Competencies
4011.4.3 : Explains the Evolving Nature of Technology
The learner explains the evolving nature of technology and its implications for business and IT practices.
Introduction
The IT field changes faster than almost any other profession. New tools, programming languages, security threats, cloud platforms, and frameworks emerge constantly. A skill that was cutting edge five years ago might now be outdated, so it is important for IT professionals to have a continuous learning plan. Continuous learning ensures IT professionals stay relevant and effective in the workplace.
In Task 1, you are an employee who specialized in technology (server maintenance, database, network access, etc.) that your company embraced until the coming of cloud computing. You are now facing a migration of all the in-house services you used to look after to the cloud, and your job will be rendered obsolete in 6 months. You must assess how these changes will impact your job and future with your company or other companies and create a plan to remain current and valuable to your company.
Scenario
You are an employee at HorizonTech Solutions, a midsized software development firm, and are an experienced IT Systems Administrator with eight years of expertise in managing on-premises servers and infrastructure.
Your core responsibilities include:
You are the go-to person for maintaining the organization’s internal servers and ensuring system reliability because you have several certifications in server solutions and are highly skilled in traditional server management and virtualization.
HorizonTech Solutions is set to transition fully to a cloud-based infrastructure within six months, partnering with a leading cloud computing provider to migrate all systems, applications, and data to the cloud.
This strategic shift is driven by the need for cost efficiency, reducing expenses associated with maintaining on-premises hardware, and scalability, requiring flexible infrastructure to handle fluctuating workloads. Additionally, the company aims to enhance reliability by leveraging cloud providers' redundancy and disaster recovery solutions, as well as improve security and compliance through advanced security features offered by cloud providers.
The transition plan includes:
HorizonTech has told employees they expect to reduce the tech workforce by 50%. They have been clear that only employees with the skills needed will remain on the payroll after the transition. You like working for HorizonTech due to their great benefits and vacation policy and you wish to stay with the company.
Requirements
Your submission must represent your original work and understanding of the course material. Most performance assessment submissions are automatically scanned through the WGU similarity checker. Students are strongly encouraged to wait for the similarity report to generate after uploading their work and then review it to ensure Academic Authenticity guidelines are met before submitting the file for evaluation. See Understanding Similarity Reports for more information.
Grammarly Note:
Professional Communication will be automatically assessed through Grammarly for Education in most performance assessments before a student submits work for evaluation. Students are strongly encouraged to review the Grammarly for Education feedback prior to submitting work for evaluation, as the overall submission will not pass without this aspect passing. See Use Grammarly for Education Effectively for more information.
Microsoft Files Note:
Write your paper in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) unless another Microsoft product, or pdf, is specified in the task directions. Tasks may not be submitted as cloud links, such as links to Google Docs, Google Slides, OneDrive, etc. All supporting documentation, such as screenshots and proof of experience, should be collected in a pdf file and submitted separately from the main file. For more information, please see Computer System and Technology Requirements.
A. Analyze how the company’s migration to cloud computing will affect your traditional role as an IT employee of this company by doing the following:
1. Explain how the migration to cloud computing will change three of your core responsibilities as an employee in the scenario.
B. Create a six-month plan to help you acquire the knowledge and skills required for your role as a result of your organization's migration to cloud computing. The plan must include the following:
1. Outline a specific task or goal that you should focus on each month to build cloud computing proficiency for your role. The tasks or goals must be incremental and build on the previous tasks or goals.
Note: You must include 1 task or goal for each month of the six-month plan.
2. List three specific strategies that will help you to successfully complete the tasks or goals outlined in part B1.
C. Create a continuous learning plan for staying up to date with the latest technologies in cloud computing and being successful on the job once the cloud migration is complete by including the following components:
1. Outline three ongoing activities that you will engage in outside the workplace over the next 5 years to support continuous learning in cloud computing trends and advancements.
2. Identify three resources outside the workplace that will support you in continuous learning in cloud computing.
3. Describe three ways you can learn cloud computing skills in the workplace, and three tools you can use to support that learning.
4. Describe a method for you to periodically evaluate your progress toward task or goal completion and adjust the learning plan to address emerging technologies or skill gaps.
D. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
E. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.
File Restrictions
File name may contain only letters, numbers, spaces, and these symbols: ! - _ . * ' ( ) File size limit: 200 MB File types allowed: doc, docx, rtf, xls, xlsx, ppt, pptx, odt, pdf, csv, txt, qt, mov, mpg, avi, mp3, wav, mp4, wma, flv, asf, mpeg, wmv, m4v, svg, tif, tiff, jpeg, jpg, gif, png, zip, rar, tar, 7z
Rubric
A1:CORE RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT
Not Evident The submission does not include three core responsibilities and does not predict how the company’s migration to the cloud will affect them. | Approaching Competence The submission contains one or two core responsibilities or includes irrelevant ones. The predictions show some understanding but lack depth or specificity. The submission shows partial recognition of the impact of cloud migration on the roles, but it lacks detail. | Competent The submission accurately identifies three relevant core responsibilities. It provides clear, specific predictions on how each responsibility will be affected by cloud migration. The submission also demonstrates a clear understanding of the shift in the role due to the migration to cloud computing. |
B1:OUTLINE TASKS FOR SIX MONTHS
Not Evident The submission does not include a specific task or goal for six months. | Approaching Competence The submission contains a plan that includes some relevant tasks but lacks clarity or detail. The goals are partially aligned with cloud computing proficiency. There is some logical progression in skill development, but gaps are evident. Or the submission does not include a goal for each month. | Competent The submission contains a well-structured six-month plan with clear, relevant monthly tasks or goals. The goals are directly aligned with building cloud computing proficiency. The submission demonstrates a logical and comprehensive progression in skill development. |
B2:IDENTIFY STRATEGIES NEEDED
Not Evident The submission does not include any strategies. | Approaching Competence The submission identifies one or two relevant strategies but lacks comprehensiveness. Or the strategies do not relate to the tasks or goals in B1. There is a partial understanding of the resource needs. | Competent The submission identifies three relevant strategies. It demonstrates a clear understanding of what is needed to complete the tasks successfully. |
C1:OUTLINE ONGOING ACTIVITIES
Not Evident The submission does not outline any ongoing activities outside the workplace. | Approaching Competence The submission outlines 1 or 2 relevant ongoing activities outside the workplace but lacks detail or clarity. Or the activities are irrelevant. | Competent The submission clearly outlines 3 relevant ongoing activities outside the workplace. It demonstrates a clear understanding of continuous learning. |
C2:IDENTIFY RESOURCES FOR CONTINUOUS LEARNING
Not Evident The submission does not identify any resources outside the workplace. | Approaching Competence The submission identifies one or two relevant resources outside the workplace but lacks a clear understanding. Or the resources are irrelevant. | Competent The submission identifies three relevant resources outside the workplace. It demonstrates a clear understanding of continuous learning resources. |
C3:DESCRIBE WORKPLACE WAYS OF LEARNING AND TOOLS
Not Evident The submission does not describe ways of learning in the workplace or any tools. | Approaching Competence The submission describes 1 or 2 relevant ways of learning in the workplace and 1 or 2 tools but lacks detail or clarity. Or the ways of learning or tools are irrelevant. | Competent The submission clearly describes 3 ways of learning in the workplace and 3 relevant tools. It demonstrates a clear understanding of maintaining cloud computing skills in the workplace. |
C4:METHOD FOR EVALUATING PROGRESS
Not Evident The submission does not describe any method for evaluating progress. | Approaching Competence The submission describes a method for evaluating progress but lacks detail or clarity. Or the learning plan did not have a way to be adjusted to address emerging technologies or skill gaps. | Competent The submission clearly describes a method for evaluating progress toward task or goal completion. It also provides a way to adjust the learning plan to address emerging technologies or skill gaps. |
D:SOURCES
Not Evident The submission does not include both in-text citations and a reference list for sources that are quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. | Approaching Competence The submission includes in-text citations for sources that are quoted, paraphrased, or summarized and a reference list; however, the citations or reference list is incomplete or inaccurate. | Competent The submission includes in-text citations for sources that are properly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized and a reference list that accurately identifies the author, date, title, and source location as available. |
E:PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
Not Evident This submission includes pervasive errors in professional communication related to grammar, sentence fluency, contextual spelling, or punctuation, negatively impacting the professional quality and clarity of the writing. Specific errors have been identified by Grammarly for Education under the Correctness category. | Approaching Competence This submission includes substantial errors in professional communication related to grammar, sentence fluency, contextual spelling, and/or punctuation. Specific errors have been identified by Grammarly for Education under the Correctness category. | Competent This submission includes satisfactory use of grammar, sentence fluency, contextual spelling, and punctuation, which promote accurate interpretation and understanding. |