Comments on: Where is CS curriculum at top schools headed? http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:32:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Diwaker Gupta http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-211826 Diwaker Gupta Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:49:30 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-211826 The question is not whether there is student interest for such courses. You can find more than enough (high quality) material to teach yourself RoR or iPhone development online. The question is whether schools like Stanford and Berkeley should be in the business of offering them. The question is not whether there is student interest for such courses. You can find more than enough (high quality) material to teach yourself RoR or iPhone development online. The question is whether schools like Stanford and Berkeley should be in the business of offering them.

]]> By: Diwaker Gupta http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-211825 Diwaker Gupta Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:44:43 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-211825 That's precisely my point -- good schools should focus on teaching core skills, not cater to what language/framework is "hot" in the market right now. Today it is Ruby, tomorrow it could be Erlang or Javascript or something else. Would the school introduce a new course for each popular thing? That’s precisely my point — good schools should focus on teaching core skills, not cater to what language/framework is “hot” in the market right now. Today it is Ruby, tomorrow it could be Erlang or Javascript or something else. Would the school introduce a new course for each popular thing?

]]> By: Diwaker Gupta http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-211824 Diwaker Gupta Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:41:16 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-211824 You're welcome! How is UCSD treating you so far? You’re welcome! How is UCSD treating you so far?

]]> By: Dheeraj Sanghi http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-211803 Dheeraj Sanghi Sun, 16 Jan 2011 08:23:55 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-211803 Once I asked a professor from MIT the following question. When they receive an application for graduate admission from someone whose under-graduate institute is not too well known, but all other parameters of the application appear good, how do they judge whether that institute would have provided good education or not. Among other things, the professor said that if there are technology courses on the transcript, we will assume that there is spoon feeding going on there, and it would not create a good impression to the admissions committee. That is one data point for me. On the other hand, if this course truly ends up getting students to do some innovation and develop a decent application (which also means that the course is not meant to have a large registration, just to give an opportunity to some who are passionate about something to earn some credit by expressing their passion and innovation), then I would be ok with this and similar other courses. Once I asked a professor from MIT the following question. When they receive an application for graduate admission from someone whose under-graduate institute is not too well known, but all other parameters of the application appear good, how do they judge whether that institute would have provided good education or not. Among other things, the professor said that if there are technology courses on the transcript, we will assume that there is spoon feeding going on there, and it would not create a good impression to the admissions committee.

That is one data point for me. On the other hand, if this course truly ends up getting students to do some innovation and develop a decent application (which also means that the course is not meant to have a large registration, just to give an opportunity to some who are passionate about something to earn some credit by expressing their passion and innovation), then I would be ok with this and similar other courses.

]]> By: Scholarships World http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-183291 Scholarships World Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:51:15 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-183291 @ Chip I would definitely agree with you here. I have seen that the course work in CS stream sometimes appear to be tad boring. So it is certainly like a fresh air for all those students !! @ Chip

I would definitely agree with you here.

I have seen that the course work in CS stream sometimes appear to be tad boring. So it is certainly like a fresh air for all those students !!

]]> By: Indian Govt Vacancy http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-183140 Indian Govt Vacancy Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:36:29 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-183140 IMHO If I were a student studying at Stanford, I would have definitely opted for this course. Sorry Diwakar I differ with you here but these kind of courses would be very tempting for many, atleast for me. But again, this is my personal opinion. It depends basically on your interests and what do you want to do after a couple of years down the lane. Cheers !! IMHO If I were a student studying at Stanford, I would have definitely opted for this course.

Sorry Diwakar I differ with you here but these kind of courses would be very tempting for many, atleast for me. But again, this is my personal opinion.

It depends basically on your interests and what do you want to do after a couple of years down the lane.

Cheers !!

]]> By: Freshers Jobs India http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-180687 Freshers Jobs India Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:03:59 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-180687 Well these courses are being put in Curriculum to target the market and the new Web 2.0 trends. These course certainly will become very popular but only the time will tell its impact in the long term. Well these courses are being put in Curriculum to target the market and the new Web 2.0 trends. These course certainly will become very popular but only the time will tell its impact in the long term.

]]> By: Hemanth http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-171664 Hemanth Sun, 26 Apr 2009 06:52:01 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-171664 Couldn't agree more. Did a 'Waaaa am I reading this right?' when I saw the news. Actually they introduced an Android course as well back in Fall 08 I think. Building an Android or iPhone app would be a great assignment, a course seems a terrible waste. Am going to USCD ECE this Fall (09), thanks a ton for your grad student FAQ. Couldn’t agree more. Did a ‘Waaaa am I reading this right?’ when I saw the news. Actually they introduced an Android course as well back in Fall 08 I think. Building an Android or iPhone app would be a great assignment, a course seems a terrible waste.

Am going to USCD ECE this Fall (09), thanks a ton for your grad student FAQ.

]]> By: Diwaker Gupta http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-167864 Diwaker Gupta Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:13:34 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-167864 Interesting. But it still does not seem like the right approach. I mean what are people in mechanical engineering, civil engineering etc are doing? Do other departments have an equivalent to "develop an iPhone application" course? If not, then presumably the problem of retention should be far worse for them. Interesting. But it still does not seem like the right approach. I mean what are people in mechanical engineering, civil engineering etc are doing? Do other departments have an equivalent to “develop an iPhone application” course? If not, then presumably the problem of retention should be far worse for them.

]]> By: Chip Killian http://floatingsun.net/2009/04/03/where-is-cs-curriculum-at-top-schools-headed/#comment-167833 Chip Killian Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:05:34 +0000 http://floatingsun.net/?p=1094#comment-167833 While I'm not intimately familiar with these particular programs, it seems that in some cases, courses such as this are being developed not so much to attract applicants, but rather to retain students once they have arrived. There is a feeling that CS students in their early years are not sticking around because their first courses are boring. So courses are developed in an attempt to combine the traditional syllabus with exciting materials to engage students and keep their interest. While I’m not intimately familiar with these particular programs, it seems that in some cases, courses such as this are being developed not so much to attract applicants, but rather to retain students once they have arrived. There is a feeling that CS students in their early years are not sticking around because their first courses are boring. So courses are developed in an attempt to combine the traditional syllabus with exciting materials to engage students and keep their interest.

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