57,654 research outputs found
Communication and leadership skills in the Computer Science and Information Systems curricula: A case study comparison of US and Bulgarian programs
In this paper we present results from our curriculum research on the behavioral educational topics being in the computer science (CS) and information systems (IS) academic programs in two countries USA and Bulgaria. Specifically, we address learning outcomes as they pertain to IT Project Management. Our research reveals that the two countries approach undergraduate education from different vantage points. The US universities provide a flexible general education curriculum in many academic areas and students have the opportunity to strengthen their soft skills before they enter the workforce. Bulgarian universities provide specialized education in main CS subject areas and the students are technically strong upon graduation. Is there a way to balance out this divergent educational experience so that students get the best of both worlds? Our paper explores this aspect and provides possible solutions
Amalgamating sustainable design strategies into architectural curricula
In the era of climate change, rising sea levels, the hole in the ozone layer and current food
crisis, sustainability is no longer a matter of choice; it is a must. While the term sustainability manages
to embed itself in all aspects of contemporary life, sustainability in the built environment requires
special attention. Designs created by architects and planners play a fundamental part in shaping the
way we live, behave and interact with our surroundings. Smith (2001) argued that instilling sustainable
design in curricula at schools of architecture is a significant method of encouraging sustainable architectural
design in practice. This is particularly important in non-sustainable societies such as those
of the Middle East. For these reasons, this study aims at exploring ‘sustainability strategies,’ as they
may be described, adopted in different schools of architecture. The research surveys architectural
curricula at different Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) exempted schools of Architecture, at
part 1 and 2 levels. Meanwhile, it also observes the contradiction and difficulties of teaching sustainable
architectural design in Egyptian and Middle Eastern societies, whose cultural fabric does not encourage
environmental awareness. Finally, the study attempts to investigate, in an increased level of detail,
how sustainable design education fits into the undergraduate and postgraduate curricula of the Architectural
Engineering and Environmental Design Department (AEED) at the Arab Academy for Science,
Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Alexandria, Egypt. The paper concludes that the
proper application of sustainable design strategies at early stages of architecture education has developed
architects with sturdy understanding of their environment, climate and local identity, which
can never happen if this is addressed in postgraduate studies or at later stages of the Architecture
career
Recruitment, Preparation, Retention: A case study of computing culture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Computer science is seeing a decline in enrollment at all levels of
education, including undergraduate and graduate study. This paper reports on
the results of a study conducted at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign which evaluated students attitudes regarding three areas which
can contribute to improved enrollment in the Department of Computer Science:
Recruitment, preparation and retention. The results of our study saw two
themes. First, the department's tight research focus appears to draw
significant attention from other activities -- such as teaching, service, and
other community-building activities -- that are necessary for a department's
excellence. Yet, as demonstrated by our second theme, one partial solution is
to better promote such activities already employed by the department to its
students and faculty. Based on our results, we make recommendations for
improvements and enhancements based on the current state of practice at peer
institutions.Comment: 37 pages, 13 figures. For better quality figures, please download the
.pdf from
http://www.cs.uiuc.edu/research/techreports.php?report=UIUCDCS-R-2007-281
Recommended from our members
Using the Internet of Things to Teach Good Software Engineering Practice to High School Students
This paper describes a course to introduce high school students
to software engineering in practice using the Internet Of
Things (IoT). IoT devices allow students to get quick, visible
results without watering down technical aspects of
programming and networking. The course has three broad
goals: (1) to make software engineering fun and applicable,
with the aim of recruiting traditionally underrepresented
groups into computing; (2) to make young students begin to
approach problems with a design mindset; and (3) to show
students that computer science, generally, and software
engineering, specifically, is about much more than
programming. The course unfolds in three segments. The first
is a whirlwind introduction to a subset of IoT technologies.
Students complete a specific task (or set of tasks) using each
technology. This segment culminates in a “do-it-yourself”
project, in which the students implement a simple IoT
application using their basic knowledge of the technologies.
The course’s second segment introduces software engineering
practices, again primarily via hands-on practical tutorials. In
the third segment of the course, the students conceive of,
design, and implement a project that uses the technologies
introduced in the first segment, all while being attentive to the
good software engineering practices acquired in the second
segment. In addition to presenting the course curriculum, the
paper also discusses a first offering of the course in a threeweek
summer intensive program in 2017, including
assessments done to evaluate the curriculum.Cockrell School of Engineerin
Cybersecurity in the Classroom: Bridging the Gap Between Computer Access and Online Safety
According to ISACA, there will be a global shortage of 2 million cybersecurity professionals worldwide by 2019. Additionally, according to Experian Data Breach Resolution, as much as 80% of all network breaches can be traced to employee negligence. These problems will not solve themselves, and they likewise won’t improve without drastic action. An effort needs to be made to help direct interested and qualified individuals to the field of cybersecurity to move toward closing this gap. Moreover, steps need to be made to better inform the public of general safety measures while online, including the safeguarding of sensitive information.
A large issue with solving the problems at hand is that there seems to be no comprehensive curriculum for cybersecurity education to teach these basic principles. In my paper, I review and compare several after- and in-school programs that attempt to address this problem. I’ve also interviewed teachers from Montgomery County Public Schools, a relatively ethnically diverse school district outside of Washington, D.C.
These issues need to be addressed, and while private organizations and local schools are attempting to tackle the problem, wider action may need to be taken at a national level to come to a resolution
Cybersecurity in the Classroom: Bridging the Gap Between Computer Access and Online Safety
According to ISACA, there will be a global shortage of 2 million cybersecurity professionals worldwide by 2019. Additionally, according to Experian Data Breach Resolution, as much as 80% of all network breaches can be traced to employee negligence. These problems will not solve themselves, and they likewise won’t improve without drastic action. An effort needs to be made to help direct interested and qualified individuals to the field of cybersecurity to move toward closing this gap. Moreover, steps need to be made to better inform the public of general safety measures while online, including the safeguarding of sensitive information.
A large issue with solving the problems at hand is that there seems to be no comprehensive curriculum for cybersecurity education to teach these basic principles. In my paper, I review and compare several after- and in-school programs that attempt to address this problem. I’ve also interviewed teachers from Montgomery County Public Schools, a relatively ethnically diverse school district outside of Washington, D.C.
These issues need to be addressed, and while private organizations and local schools are attempting to tackle the problem, wider action may need to be taken at a national level to come to a resolution
A review into the factors affecting declines in undergraduate Computer Science enrolments and approaches for solving this problem
There has been a noticeable drop in enrolments in Computer Science (CS) courses and interest in CS careers in recent years while demand for CS skills is increasing dramatically. Not only are such skills useful for CS jobs but for all forms of business and to some extent personal lives as Information Technology (IT) is becoming ubiquitous and essential for most aspects of modern life. Therefore it is essential to address this lack of interest and skills to not only fill the demand for CS employees but to provide students with the CS skills they need for modern life especially for improving their employability and skills for further study. This report looks at possible reasons for the lack of interest in CS and different approaches used to enhance CS education and improve the appeal of CS
On the influence of creativity in basic programming learning at a first-year Engineering course
Teaching fundamentals of programming is a complex task that involves the students’ acquisition of diverse knowledge and skills. It is also well known that programming often requires a certain degree of creativity. There are some studies on how to foster creativity with programming, but few studies have analyzed the influence of students creativity on their performance as programmers. In this paper we present the results of a study, with a sample of 89 freshmen engineering students. Our results suggest (p<0.01) that a high level of creativity is correlated with achieving excellence in programming. Creativity is a generic competence which is not currently covered with in most engineering curricula, and we conclude it should be taken into account. Females, diverse thinking student and some disadvantage groups may benefit from a free-thinking environment in the classroom, in particular at their first-year in college.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
- …