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Overview of the Discipline of Computer Science

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Guide to Teaching Computer Science

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Abstract

This chapter proposes how to address in the Methods of Teaching Computer Science (MTCS) course topics associated with the nature of the discipline of computer science and with cross-curriculum topics. The importance of these topics is explained by the fact that even today, no consensus has been reached with respect to one agreed-upon definition for computer science, and different scholars view it differently. Specifically, the following topics are discussed in this chapter: what is computer science, the history of computer science, computer scientists, social issues of computer science, programming paradigms, computer science soft ideas, computer science as an evolving discipline, and computer science as an integrated and integral part of other disciplines. For each topic, its meaning and its importance and relevance in the context of computer science education are explained, and then, activities which deal with the said topic are presented.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See also Hal Abelson’s 10-min talk on What is “Computer Science”? at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v = zQLUPjefuWA.

  2. 2.

    See 2001: http://www.acm.org/education/curric_vols/cc2001.pdf

    2008: http://www.acm.org/education/curricula/ComputerScience2008.pdf

    2013: http://www.acm.org/education/CS2013-final-report.pdf.

  3. 3.

    The report is available online at http://research.microsoft.com/towards2020science/background_overview.htm.

  4. 4.

    Based on Hazzan and Lapidot (2006).

  5. 5.

    See http://www.cra.org/uploads/documents/resources/workforce_history_reports/using.history.pdf.

  6. 6.

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_Award#cite_note-ACM-1;http://awards.acm.org/homepage.cfm?srt = all&awd = 140.

  7. 7.

    Based on Hazzan and Lapidot (2006).

  8. 8.

    See Computing Curricula:

    2001: http://www.acm.org/education/curric_vols/cc2001.pdf

    2008: http://www.acm.org/education/curricula/ComputerScience2008.pdf

    2013: http://www.acm.org/education/CS2013-final-report.pdf.

  9. 9.

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology_and_society.

  10. 10.

    See http://www.acm.org/constitution/code.html.

  11. 11.

    Based on Stolin and Hazzan (2007).

  12. 12.

    Based on Hazzan (2008).

  13. 13.

    ©Migvan—Research and Development in Computer Science Education, The Department of Education in Science and Technology, Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

  14. 14.

    Based on Lapidot and Hazzan (2003).

  15. 15.

    E.g., the Cybersecurity Education at UMD program at http://cyber.umd.edu/education.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Education in Science & Technology, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa, Israel

    Orit Hazzan & Tami Lapidot

  2. Computer Science Studies, Faculty of Education, Beit Berl College, Doar Beit Berl, Israel

    Noa Ragonis

  3. Dept. Education in Science & Technology, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Doar Beit Berl, Israel

    Noa Ragonis

Authors
  1. Orit Hazzan
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  2. Tami Lapidot
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  3. Noa Ragonis
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Correspondence to Orit Hazzan .

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Hazzan, O., Lapidot, T., Ragonis, N. (2014). Overview of the Discipline of Computer Science. In: Guide to Teaching Computer Science. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6630-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6630-6_3

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