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From: sbw@naucse.UUCP (Steve Wampler)
Newsgroups: comp.edu,comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: CS education
Message-ID: <1814@naucse.UUCP>
Date: 16 Nov 89 17:48:08 GMT
References: <6995@hubcap.clemson.edu>
Organization: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Lines: 42

I'm not sure where I personally stand on this whole mess, but I've
noticed a trend in some of the arguments that disturbs me.  There
seems to be a feeling (correct me if I'm wrong) that CS programs
should concentrate more on teaching the tools of programming and
less on specific topics - the general argument is something along
the lines of "they [the students] aren't likely to *really* do
topic X, but they'll be programming, so let's teach them to
program right."

Now, I agree with the idea of "teaching them to program right",
Software Engineering should be covered, covered early in the
curriculum, and expected of the students in all their work.
It is not adequately presented in most CS programs.

However, the argument given above sounds all too familar - it's
a parody of the argument given by education programs for the
last few decades - "We'll teach teachers to teach anything"
and of business management programs - "We'll teach managers
to manage anything."

This philosophy that has led to teachers going into elementary
school teaching with pathetic skills in English, Mathematics,
whatever.  (Such as the student teacher (who is now teaching!)
that told his students to construct the past tense by adding
'ed' to words and *gave* them the examples 'swimmed' and 'runned'.)

My point is that you cannot "just teach the things they'll be
using" - you end up with truly empty courses without giving the
students any real knowledge.  Operating Systems (for example) is
a valid and valuable course because it is an in depth look at
at least one complex field within computer science and because
(as has been said) it ties together a lot of otherwise esoteric
topics.  I'm particularly fond of compiler courses for exactly
the same reasons.

I rarely use Calculus anymore.  I constantly use the skills I
learned in my Caluculi courses.  Had I been explicitedly taught
those skills devoid of their *real* application, I don't believe
I could use them as adroitly.
-- 
	Steve Wampler
	{....!arizona!naucse!sbw}