Computing Reviews
Today's Issue Hot Topics Search Browse Recommended My Account Log In
Review Help
Search
Priorities for the non-majors, CS course: programming may not make the cut
Walker H. ACM Inroads6 (1):46-49,2015.Type:Article
Date Reviewed: Apr 15 2015

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.

Reviewer:  Amos Olagunju Review #: CR143346 (1509-0835)
Bookmark and Share
  Reviewer Selected
Featured Reviewer
 
 
Computer Science Education (K.3.2 ... )
 
 
Literacy (K.3.2 ... )
 
Would you recommend this review?
yes
no
Other reviews under "Computer Science Education": Date
Pascal
Meyers R., Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1992. Type: Book (9780137256235)
Oct 1 1992
Software engineering education: the educational needs of the software community
Fairley R., Gibbs N.  Software engineering education: the educational needs of the software community,Carnegie-Mellon Univ. Software Engineering Institute, Pittsburgh, PA,1987. Type: Whole Proceedings
Aug 1 1988
Fundamentals of computing I
Tucker A., Bradley W., Cupper R., Garnick D., McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY, 1992. Type: Book (9780070654495)
Feb 1 1993
more...

E-Mail This Printer-Friendly
Send Your Comments
Contact Us
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.   Copyright 1999-2024 ThinkLoud®
Terms of Use
| Privacy Policy