Abstract: The demand for qualified information technology professionals remains high despite the lackluster economy. It is imperative to provide students with a curriculum that provides a broad foundation in information technology knowledge, skills, and abilities. However, students also need access to specialized technologies and learning materials to develop the skills that will be needed to drive growth in companies across all sectors of the economy. The dilemma faced by administrators of information technology degree programs is the lack of resources needed to provide students with these specialized learning opportunities. Cisco, VMWare, NetApp, and other information technology vendors offer learning materials that can be used by higher education programs. The potential costs and benefits of using these resources and how they have been incorporated into the undergraduate Computer Technology program at Ball State University will be discussed.

Keywords: Education, Information Technology, EMC Academic Alliance Program, NetApp Academic Alliance, Cisco Networking Academy, Information Technology Curriculum, Curriculum Management

Download this article: ISEDJ - V11 N4 Page 51.pdf

Recommended Citation: Hua, D. M. (2013). Costs and Benefits of Vendor Sponsored Learning Materials in Information Technology Education. Information Systems Education Journal, 11(4) pp 51-60. http://isedj.org/2013-11/ ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2012)