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Computer Science
Dick Williams, Lead Discipline Faculty-Computer
Science
CSU Dominguez Hills
Note: Faculty from CS and CIS generally met
together at the onset of IMPAC regional and statewide discussions
and then moved to independent discussions as the day progressed.
However, because the teaching responsibilities of many community
college faculty overlap between these two disciplines, we
urge all faculty to review the comments contained in both
CS and CIS IMPAC reports. Readers will find that content in
these summaries of regional meetings may be repeated in the
CIS Annual Report.
Summary of Identified
Issues
CS/CIS Joint Discussions
Joint discussions with Computer Information Systems (CIS)
identified these issues:
- While the differences seem to be in the
support courses (calculus and science as opposed to accounting
and management), there are many common courses; it may be
possible to teach a common Java or programming course.
- The graduates of each of the programs
seem to compete for many of the same jobs.
- On smaller campuses, there is only one
department and the faculty teach in both areas. At some
larger campuses, the two reside in a school of computation.
Academic Integrity
A discussion of cheating revealed that it is widespread. It
is felt that students are unclear as to what constitutes cheating.
Instructors should make clear what is expected. For reviewing
programs for similarities systems like MOSS (http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~aiken/moss.html)
for plagiarism detection might be a good tool to use. While
cooperative learning is sometimes useful and team projects
may be needed they must be well coordinated and team projects
are best reserved to upper division and capstone courses
Platform Preparation
There is a perceived problem concerning platform (language/operating
system) preparation, though faculty agreed that introduction
courses should be introduction to computers rather than introduction
to a program language. Similarly, assembly language should
be an introduction to organization.
Curriculum and
Accrediting
Computing Curricula 2001 (CC 2001) for Computer Science has
been completed for four-year programs this year, developed
by a joint task force on computing curricula of the International
Electrical and Electronic Engineering (IEEE) Computer Society
and the Association for Computing Machinery ACM. The intent
is to follow up with a two-year curriculum. We expect accreditation
standards to reflect these curricula. Accreditations of computer
science, computer engineering, information systems, and software
engineering are being developed.
Certification Programs
The benefits of certification were also discussed. While many
community colleges offer certification programs through their
auspices, CSU does not regard certification courses as an
endeavor for the academic departments.
- Curricular Remedies to Student Underpreparation
Because some transfer students do not complete a sequence
of courses that the four-year institution believes essential,
possible remedies were discussed
- Separate the lab from the lecture in CS1
at upper division schools allowing community college transfers
to take the lab (alone) in order to learn the second language
(CSUDH)
- Provide one unit courses in several languages
(CSUN)
- Include the second language in the upper
division survey of programming languages.
- Require the student learn new language
independently [N.B. there is an analogous problem in regard
to platforms: Windows, UNIX, MAC, etc.]
Other Initiatives
to Assist Student Transfer
Transfer Articulation Guarantees (TAG's) and pre-major descriptions
will assist in transferring students. Credit by examination
and short courses or separate labs to prepare transfer students
in new programming languages or operating systems were discussed
as a way to assist the transfer students. It would help if
the ETS Advanced Placement (AP) exam were more flexible (it
allows only Java). It was pointed out that 60% of the students
entering the CSU are transfers from community college. This
illustrates the importance of the IMPAC project and its ongoing
discussions.
CAN Descriptors
While there are CAN descriptors for computer programming courses,
they are minimal and not sufficient to articulate computer
science courses. No courses have been certified (perhaps because
of the weak descriptions). Barry Pasternack has prepared a
CAN BIS 6 description.
Identified Trends/Future
Directions
There undoubtedly will be major changes in the computer science
area; rapid changes have been a hallmark of the discipline
for years. The new CC2001 curriculum will be important, as
will new accreditation standards. Both of them could be useful
in creating a core of articulated programs. These should be
further considered as a way to achieve the stated goal of
IMPAC for computer science.
The issue of which language to use in the
introductory course is always a challenge. However, languages
will change much quicker than programming paradigms. The emphasis
should be on good programming methodologies rather that the
language itself. Several schools currently require more than
one language.
Distance learning is becoming more attractive
as budgets become tighter. However, the quality of the courses
is still being discussed and explored by IMPAC faculty.
It is becoming even more important for having
a forum for the faculty of higher education institutions to
have a better method of communication.
Science Alternative
to IGETC
An intersegmental science and engineering transfer curriculum
was discussed with other disciplines. The idea is, like IGETC,
to provide the student with certification of a portion of
the four-year degree requirements. The existence of such a
curriculum would communicate to prospective science and engineering
students, the necessity of starting on the major requirements
early.
Such a curriculum might include: (12 SCH
-- semester credit units) of writing, speaking, critical thinking,
information competence, and computer literacy; a full year
of calculus for science and engineering majors (8-10 SCH);
at least one course for majors from Biology, Chemistry, Geology,
and Physics (16-20 SCH); two full year sequences from Engineering
and the disciplines in the previous list (this requirement
might overlap the previous one and would thus be about 8-12
SCH); 6 SCH in fine arts and humanities; 9 SCH in social science
to include US and California History and Government. The total
number of units above is 59-69 SCH. It may be politically
expedient to require an additional 6 SCH from the arts, humanities,
and social science upon matriculation at the four-year institution
in addition to any current upper division GE requirement.
The CS and CIS faculty suggested adding to
the pre-major, two courses from arts-humanities and two courses
from social sciences. Additionally, students must have this
work certified with the receiving campus requiring no more
than two additional lower division GE courses (arts-humanities-social
science). The idea is to encourage major preparation as well
as work towards the GE.
Recommendations
for the Discipline
· Revise the proposed CAN 6 descriptor and resubmit
to the CAN Board.
· Develop CAN descriptors for courses in VB.Net, C++,
and JAVA programming languages.
· Develop a process by which CAN descriptors can be
reviewed on an annual basis.
· Continue to have a forum in which CSU, UC, and community
college faculty can discuss the changing field of information
systems.
· Hold regional articulation meetings among community
college faculty. This will also give faculty a chance to share
ideas and experiences.
· Work on local campuses to include a computer literacy
component within every degree.
· Support the science transfer curriculum's inclusion
of a computer science component.
· Coordinate with professional societies in the areas
of curriculum and accreditation
Recommendations
for Support Courses
While most programs require physics, there was no consensus
favoring this requirement. Physics has been the traditional
requirement for computer science because of accreditation.
However, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET) no longer requires Physics as its science discipline.
1. Better preparation in communication is
(reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking) is also
imperative.
2. Many are supportive of discrete structures and linear algebra
(matrix manipulations) prior to calculus. Discrete mathematics
is appearing in the lower division of many programs, although
it is not offered at many community colleges.
3. Statistics, discrete structures, and linear algebra were
recommended prior to transfer.
Topics for Further
Discussion
IMPAC must coordinate with the accrediting efforts now underway
and with other professional programs (ACM, IEEE, Mathematical
Association of America (MAA), etc.) as well as other articulation
efforts (e.g., CSU Core Alignment Project). The participants
agreed to identify core elements in CC2001 that can or should
be done in the first two years of the computer science curriculum.
IMPAC will ask for a similar analysis from all upper division
campuses and at future regional meetings.
To be pursued:
1. Specific science requirements, e.g. physics.
2. Cooperation with IEEE/ACM curriculum efforts (CC2001)
3. Cooperation with accrediting bodies
4. Communication with CS/CIS chair group from the CSU
5. Indisciplinary discussions (with English, ESL, speech,
reading faculty) on how to improve students' communication
skills.
6. Tracking of transfer students by major
Recommendations
To be forwarded to:
CAN: This IMPAC group should formalize new descriptors of
courses and sequences; should seek to certify courses and
sequences; and should annually review
CAN descriptors and certifications as part of the IMPAC discussions.
ASSIST-- Seek to have CAN courses noted in ASSIST database
upon CAN certification.
CIAC --- The presence of articulation members increased effective
communication; these officers' participation should be continued.
Outreach presentations made by members of
this group:
Organization Date/Place Presenter's Name Number Present
ASCSU Each of four plenaries Dick Williams 70
Presidential Summit May 3/ Walnut, CA Dick Williams 12
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