Examining the Role of Mathematics in the IT Curriculum

What is the role of mathematics within the Information Technology curriculum? Do students need calculus? Should mathematics be taught at all? The rapidly changing nature of IT in recent decades calls for a serious reconsideration of curricula, with a particular focus on those traditional elements that may have become outdated. In this paper, we argue that the role and requirements of mathematics for IT has changed and that a greater emphasis is now needed on IT-relevant and contextualised pedagogy. Our curriculum is outlined and examples of content and approach are discussed in terms of their alignment with current ACM recommendations and the needs of our students. This review and student feedback has validated our provision of a broad, rich mathematical experience that is relevant and applied to careers in the IT industry