A conversation about computer science education (original) (raw)

Questioning Two Myths in Computer Science Education

IFIP advances in information and communication technology, 2014

This paper examines two statements regarding computer science as a discipline and its theoretical basis. We shall demonstrate how those statements are questionable and in addition they tend to hide the real root-causes of some significant educational issues. Those statements are very popular in the scientific community and have noteworthy negative effect on the researchers who frequently double their efforts and get around the same problems for years. This work concludes with the claim that experts on computer science education (CSE) should be more attentive to the theoretical aspects of this discipline and should pay more attention to speculative proposals.

Foundations of computer science: what are they and how do we teach them?

Proceedings of the 1st Conference, 1996

Computer science as a discipline is changing rapidly. New developments in software and hardware are changing the way we write programs, design systems, and create applications. The role of the first year curriculum in computer science is to lay the foundations for becoming a professional in the field. We examine the ways in which the changing nature of computer science influences our teaching methods, our view of which concepts are fundamental, and the overall sense of what it takes to become a successful computer scientist. We propose a first year curriculum model that has a strong emphasis on design, on programming in a structured project based environment, and on the extensive use of tools, libraries, and templates. We illustrate this model by describing a collection of graphicsbased exercises that apply computing across the disciplines.

Computer science: student myths and misconceptions

This paper discusses common myths and misconceptions about the field of computer science. It addresses and attempts to dispel these notions in an effort to provide prospective computer science students and the general public with a more realistic view of the field.

Foundations of computer science: what are they and iiuvviju wi~ tl~;;~l

Computer science as a discipline is changing rapidly. New developments in software and hardware are changing the way we write programs, design systems, and create applications. The role of the first year curriculum in computer science is to lay the foundations for becoming a professional in the field. We examine the ways in which the changing nature of computer science influences our teaching methods, our view of which concepts are fundamental, and the overall sense of what it takes to become a successful computer scientist. We propose a first year curriculum model that has a strong emphasis on design, on programming in a structured project based environment, and on the extensive use of tools, libraries, and templates. We illustrate this model by describing a collection of graphicsbased exercises that apply computing across the disciplines.

Developing Course-Level Learning Goals for Basic Data Structures in CS2

Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

Establishing learning goals for a course allows instructors to design course content to address those goals, helps students to focus their learning appropriately, and enables researchers to assess learning of those goals. In this work, we propose six learning goals for a topic prevalent in CS2 courses: Basic Data Structures. These learning goals arise from reviewing several CS2 courses at a variety of institutions, surveying faculty experts who commonly teach CS2, and meeting and working closely with these experts. We outline our process for creating learning goals, identify important topics underlying these goals, and provide examples of how the goals developed on the path to consensus. We also document that the term "CS2" does not have a unified interpretation within the CS education community and describe how this hurdle influenced our decision to focus on Basic Data Structures.

Guide to Teaching Computer Science

Springer eBooks, 2014

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. vii Prologue This Guide to Teaching Computer Science can serve all computer science educators, both in high school and in academia, i.e., computer science university instructors, high school computer science teachers, and instructors of computer science teacher preparation programs. Specifically, the guide can be used as the textbook of the Methods of Teaching Computer Science (MTCS) course, offered to prospective and in-service computer science teachers. In all cases, the guide is organized in a way that enables an immediate application of its main ideas. This goal is achieved by presenting the rationale for addressing a variety of computer science education topics, as well as their detailed actual teaching process (including activities, worksheets, topics for discussions, and more). The guide encompasses the authors' teaching and research experience in computer science education gained during the past three decades. Specifically, we have taught courses on computer science and computer science education to high school computer science pupils, undergraduate computer science students, and pre-service and in-service computer science teachers. In parallel, we have conducted research on a variety of computer science education topics, such as teaching methods, learning processes, teacher preparation, and social issues of computer science education. In the second edition, we updated all the chapters with both content and references, and added 15 new activities; specifically, we highlighted current teaching approaches and trends to be integrated in the MTCS course. We would like to thank all who contributed to our understanding of the nature of computer science education and fostered the approach presented in this guide: our students in the MTCS courses, high school classes, and in-service high school teacher professional development programs, as well as colleagues, researchers and instructors who collaborated with us in a variety of research and development projects. During the past three decades, they all shared with us their knowledge, professional experience, thoughts and attitudes with respect to computer science education.