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

ABSTRACT

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?

REFERENCES

• 1: Dijkstra, E. On the Cruelty of Really Teaching Computer Science. Communications of the ACM, 32 (12). 1398--1404.
• 2: Peter J. Denning , Andrew McGettrick, Recentering computer science, Communications of the ACM, v.48 n.11, November 2005 [doi>10.1145/1096000.1096018]
• 3: Ekstrom, J., Gorka. S., Kamali, R., Lawson, E., Lunt, B., Miller, J. and Reichgelt. H. Computing Curricula Information Technology Volume {retrieved from: http://www.acm.org/education/IT_2005.pdf, 21/07/2005}, ACM SIGITE Curriculum Committee, New York, 2005, 115.
• 4: Clear, T. and Bidois, G. Fluency in Information Technology -- FITNZ: An ICT Curriculum Meta-Framework for New Zealand High Schools Bulletin of Applied Computing and IT (retrieved from: http://www.naccq.ac.nz.bacit/0303/2005Clear_FITNZ.htm, 14/12/2005), 2005.
• 5: Klee, K., Austing, R., Campbell, R., Cover, C. and Currie-Little, J. Guidelines For Associate-Degree Programs To Support Computing In A Networked Environment. (retrieved from: http://www.acm.org/education/ACMGuide.pdf, 12./03/2004}, ACM Two-Year College Education Committee, New York, 2000, 1--39.
• 6: Shackelford, R., Cassel, L., Cross, J., Davies, G., Impagliazzo, J., Kamali, R., Lawson, E., LeBlanc, R., McGettrick, A., Slona, R., Topi, H. and vanVeen, M. Computing Curricula 2005 The Overview Report including The Guide to Undergraduate Degree Programs in Computing {retrieved from: http://www.acm.org/education/Draft_5-23-051.pdf, 21/07/2005}, Joint Task Force ACM, AIS, IEEE-CS, New York, 2005, 46.
• 7: White, L. and Taket, A. The Death of the Expert. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 45 (7). 733--748.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Computer science education

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.2 Computer and Information Science Education
          Subjects: Curriculum

General Terms:
Management