The Open Ended Group Project: A Way of Including Diversity in the IT Curriculum

Abstract

Modern societies are now beginning to accept that their citizens are diverse but, arguably, have not yet faced up to the challenges of diversity. Schools and universities thus have a role to play in equipping students for the diverse society in which they will live and work. IT students in particular need to appreciate the diversity of society as they specify, design, build and evaluate systems for a wide range of people. This chapter examines the concept of the Open Ended Group Project (OEGP) and uses examples to demonstrate that OEGP forms an effective technique for encouraging students to work together in diverse teams. The appropriateness of OEGP as a means of addressing diversity in the curriculum is examined, and it is concluded that OEGP offers a suitable means of enabling students to develop strategies for accommodating diversity in both their future working life and the wider society.