On the necessity of removing 'cruelty' from the teaching of computing

In his famous article [1] Edsger Dijkstra reflected upon how cruel it would be truly to teach computer science. For some reason the CS community over the years have taken the sadistic element of his entreaties to heart. Why is this so? Does it have intuitive appeal to those CS educators who believe in the "hard man" school of computer science and the "real programmers don't eat quiche" model of education

A collaborative learning trial between New Zealand and Sweden - using Lotus Notes Domino in teaching the concepts of Human Computer Interaction

This paper reports the results of a collaborative learning exercise between students at Auckland Institute of Technology and Uppsala University. The exercise was conducted using both a Lotus Notes Domino collaborative database and electronic mail to support students working in remote groups to perform a common task. Issues concerning the logistics of such an exercise, student participation and evaluations of the process, ethical considerations and the quality of the learning process are discussed. Some conclusions are drawn concerning the value of Group Ware technology to support this form of collaborative learning, and suggestions are made for future developments

"Programming in the large" and the need for professional discrimination

A common goal in teaching capone project and software engieering type courses is to develop in students the capabilities required of a professional software developer. Unfortunately, their prior educational experiences in the computing discipline may have done anything but prepare them for professional practice. Although the situation may vary considerably from country to country and institution to institution, there are several common deficiencies to address

Systematic literature reviews and undergraduate research

No abstract

Global virtual teams and 3D collaborative virtual environments

Collaborative virtual environments for desktop PCs. are inherently interesting to use and to develop, and provide motivating and challenging capstone projects for capable students to undertake. From an educational perspective, collaboration in virtual three-dimensional spaces using avatars also adds some interesting dimensions to student learning. This paper reports upon a series of developments, in which collaborative virtual environments have been applied since 2001 to support research into global virtual teams. Specific insights relevant to educators and developers have been gained through a series of local and international collaborative trials, using these 3D environments

Valuing computer science education research?

This paper critically enquires into the value systems which rule the activities of teaching and research. This critique is intended to demonstrate the application of critical enquiry in Computer Science Education Research and therefore uses critical theory as a method of analysis.A framework of Research as a Discourse is applied to explore how the notions of research as opposed to teaching are presented, and how discipline and research communities are sustained. The concept of a discourse, based upon the work of Foucault, enables critical insight into the processes which regulate forms of thought. This paper positions the field of Computer Science Education Research, as an illustrative case, within the broader discourse of Research, and argues that Computer Science Education Researchers and educators need to understand and engage in this discourse and shape it to their own ends

Documentation and agile methods: striking a balance

I have written previously about the need for students to develop discrimination as part of their preparation for professional practice during their undergraduate capstone courses. But nowhere is this need for discrimination more problematic than in the area of software documentation. Perhaps the only consolation is that professional developers are equally challenged. Yet in migrating students from the set of beliefs and practices that may have worked for them in programming-in-the-small, to those required for programming-in-the-large, sound documentation practices are critical to effective development and delivery of a professional product

Using IT for active student feedback in the learning environment

This paper describes the use of a web-based groupware product (specifically a Lotus NotesTM & DominoTM discussion database), as a means of gaining direct and regular feedback from students on the progress of a course. Some of the pitfalls and issues are discussed, including motivation for use, barriers to effective feedback, the value of anonymity and appropriate netiquette. Some recommendations are made for others wishing to use such a feedback mechanism, and for those who do not have Lotus Notes installed, how a feedback system such as this might be implemented in some other web based product

Comprehending large code bases - the skills required for working in a "Brown Fields" environment

In the search for answers to the effective teaching of programming at the beginner level, we are now seeing broader programs of research investigate the distinctions between reading, comprehending and writing small programs [1], [2]. In New Zealand we have joined this work with the "Bracelet" project, in which multiple institutions will investigate how students comprehend small computer programs. We hope this may help answer critical teaching and assessment questions

Software engineering and the academy - uncomfortable bedfellows

With software engineering (S. E.) now beginning to emerge as a distinct discipline, through initiatives such as the SWEBOK [1], the growth of undergraduate programmes in the U.S. [2] and collaborative efforts to offer programmes with breadth and depth [3], the challenges for the academy in balancing rigour and relevance can only become more intense. For some reason the contrast between the academic and the professional perspectives within the software engineering community is quite marked