Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ncsu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!mauney From: mauney@ncsu.UUCP Newsgroups: net.college,net.cse Subject: Re: Should Computer Science be taught at the High School level? Message-ID: <2747@ncsu.UUCP> Date: Tue, 18-Dec-84 12:04:19 EST Article-I.D.: ncsu.2747 Posted: Tue Dec 18 12:04:19 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 21-Dec-84 00:14:08 EST References: <241@mss.UUCP> Organization: N.C. State University, Raleigh Lines: 30 Xref: watmath net.college:551 net.cse:270 1) Computer Science, and even computer programming, should have a status in high schools no higher than that of Calculus. It should be offered only by schools not having any difficulty supporting the important subjects, and should be required only for those student for whom calculus is required. 2) I am a computer science professor, and the biggest favor high schools can do for me is to teach logic, problem solving, and clear thinking. If students can do that, programming will not be hard to pick up. The only capital investment required for the schools is buying a few good teachers. 3) If you insist on teaching something with computers, try this: get some hardware and a wide variety of software packages -- games, spreadsheets, address books, whatever. Teach the basic steps of using a package, then give assignments that require the use of more advanced features. And then, and this is the useful part, have discussions about the packages: how good is the documentation? how good is the user interface? how useful is the package in reality? is it an improvement over the existing low-tech counterparts? how could things be improved? Students will learn to use computers, and learn when not to use computers, and learn to demand quality software. Students who plan to major in computer science will have a perspective that will enable them to produce really useful software when they graduate. It's only a suggestion, of course. -- _Doctor_ Jon Mauney, mcnc!ncsu!mauney \__Mu__/ North Carolina State University