I studied philosophy and engineering at university: Here’s my verdict on ‘job relevant’ education

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis is VERY important. It’s why, when I teach CS, I focus on the kinds of skills and concepts that *I* still find useful, 30+years /after/ my degree. THOSE are the core concepts. I am NOT training people for jobs. … Continue reading

Who has a good anonymous blog?

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteA new semester means a new set of students doing my “internet stalking” quest. This an adaptation of an assignment created by Robert Runte (ULeth), where students choose an anonymous blog and try to find out as much as they … Continue reading

Worth a Read: Computer Science Courses that Don’t Exist, But Should

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteA list by James Hague: CSCI 2100: Unlearning Object-Oriented Programming Discover how to create and use variables that aren’t inside of an object hierarchy. Learn about “functions,” which are like methods but more generally useful. Prerequisite: Any course that used the … Continue reading

Where is the line between good instructions and hand-holding?

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesOne of the great things about games is their potential for delivering just-in-time instruction. Most games require some sort of user assistance, whether it be instructions, in-game tutorials, or a help system. Many games integrate help and tutorial information into the gameplay … Continue reading

Yes, Women Do Code — But @hardaway still misses the point.

Approximate Reading Time: 4 minutesHer attempt at an apology just digs the hole deeper. Yes women do code. And I have found them all this week, for which I am grateful. Hardly (on both points I expect). I am on the board of a … Continue reading

Women Shouldn’t Code — Seriously???

Approximate Reading Time: 3 minutesTrying to justify the status quo? Written by a woman, but one who admits to basically being a bully. So, there’s that. Why Women Shouldn’t Code — Medium. First here are the arguments, quoted from the post. First of all, … Continue reading

Kids should code: why ‘computational thinking’ needs to be taught in schools | Jim Chalmers and Tim Watts | Comment is free | theguardian.com

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteLearning to code is about understanding the tools and devices that are all around us, so that we have control rather than the people who made those tools. Kids should code: why ‘computational thinking’ needs to be taught in schools … Continue reading

Programmer privilege: As an Asian male computer science major, everyone gave me the benefit of the doubt.

Approximate Reading Time: < 1 minuteProgrammer privilege: As an Asian male computer science major, everyone gave me the benefit of the doubt.. “For every white or Asian male expert programmer you know, imagine a parallel universe where they were of another ethnicity and/or gender.” Yup. … Continue reading