Principles of curriculum design and revision

Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 1

ACM/IEEE curriculum guidelines for computer science, such as CS2013 or the forthcoming CS2023, provide well-researched and detailed guidance about the content and skills that make up an undergraduate computer science (CS) program. Liberal arts CS programs often struggle to apply these guidelines within their institutional context and goals. Historically, this has been addressed through the development of model CS curricula tailored for the liberal arts context. We take a different position: that no single model curriculum can apply across the wide range of liberal arts institutions. Instead, we argue that liberal arts CS educators need best practices for using guidelines such as CS2023 to inform curriculum design. These practices must acknowledge the opportunities and priorities of a liberal arts philosophy as well as a program's mission and identity. This paper reviews the context and motivation behind computing in the liberal arts. We also review the history of liberal arts CS educators and ACM/IEEE curriculum guidelines. We present data and trends about liberal arts computing programs, discussing how this informs curriculum design. Finally, we propose a process that guides programs to work with curriculum guidelines through the lens of institutional and program missions and identities, goals, and situational factors. CCS CONCEPTS • Social and professional topics → Model curricula; Computing education programs.

IEEE Transactions on Education, 2003

Currently there is a joint activity (referred to as Computing Curricula 2001, shortened to CC2001) involving the Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society, which is producing curriculum guidance for the broad area of computing. Within this activity, a volume on Computer Engineering is being developed. This volume addresses the important area of the design and development of computers and computer-based systems. Current curricula must be capable of evolving to meet the more immediate needs of students and industry. The purpose of this paper is to look at areas of future development in computer engineering in the next ten years (2013) and beyond and to consider the work of the Computer Engineering volume of CC2001 in this context. Index Terms-Computing Curricula 2001 (CC2001), computer engineering curriculum, IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) and Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), vision for next decade. I. HISTORY I N 1998, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Computer Society of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE-CS) convened a joint curriculum task force called Computing Curricula 2001, or CC2001 for short. The CC2001 Task Force was asked to develop a set of curricular guidelines that would match the latest developments of computing technologies in the past decade and endure through the next decade. Over the past 50 years, computing has become an extremely broad designation that extends well beyond the boundaries of computer science to encompass many independent disciplines, including computer engineering, software engineering, information systems, and many others. The final report is planned to be organized into five volumes: Overview, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, and Information Systems. Of these, the volumes on Computer Science and Information Systems have already been published. The others are in the process of being developed. A committee was established in the beginning of 2001 to define the body of knowledge that constitutes computer engineering as well as to flesh out course outlines to suit different Manuscript

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 1983

In response to national curricular trends, the computer science curriculum at the University of North Florida has undergone three iterations since its inception in 1972. Experiences with the development of the North Florida curriculum coupled with recent exposure to the current thinking of the IEEE-CS Curriculum Committee motivate this paper. The curriculum as outlined in this paper owes its origins to the earlier ACM and IEEE-CS model curricula.

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

The invention and creation of the digital computer in the mid-20th century gave rise to a host of new industries and dramatic changes in some of the programs offered at 4-year academic institutions. The first of these was the discipline of computer science, followed by the disciplines of information systems, computer-based library science, computer engineering, software engineering, and information technology. Additionally, there are newly-emerging programs in disciplines that are heavily computer-dependent, such as animation, industrial design, bioinformatics, and others. The purpose of this paper is to present the history and current status of the five core computing academic disciplines as described in the Computing Curriculum document: computer science, information systems, computer engineering, software engineering, and information technology. The information summarized includes the number of programs in existence, the development of a standardized curriculum for each, and the development and implementation of accreditation standards for each.

users.drew.edu

Benchmark: The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is the principal organization of computer scientists and members of computing-related fields. Once per decade, the ACM releases a report on undergraduate computing curriculum and recommendations for programs that ...

2007

Abstract In 1986, guidelines for a computer science major degree program offered in the context of the liberal arts were developed by the Liberal Arts Computer Science Consortium (LACS)[4]. In 1996 the same group offered a revised curriculum reflecting advances in the discipline, the accompanying technology, and teaching pedagogy [6]. In each case, the LACS models represented, at least in part, a response to the recommendations of the ACM/IEEE-CS [1][2].

2004

In the fall of 1998, the Computer Society of the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE-CS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) established the Joint Task Force on Computing Curricula 2001 (CC2001) to undertake a major review of curriculum guidelines for undergraduate programs in computing. The effort was to match the latest developments of computing technologies in the past decade and last through the next decade [1]. The "Computing Curriculum 1991" [2] and other previous efforts of the IEEE-CS and ACM did not distinguish computer science from computer engineering programs. The IEEE-CS and ACM established the Computing Curriculum -Computer Engineering (CCCE) Task Force in 2001 to develop a separate volume on computer engineering curricula to complement the CC2001 report. Other task forces also emerged to prepare separate volumes for computer science, information systems, information technology, and software engineering.

30th Annual Frontiers in Education Conference. Building on A Century of Progress in Engineering Education. Conference Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.00CH37135)

This paper is the next installment on an ongoing project to provide an easily accessible information resource for departments offering undergraduate computer science (CS) degree programs. This resource is designed to provide structured, up-to-date information in terms of demographics and statistics related to curricula, faculty, and students in such departments. Additionally, it facilitates the identification of various trends based on these data over several years. Numerous CS departments contribute to this resource by participating in a yearly survey. The collected information addresses issues that are of primary concern to faculty in undergraduate CS programs. Moreover, this information can significantly assist in planning and implementing course and curriculum developments. This paper presents highlights of the information generated through this project Additionally, it reports on an electronic mechanism that is used to collect and disseminate information via the Web.