Venue: HEC regional center, Peshawar

Date: April 2025

A total of 16 faculty members from universities in Peshawar and 4 participants from the industry based in Peshawar took part in the workshop. Faculty members shared their experiences in teaching programming courses, while industry representatives provided insights into local industry needs and future directions. The discussion focused on the following key point:

Pedagogy of teaching programming courses
1. Use of tools and technologies to enhance user experience.
2. Use of tools and technologies to improve the skills of the students as well as faculty.
3. Inviting people from industry to share their experiences.
4. Engage industry for class as well as senior projects.

Curriculum Framework and Reform
1. Align curriculum with industrial demands and international standards.
2. Industry input to guide curriculum updates.
3. Considering integration of certifications (e.g., Coursera) into electives.
4. Faculty training in understanding and implementation of curriculum.

Technology & Infrastructure Gaps
1. Address digital divide and poor Internet/connectivity in remote areas.
2. Propose at least one high-tech computing lab per university by 2025.
3. Use government-backed projects (e.g., HEDP) for lab setup.
4. Free or subsidized access to essential software (MATLAB, ERP, etc.).
5. Promote shared access models and cloud-based resources.

Innovation and Product-Oriented Research
1. Push for incubator culture in computing institutions.
2. At least one incubator per institution within 2–3 years.
3. Encourage universities to develop local IT products to reduce dependency on expensive foreign subscriptions (e.g., ICI example).

Quality & Accreditation Standards
1. Strengthen accreditation through self-assessment, cluster models, and simplified processes.
2. Promote OBE (Outcome-Based Education).
3. Address challenges with unqualified colleges offering CS programs—such as faculty qualifications (e.g., PhD requirement).

Industry-Academia Linkages
1. Emphasize local industry collaboration for real-world relevance and involve experienced people from industry as visiting industry teachers and professors of practice
2. Encourage mentorship and curriculum alignment with industry demands
3. Engage with industry to provide internships to students
4. Seek options for faculty placement in industry for their upskilling

Policy & Implementation Challenges
1. Funding remains a core issue; PC-1 process is slow.
2. Training programs should be developed for faculty members to equip them with the latest pedagogical as well as technical skills.

Venue: Qarshi University, Lahore

Date: July 2024

A total of 30 faculty members from universities in Lahore and 15 participants from the industry based in Lahore took part in the workshop. Faculty members shared their experiences in teaching programming courses, while industry representatives provided insights into local industry needs and future directions. The discussion focused on the following key point:

1. Introduce Python or JavaScript as the first programming language to emphasize problem-solving over syntax.
2. Encourage the use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT for code generation and debugging, with human oversight for refinement.
3. Integrate GitHub, Slack, and Scrum into classroom projects to expose students to industry tools and collaboration practices.
4. Align curriculum with real-world applications, including case studies and industry-relevant frameworks.
5. Incorporate coding challenges from HackerRank, CodeChef, LeetCode, and CodeForces into the curriculum to focus on problem-solving skills.
6. Utilize platforms like Moss for plagiarism checking to ensure originality and maintain academic integrity.
7. Use Raptor or similar tools to help students visualize and understand code logic early in the course.
8. Introduce debuggers as early as possible in the curriculum to teach students effective troubleshooting techniques.
9. Pair inexperienced teachers with industry professionals for mentorship and curriculum design support.
10. Organize coding competitions and workshops to reinforce the focus on problem-solving as emphasized by Dr. Aksam.
11. Ensure teachers are actively involved in lab work to improve practical teaching quality.

Venue: HEC regional center, Peshawar

Date: April 2025

A total of 15 faculty members from universities in Peshawar took part in the workshop. Faculty members shared their experiences in teaching programming courses. The discussion focused on the following key point:

International Accreditation for Computing Programs
1. Seoul Accord.
2. Membership & Monitoring Procedures.
3. Seoul Accord Graduate Attributes & guiding principles.
4. Outcomes Based Education
5. Continuous Quality Improvement in OBE
6. Three Domains in Bloom’s Taxonomy
7. Designing Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
8. Mapping of Course Learning Outcomes on Program Learning Objectives
9. Transition from Current NCEAC Accreditation to Outcome Based Accreditation

Venue: Qarshi University, Lahore

Date: July 2024

A total of 17 faculty members from universities in Lahore took part in the workshop. Faculty members shared their experiences in teaching programming courses. The discussion focused on the following key point:

1. International Accreditation for Computing Programs
2. Seoul Accord.
3. Membership & Monitoring Procedures.
4. Seoul Accord Graduate Attributes & guiding principles.
5. Outcomes Based Education
6. Continuous Quality Improvement in OBE
7. Three Domains in Bloom’s Taxonomy
8. Designing Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
9. Mapping of Course Learning Outcomes on Program Learning Objectives
10. Transition from Current NCEAC Accreditation to Outcome Based Accreditation