Work in progress: Out-of-class learning: Shaping perception of learning and building knowledge of IT professions

Freshman and sophomore college students, who have just begun their academic careers in Computer Science, are challenged by difficult courses while having little insight about the job demands in the information technology (IT) industry. This study adopts an out-of-class learning approach to discover how out-of-class learning (1) shapes students' perception of learning computer science subjects, (2) promotes understanding related to the challenges in IT professions, and (3) closes the gap between computer science education and the required IT skills in industry. The preliminary findings of this study demonstrate that interviewing IT professionals sheds light on the challenges of working in IT. Subsequently, students realize the critical skills in support of future success. This study proposes that course work in project management is a useful mechanism to bridge between the critical skills and technical skills, thereby better preparing students for careers in IT.