Fwd: [pdxfunc] Matthias Felleisen talk on computer science education, at PSU

Not database related exactly, but might be interesting to a few of you.

-selena

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim Chevalier <catamorphism(at)gmail(dot)com>
Date: Fri, May 23, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Subject: [pdxfunc] Matthias Felleisen talk on computer science education, at PSU
To: pdxfunc(at)googlegroups(dot)com

Matthias Felleisen is speaking at PSU a week from Monday (June 2). The
talk is open to the public.

"The First Year in Computer Science
Matthias Felleisen
Northeastern University
2nd June, 16:40–18:00
Location: Hoffman Hall Rm 109, Portland State University
Abstract

My team and I have developed an alternative approach to the first-year
courses on programming and computing. Unlike conventional approaches,
ours focuses on designing programs in a systematic manner. The syntax
of the chosen programming languages (both Java and Scheme) is only
discussed as needed to support design principles. Field tests with
over 500 high schools and a dozen colleges have shown that the
approach produces better students than conventional approaches that
use a single language. In several controlled studies, we could also
show that students find our curriculum more appealing than the AP
curriculum.

In my talk, I will provide an overview of the project, especially its
intellectual premises and principles. My goal is to encourage you to
think about the first year in a different way. The old ones are of
questionable value. If we want our beautiful discipline to survive, we
must find a good way of teaching it."

http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~colloq/felleisen-firstYear.html for more information.

Cheers,
Tim

--
Tim Chevalier * http://cs.pdx.edu/~tjc * Often in error, never in doubt
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. Syntax rules
like a macro." -- Albert Lai

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--
Selena Deckelmann
United States PostgreSQL Association - http://www.postgresql.us
PDXPUG - http://pugs.postgresql.org/pdx
Me - http://www.chesnok.com/daily