Readings

The readings for this week are focused on Computer Science Education. First is the push for Computer Science 4 All:

• President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka are unveiling a new federal computer science initiative with major tech backers

• Is Coding the New Literacy?

• Please don’t learn to code

• How Much CS Ed Will $1.3B Buy You? Not Enough to Reach Every U.S. School, nor Every Child

• Anyone Can Learn Programming: Teaching > Genetics

Second, is the Computer Science Education you received here at Notre Dame:

• Criteria for Accrediting Computing Programs, 2016-2017

• What every computer science major should know

• Bootcamps vs. College

• We looked at how a thousand college students performed in technical interviews to see if where they went to school mattered. It didn’t.

• Generation CS: When Undergraduates Realized They Needed Computing

Optional: Computer Science 4 All

These articles discuss the political push for Computer Science 4 All:

• Ivanka Trump: Computer science education a new “priority”

• A Plan to Teach Every Child Computer Science

• What happened to Obama’s $4 billion in computer science funding?

These articles discuss how some cities and states are considering implementing CS 4 All:

• De Blasio to Announce 10-Year Deadline to Offer Computer Science to All Students

• Computer science is space race of today

• CPS to roll out computer science requirement

• French, Spanish, German ... Java? Making Coding Count As A Foreign Language

These articles discuss what should go into CS 4 All:

• Learning to Think Like a Computer

• Should Computer Education Cover More Than Just Coding?

• Why should we teach programming (Hint: It’s not to learn problem-solving)

These articles push back on the CS 4 All movement:

• Computing for all #2: Can we get off the pendulum?

• The folly of teaching computer science to high school kids

• Jason Bradbury: Coding lessons in schools are a waste of time

These articles discuss the obstacles to implementing CS 4 All:

• Is the U.S. Education System Ready for CS for All?

• The difficult realities of implementing #CSforAll

• More Teachers, Fewer 3D Printers: How to Improve K–12 Computer Science Education

These articles discuss how companies are helping support this movement:

• Google announces $1 billion job training and education program

• Apple launches coding camps for kids in its retail stores

• GE CEO Jeff Immelt says all new hires will learn to code

• Top business leaders, 27 governors, urge Congress to boost computer science education

These articles discuss whether or not everyone can learn to program:

• The Camel Has Two Humps

• Separating Programming Sheep from Non-Programming Goats

• Please Don't Learn to Code

Optional: Computer Science Education

These articles focus on what should go in a Computer Science Education:

• Computer Science 2013: Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Programs in Computer Science

• The Perils of Java Schools

• Why I'm Not Looking to Hire Computer-Science Majors

These articles discuss whether or not college is needed for Computer Science:

• More Universities Should Shut Down Their Computer Science Programs

• Turn On, Code In, Drop Out: Tech Programmers Don't Need College Diplomas

• The limited value of a computer science education

• Warning: A computer science degree may be a waste of your time and money

• Dropouts Need Not Apply: Silicon Valley Asks Mostly for Developers With Degrees

These articles discuss whether or not bootcamps are viable alternatives to a traditional university education:

• Comparing Salaries for Coding Bootcamps vs. Computer Science Degrees

• I spent 3 months applying to jobs after a coding bootcamp. Here’s what I learned.

• So that whole coding bootcamp thing is a scam, right?

• The Kentucky Startup That Is Teaching Coal Miners to Code

• Why More Tech Companies Are Hiring People Without Degrees

These articles discuss the boom in CS enrollment:

• Generation CS

• University computer science finally surpasses its 2003 peak!

• A History of Capacity Challenges in Computer Science

• Analysis: The exploding demand for computer science education, and why America needs to keep up

Questions

Please write a response to one of the following questions:

1. After reading the articles, do you believe that coding is the new literacy? Should everyone be exposed or required to take a computer science or coding class?

   • What are the arguments for and against introducing everyone to computing or programming? What challenges will schools face as this CS4All push moves forward?

   • How should computer science fit into a typical K-12 curriculum? Is it an elective or a requirement? Does it replace existing subjects or is it an addition? What exactly should be taught in this CS4All curriculum? Is this computational thinking? programming? logic? computer literacy?

   • Can anyone learn to program? Should everyone learn to program? Explain why or why not to both.

2. Review the Computer Science and Engineering course catalog, and compare it to the Computer Science 2013: Curriculum Guidelines and ABET Criteria.

   • How does Notre Dame's computer science curriculum match up with the the ACM guidelines and the ABET criteria? Does it mostly meet these learning goals or does it fall short?

   • What do you think of the ACM or ABET guidelines for a computer science program? What areas or topics need more exposure? Conversely, what areas or topics require less coverage?

   • What do you think of coding bootcamps? Would it have been better if you just went to a bootcamp out of high school or perhaps gotten a degree in another major and then done a bootcamp program? Do bootcamps replace a college degree?

   • Do you need to go to college to be a good computer scientist, computer engineer, software developer, or programmer? Do you feel Notre Dame has prepared you adequately for your future career? Do you know everything you should know (or want to know)? Explain.