hgr001@pyr.gatech.EDU (HARVEY G. REED) (03/30/88)
I have been reading postings about how CS curriculum could be improved. My perspective may be different than many, but my conclusions are similar. I started my CS degree after becoming a (hardknocks) computer professional. I realized early that I needed to go back to school, so I went part time 3 years to finish a B.S. degree at Purdue (Indy branch). I loved the academic side so much, I quit work and went to Georgia Tech to pursue grad studies. I am still here now. I learned several things while at Purdue. It is hard to teach students real life. It is hard enough to teach them theory. I know, I was a grader for a while. Until ACM, IEEE or some other organization can come up with a few "core" choices (CS, comp engr, etc.) of standardized curriculum, the schools have to make do with their own judgement. The judgements are not wrong, it merely reflects the philosophy of the particular schools, that is where the emphasis is. This philosophy is often carved by top (dean, etc.) opinions, moderated by the faculty. If the case is that the faculty is primarily academicly orientated, then that will be how it is taught. If some instructors have industrial experience then they will pass that on to their students. The point is that (a) there are no guidelines, and (b) because of (a), the schools do what they (internally) think is best. Also, the breadth and depth of available faculty have a tremendous impact on the students experience. The only suggestions I can make are to actively encourage ACM and other CS societies to continue progress in this area, and to encourage industry and academia to work closer together. I did my part by hiring two students into my department. One went off to a better (real good) job, and the other stayed after I left for grad school, and has a good position there. I found that both were bright, but needed coaching and *real* experience. I hope that when I am done with grad school I can continue to be a bridge between academics and industry. BOTH have a *great* deal to learn from each other... My apologies for going on, but after reading so many postings, I just *had* to. -harvey