Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!clarkson!sun.soe.clarkson.edu!taylor Date: Mon, 18 Mar 91 08:11:42 EST From: Ross Taylor Message-Id: <9103181311.AA07104@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> Subject: Re: Re: Teaching Fortran Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran In response to my posting regarding the teaching of Fortran Doctor FORTRAN wrote: >First of all, let me say that just as flowers need sun, so do scientists and >engineers need FORTRAN. No question about it. >You mention that this first-semester course includes other things, in addition >to FORTRAN. What other things? Introduction to word processing. Introduction to spreadsheets. Actually, I should say that I have never taught the course in question but have to deal with students who can't program in subsequent courses. I am one of many having a hard time trying to get things changed. >Some questions on elementary computer programming appear on the PE examination, >which is as it should be. If you drop FORTRAN from your curriculum, it is >quite possible that your school could lose its accreditation as an Engineering >school. Chemical engineering accreditation requires some use of a high level language. Accred. rules do not say that the student must be fluent (or even semi-literate) in a language, however. I can't comment on other eng. disciplines but I imagine the same things can be said there as well. >Therefore, I urge you to double (at least) your efforts to teach FORTRAN to your >undergraduates. Glad to hear your on my side. Heres hoping we're succesful. Ross Taylor Department of Chemical Engineering Clarkson University Potsdam, NY 13699 taylor@sun.soe.clarkson.edu +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Go KNIGHTS (that's our hockey team who just beat the Badgers of Wisconsin (defending national champs) to reach the last 8 of this years NCAA Division I hockey tournament). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++