The design of computer science courses for nonmajors is a tangled web full of decisions. What should nonmajors learn about computers and computing? How should nonmajors learn in computer science courses? How should academic rigor and relevance be balanced in computer science courses designed for nonmajors? Walker offers insightful solutions to these kinds of consequential questions.
In the design of computer science courses for nonmajors, Walker admonishes educators to consider the germaneness of course topics for the student audiences, the scope of activities and constructs that stimulate problem-solving abilities in nonmajors, and the need to prioritize course topics and learning activities in each semester or quarterly course for nonmajors; in addition, Walker urges them to understand and be open minded to the concept that programming is not essential in all introductory courses for nonmajors.
There is no doubt that this thought-provoking article will generate heated debates among the old and the new schools of computer science educators. The debates, as I see it, will focus on the flexibility of those of us who are old school to adapt to the changes in the real world of nonmajors and the inclination of the experienced professors to promote the curriculum redesign initiatives advocated in this concise article. As I read this article, over and over again, I continued to ask why computer scientists make efforts to promote interdisciplinary research collaborations when computer courses designed for nonmajors are not tailored to the needs of the audiences.