr. Masahiro Yamazaki, Assistant Director of the Matsuyama Computer Academy, about the Academy’s enthusiastic push to have all students enrolled in either the two-year Information Technology & Science course or the three-year Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer course to become XML Masters.
What do students study under your Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer or Information Technology & Science courses?
The two-year Information Technology & Science course enrolls 50 students, and covers basic programmer education.
The three-year Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer course enrolls 30 individuals for further study of networking, programming and database connection technologies.
Many graduates hope to eventually get on with a company in Tokyo, and we have a 100% placement rate for students who want to work there.
You must have some kind of special measures in place to maintain such an impressive placement rate.
Yes, well, we survey corporate needs, and then endeavor to create a curriculum that meets the needs of the day. For example, we were the first in our prefecture to start Oracle Master and MCP courses—new curriculum adopted in quick response to corporate demand.
Matsuyama City is an IT Occupational Training Zone. Our city policy exempts our Advanced Information Technology & Science students from the morning section of the Basic Information Processing Exam if they have passed our end-of-course exams. This is quite an advantage for our students in terms of employment.
Why are you requiring your students to become XML Masters?
The number one reason is that we are seeing more companies starting to require an XML Master. Job candidates stand out from the crowd when they can add the XML Master in addition to the Information Processing Exam on their resume. Another reason is that XML has become the default format for Office products, and this led us to conclude that it is a vital technology for students to know before they go to work at IT companies. That the XML Master does not expire at some future date alleviates any worries about a financial hardship on our students.
Did you have any XML education before now?
We did cover XML at a basic level, but not to the extent that our students were ready to become XML Masters. We did feel, however, that we would soon need to implement curriculum oriented toward XML Master certification given future trends in technology.
Please tell us more about your 2006 curriculum for Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer and Information Technology & Science courses.
Table 1 shows our proposed curriculum for 2006. The coursework here will help students build basic technical skills as an IT engineer, as well as communications skills as a member of society.
Table 1: 2006 Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer, Information Technology & Science Course Curriculum
| Year 1 (for both Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer and Information Technology & Science Courses) |
| First Term |
|---|
| ・Computer Science ・C Language Fundamentals ・Files/ Databases ・Algorithms ・Network Fundamentals ・Business Etiquette ・Word Processors/ Spreadsheet Practical Applications ・Systems Design ・Management Science ・Internet Fundamentals |
| Second Term |
| ・C Language Programming ・Windows XP Professional Implementation ・Networks ・Business Etiquette ・HTML ・Systems Design ・Word Processing/ Spreadsheet Practical Applications ・XML ・Career Search Activities ・Business |
| Year 2 (for both Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer and Information Technology & Science Courses) |
| First Term |
| ・Visual C＃ Fundamentals ・Windows 2003 Server Environment Management ・Network Design ・Business Etiquette ・XML Application ・Database/ Presentation Practical Applications ・Business ・Documentation Methodologies ・Career Search Activities |
| Second Term |
| ・Visual C＃ Application ・Windows 2003 Server Environment Maintenance ・Schedule Management Practical Applications ・Systems Construction |
| Year 3 (Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer Course) |
| First Term |
| ・Java Language Grammar ・Database Construction ・Network Environment Management ・Web Application Theory ・XSLT Practical Applications ・Basic Database Operation |
| Second Term |
| ・Java Language Practical Applications ・Database Operation ・Network Resource Management ・Web Application Construction Practical Applications ・Web Services Theory ・Instruction Practical Applications |
In which year do students become XML Masters?
Career search activities begin during a student’s second year, so we plan on having students become XML Master: Basic certified during their first year. This way, they can include the certification on their resumes. At the very latest, all of our students should have achieved XML Master: Basic status by the end of the first term in their second year. We are considering requiring our Advanced Information Technology & Science Network Engineer students become XML Master: Professional.
