Triangulating Coding Bootcamps in IS Education: Bootleg Education or Disruptive Innovation?

Overview & Synopsis

Coding bootcamps number in the hundreds world-wide despite repeated predictions of their demise over the past few years. Fueled by a resurgent economy and a persistent shortage of app developers and computer systems engineers, bootcamps tout a fast-track to a six-figure salary for as little as one-eighth the tuition dollars or time investment of a nominal four-year information systems baccalaureate degree. Bootcamps represent an enticing opportunity for: a) high school graduates unconvinced of the return on the time and money investment in a liberal arts education, b) college graduates who find their career potential limited by their baccalaureate major, or c) experienced workers seeking a change of profession. Although potentially disruptive, and generally neither accredited nor affiliated academically, bootcamps introduce opportunities for innovation in terms of structure, organization, curriculum, and pedagogy for traditional computing education in higher education, which we explore in this paper.