Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!agate!thoth20.berkeley.edu!jmm
From: jmm@thoth20.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: What is CS? (Was re First languages)
Message-ID: <8400@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 6 Apr 88 08:50:35 GMT
References: <3684@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <568@abcom.ATT.COM> <607@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU> <8538@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>
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Organization: UC Berkeley, Celtic Studies program
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In article <8538@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU> hugo@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Peter Su) writes:
>>But then, i am coming to believe that a programming course should be
>>required of _all_ students - including humanities students and all. 

You probably use wooden furniture all the time.  Do you also think that
a class in woodworking should be required of all university students :-)?
Make that 1/2 :-).  Just because something is in wide use does not mean
that it is a fit subject for study at a university level.  You might
very well want people to know how to use a tool, but there are far
better ways to use academic time to teach them that tool.  (Make classes
available for learning how to use computers as tools, but don't make
them requirements.  And don't give academic credit for them.  Make
people realize that the tools exist, and they can use them RIGHT NOW
to make their lives easier.  Don't force them to take bonehead CS when
they could take something valuable instead.)

/ James Moore		/    	|  jmm@bartleby.berkeley.edu
/ 			/	|--------------------------------------------|
/ Ma ta Gaeilge agut,	/	|   Nil aon speis ag Ollscoile na	     |
/ scriobh i!		/	|   California im bharulacha fein.           |