Creating a computer science canon: a course of "classic" readings in computer science

ABSTRACT

Computer science has a reputation of being a discipline in a perpetual state of accelerated progress-a discipline in which our techniques, our hardware, our software systems, and our literature rarely exhibit a staying power of more than several years. While undeniably exciting, this state of continual intellectual upheaval can leave computer science students (and faculty) with a disturbing sense that there is no essential core of great work within the discipline. This paper describes a readings course entitled "Computer Science: the Canon" whose purpose is to counter this perception by exploring a set of "great works" in computer science. We describe our own (undoubtedly idiosyncratic) reading list used for the course, and discuss several central issues involved in offering such a course within a computer science curriculum.

REFERENCES

• 1: Atlas, J. Battle of the Books. {1992} New York: Norton.
• 2: William Aspray, John von Neumann and the origins of modern computing, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1990
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• 4: B. Bernard Cohen, Howard Aiken: Portrait of a Computer Pioneer, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2000
• 5: John W. Dawson, Jr., Logical Dilemmas: The Life and Work of Kurt Godel, A. K. Peters, Ltd., Natick, MA, 2005
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• 9: Andrew Hodges, Alan Turing, Simon & Schuster Trade, 1984
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• 12: Neil J. A. Sloane , Aaron D. Wyner , Claude E. Shannon, Claude Elwood Shannon: collected papers, IEEE Press, Piscataway, NJ, 1993
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• 14: Waldrop, M. {2001} The Dream Machine. New York: Viking Press.
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• 16: Zachary, G. {1997} Endless Frontier. New York: Free Press.

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: Literacy

General Terms:
Human Factors

Keywords:
canon, classic readings