The Education of Web Professionals

Are the schools doing their job?

Today, there are many opportunities for education when it comes to the field of web design and development. Schools have been created that entirely focus on this field and offer a set of classes that end all completed will grant the individual an education in all that is web.

But are these schools benefiting the students?

Are they teaching the right stuff?

I attend several portfolio shows for seniors but I always walk away with the same question:

Are you a designer or are you a developer?

From what I have been able to tell, these programs encourage students to be a generalist, and not a expert. But put them on a path to be a “jack of all trades”. I am disappointed to talk with these aspiring students to only find they don’t even have the slightest of clue if they want to be a designer or a developer.

Confusion?

The schools could be confused on have the difficult task of creating content for these classes and find more bang for their buck by generalizing the education plan. Or could it be due to the shear number of titles in the web field that the schools feel that generalization is best path to a job…

Updating the course plans needs to be done constantly in order to keep up with the ever changing web. Yesterday Adobe Flash ruled. Today HTML5 Canvas is making a huge impact. Tomorrow?

The Students Matter

The schools should really look at how they can benefit the students; they are shelling out large amounts of money for this “education”; and encourage the students to seek their passion and not be a generalist.

Design Much?

When I attend a portfolio show, I want to see what designers have produced, not that you are sitting on the fence and you may be a developer or maybe your a designer.

I would love to see these schools tell students to focus on your passion. If you want to be a designer, be a Web Designer. If you want to be a UI Designer, be a UI Designer.

But please stop producing generalist.