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From: tlh@mordred.cs.purdue.edu (Thomas L. Hausmann)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Resources and education
Message-ID: <1344@arthur.cs.purdue.edu>
Date: Sat, 2-May-87 17:08:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: arthur.1344
Posted: Sat May  2 17:08:10 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 3-May-87 09:10:54 EDT
References: <780@killer.UUCP> <1262@arthur.cs.purdue.edu> <170@a.UUCP>
Sender: news@arthur.cs.purdue.edu
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Lines: 50
Summary: Avoiding job specific skills. Response to Wade.

In article <170@a.UUCP>, djw@a.UUCP (David Wade, Neutron Measurements Group, Computer Abuser ) writes:
> >
> >  When designing an assignment for a class that I am teaching,  ...
> >                 I do this because it is my philosophy that CSE
> >  is primarily developing problem solving skills and not teaching how to
> >  program.   
> I believe that something is missing here...
> 
> 	1) do you have the kind of equipment that I will need after school?
> 	2) do you have the language I will need after school?
> 	3) do you understand the marketplace I will be entering OR are
> 	you educating me for a particular job?
> After all; you wouldn't teach a locksmith without having locks around.
> And, since I've been paid as a programmer/analyst for over 17 years, I
> wonder why the schools are turning out brain-damaged graduates. 

If you want go to school soley to get job training, go to a vocational
school.  It is not my job to educate students with knowledge that is
outdated before they this institution.  I don't know what Wade means by
brain-damaged graduates (maybe they can't hack RPGII in their sleep
or something. ;-))  Face it Wade, it is (in my opinion) not a University's 
purpose to focus education on job specific skills.  (Of course, CS students
learn to program, just like engineers learn calculus.)

If a person has developed good problem solving skills independent
of programming languages and architectures the transition to new languages and
architectures is much easier than for the person who has done all their 
work/education in one language and machine architecture (obviously).
That is why I am surprised at your questions above Wade, you and I are both
aware that in this field we are always having to learn new things.  No one could
teach you about writing concurrent programs 17 years ago.

And this is my point, I try to teach students how to THINK because I cannot
tell them about all the equipment, languages, and architectures they will be
using 4, 17, or 30 years from now.  What I can do is invite students to some of the
seminars and talks that are always going on in the department in order for
them to see genuinely new things which may not ever be taught in a class for
several more years.  I have done this and the students said their minds were blown
but at least they had the exposure.

Striking a balance between gymnatics 
and music (now that the weather is nice.)

Tom
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Thomas L. Hausmann           |   
Graduate Assistant           |   tlh@mordred.cs.purdue.edu    ( ARPA )
Dept of Computer Science     |
Purdue University            |   ...!purdue!tlh   ( UUCP  )
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