Tag Archive: Computing Education
By Burçin Campbell, Director of Data and Evaluation Understanding the patterns of representation of various groups in any given context is important for identifying potential problem areas that may impact people with particular backgrounds or identities to participate in that context. This infographic focuses on the demographic patterns of representation in the field of computing […]
Computing and Computer Science have become relevant to undergraduate education in all disciplines. Academic institutions are challenged to meet the demand of the growing and increasingly diverse student body seeking to learn more about computing, computer science, and the role of computation in their own disciplines. Courses and curricula aimed at teaching CS majors generally do not meet the needs of this growing student audience.
Three NSF-funded workshops were held between November 2019 and January 2020 to initiate a national dialog on envisioning the future of computing in undergraduate education (CUE). Applications were solicited from teams of 2 to 5 faculty, educators, or administrators. Each team including at least one member from a computing-centric department (including CS, CE, ECE, IS) and at least one member from a non-computing centric discipline. The three workshops drew a total of 201 participants forming 50 teams from 66 institutions, with slightly more than half the participants (106) from non-computing departments. The majority of the participants came from Ph.D. granting institutions; non-Ph.D. or -M.S. granting institutions included ten 4-year liberal arts colleges, four HBCU’s, one community college, and one Hispanic serving institution. This article summarizes perspectives, challenges, and potential strategies around a variety of themes that emerged during the discussions. For the full workshop report see https://sites.northwestern.edu/cuenext/.
The annual CRA Data Buddies Survey will open October 2019. If your department is not yet a member, sign up here to learn more about your students and how your department compares to other similar departments.
The Computing Research Association (CRA) and its education committee (CRA-E) are excited to announce the creation of five short videos entitled “Choosing a PhD in Computer Science.” These videos were designed in conjunction with award-winning producer Patrick Sammon (co-producer of “Codebreaker”) to explain the benefits of pursuing a PhD in CS. The videos showcase young researchers with PhDs who are now working in industry as they talk about what compelled them to pursue a doctorate and how they are using their advanced training in their work. While many undergraduates understand that a PhD is needed for a position in academia, these videos demonstrate how a PhD can be useful in industry as well.
