Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!bbn!rochester!ur-tut!msir_ltd
From: msir_ltd@ur-tut (Mark Sirota)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: What is CS? (Was re First languages)
Message-ID: <1666@ur-tut.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 88 09:00:52 GMT
References: <3684@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <568@abcom.ATT.COM> <607@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU> <8538@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>
Reply-To: msir_ltd@tut.cc.rochester.edu (Mark Sirota)
Organization: Univ. of Rochester, Computing Center
Lines: 23

In article <8538@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU> hugo@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Peter Su) writes:
> But, aside from that issue, I think a straight prgramming class is next to
> worthless for many Humanties and fine art students.  What they need is
> more an illustration of how computers can be useful to them, rather than a
> tedious semster of dealing with concepts that are totally unrelated to
> their major.

I agree.  Not everyone needs to know how to program, but everyone should
learn to recognize that the computer can be a useful tool.  CMU does take
care of this somewhat by offering computer art classes in the Arts
program, which is probably fairly unique.

It occurs to me that teaching programming to those in the "creative" arts
- writing, drama, music, and the like - might be detrimental.  Programming
requires a certain type of thought, very right-brained, very logical,
whereas people in these disciplines are on the other side of the brain,
and think in a more relational, intuitive manner.  Couldn't it be that
forced programming will change the way these people think, and therefore
possibly hinder their skills in their chosen area?  Does anyone know of
any evidence to support or disprove this?
-- 

Mark Sirota
 msir_ltd%tut.cc.rochester.edu@cs.rochester.edu (rochester!ur-tut!msir_ltd)