Sunday, January 13, 2008
Computer Science and Engineering
An interesting article from Coding Horror about how we should teach Computer Science.
As most of the comments mention, part of the confusion is mixing Computer Science and Software Engineering. They're not the same, and while there is certainly some overlap -- and a software professional outside of academia is going to need some of each -- confusing the two shortchanges both.
One of the problems with any sort of computer education is that the computer industry changes a great deal -- the programming languages that you learn today aren't likely to be the ones that you will use in ten years. And it is more diverse than ever, as computers enter every part of our lives. A solid education needs to be a solid foundation for a variety of different educational paths
One comparison is how people expect that software developers are also the best systems administrators or help desk support. But they're all different skill sets -- and recognizing that is the most important part of an education.
As most of the comments mention, part of the confusion is mixing Computer Science and Software Engineering. They're not the same, and while there is certainly some overlap -- and a software professional outside of academia is going to need some of each -- confusing the two shortchanges both.
One of the problems with any sort of computer education is that the computer industry changes a great deal -- the programming languages that you learn today aren't likely to be the ones that you will use in ten years. And it is more diverse than ever, as computers enter every part of our lives. A solid education needs to be a solid foundation for a variety of different educational paths
One comparison is how people expect that software developers are also the best systems administrators or help desk support. But they're all different skill sets -- and recognizing that is the most important part of an education.
Labels: computers
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