Agile Computing Curricula

Anthony J. Duben,David R. Naugler,

Ken SurendranComputer Science Dept.

Southeast Missouri State Univ.

Context(1)

• Regional comprehensive university• University in state of financial exigency (2003 –

2004)• Two degrees, B.S. in Computer Science and

B.S. in Applied Computer Science• Each degree with 3 formal prescriptive options

each• Need to reduce credit burden to 124 semester

credit hours. Degrees were getting too big to complete in 4 years.

Context(2)

• Only one option conformed to ABET/CAC curricular requirements (in computer science) although primary goal of department is ABET/CAC accreditation

• Decline in enrollments caused by creation in 1999 of MIS program in College of Business further aggravated by dot com bubble bursting.

• Need to respond to demands for study in new areas -- e.g., bioinformatics, computer forensics, etc.

Context(3)

• Very few students pursue graduate study (only 3 in the past 5 years); most seek employment immediately upon graduation (approx. 25 – 30 graduates per year). Still important to have standards allowing students to prepare students for grad school in CS or computational science.

• Rapidly evolving ABET/CAC criteria – currently Computer Science and Information Systems. Information Technology next year, and “other”.

Curricular Standards(1)

• ACM/IEEE-CS – 1968, 1978 (fundamental course structure), 1991 (topical units), 2001 (alternative course sequences keyed to topical units), 2004-5 Strawman version of integrating document introduces Information Technology (overview document as a guide to specific documents for specific areas – computer science, information systems, computer engineering, etc.

Curricular Standards(2)

• IS 1997, 2000, 2002. Exclusively business oriented. Not useful or desirable model for us.

• Information Technology – draft discussions in ABET. (Info Tech is in the narrow sense of setting up and managing servers, routers, users as clients on a network).

History of Degrees(1)

• Prior to 1992, Department was in College of Business. There were two degrees – one business-oriented other computational math.

• Post 1992, in College of Science and Mathematics.

• 1995 – two degrees, two options each (department response to 1991 ACM/IEEE-CS curriculum document)

History of Degrees(2)

• 1995 – B.S. in Computer Science: Computer Systems (science & math, CSAB requirements), Computational Systems (computational applied math)

• 1995 – B.S. in Applied Computer Systems: Information Systems (business oriented), Technology (computer networking, embedded systems)

History of Degrees(3)

• 2001 – B.S. in Computer Science: additional option Graphical Systems (joint with Art Department)

• 2001 – B.S. in Applied Computer Science: additional option Interdisciplinary Applications (students required to elect a minor, direct predecessor of current B.S. in Applied Computer Science)

Majors -- MIS, ApCS, CS

0

20

40

60

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100

120

140

f01

s02

f02

s03

f03

s04

f04

Semester

nu

mb

er

of

stu

de

nts MIS

ApCS-Info Sys

ApCS-Tech

New ApCS

New CS

Comp. Math

Graphical

MIS ApCS-Info Sys ApCS-Tech New ApCS New CSComp. Math Graphical

f01 107 86 55 13 61 24 10

s02 111 75 50 22 53 16 10

f02 125 58 30 22 44 13 11

s03 114 52 30 22 40 14 15

f03 102 38 25 21 55 21 17

s04 88 22 28 22 43 19 18

f04 64 20 21 35 70 17 18

2004 Degree Structure

• Two degrees – B.S. in Computer Science and B.S. in Applied Computer Science

• 70% of the course work is in common

• Both degrees follow ABET/CAC criteria

• Emphasis is on software development –problem analysis, design, implementation

Computer Science Degree

• Emphasis is on math and science (explicit in ABET criteria).

• Students choose among biology, chemistry, physics, or geoscience courses in environmental science degree.

• Students can easily complete a minor in math or the science they choose by taking one or, perhaps, two more courses in that area.

Flexible Topics Courses

• Serves both Computer Science, Applied Computer Science.

• Special topics course numbers with variable titles – Advanced Java, C# and .NET, ASP.NET, Bioinformatics, HCI (short term content)

• CS 455 Topics in Application Programming – long term content.

Applied Computer Science Degree

Students are required to elect a minor (or second major) as an application area. There is no preference toward business or any other discipline.

• Students are choosing application areas in the arts and humanities in addition to business, computer networking, and applied science.

• Applied Computer Science is becoming a mainstream arts and sciences majors.

Informatics

• Applied Comp. Sci. degree based on Informatics

• Science of information• Branch of computer science and

information technology (broad sense)• Emphasis is on database, ontology, and

software engineering.• Considered to be an inclusive concept

incorporating applied computing.

Historical Context

• Computer Science and Informatics are recent disciplines originating in World War II.

• Disciplines arose from the need to solve war time problems – ballistics tables, Manhattan project, cryptography.

• Problem application areas still motivate the development of the discipline.

Curricular Implications

• Need to provide a context for learning using an application area. No one writes programs in a vacuum.

• Traditional approaches emphasize physical sciences and mathematics or business applications.

• Many programs provide two tracks – a scientific track and a business-oriented track representing these two themes.

Science and Mathematics Emphasis in Computing Curricula

• Usually emphasizes applications in physics and mathematics.

• Problems are usually compute-bound rather than driven by data management.

• Computational applications in other disciplines, especially biology, geology, environmental science, and chemistry are often left to the discipline in which they arise.

Problems with Overlooking Other Sciences

• Applications of computational methods are often considered unique to the science when they are not.

• Practitioners often have limited knowledge of the principles of systems analysis, design, algorithm development, and testing.

• Scholars in computational sciences and informatics miss opportunities to find interesting problems on which to work.

Problems with the Business Context

• Commoditization of software skills in business information systems

• Y2K software reconstruction

• Dot com bubble bursting

• Off shore outsourcing

• Net result – loss of opportunities for entry level positions for students, esp. in large companies that pay well.

Why these two contexts historically?

• Computer Science is a young discipline and there are few Ph.D.’s available for academic positions.

• Most of the programs in existence were created by people coming from other disciplines, esp. mathematics, and a big market for graduates had been in business information systems.

Why have Environmental Science as a Context?

• Integrative program of study cutting across a number of disciplines in the sciences

• Informatics applications borrow many of the same tools and skills used in a business context, esp. the recognition of the centrality of database.

• Informatics applications in environmental science are much closer to a research agenda.

Connecting Courses between Informatics and

Environmental Science

• All students in Environmental Science are required to take a course in scientific computing.

• Scientific computing in Environmental Science is not the same as in physics or mathematics because of data driven character of environmental work.

IS 175 Information Systems I

• Emphasis is on database, spreadsheet modeling, and basics of web page creation.

• Students analyze, design, and implement a toy database on an environmental scenario.

• Spreadsheet modeling problems employed a hydrology exercise and the daisy planet model.

• Web page development is carried through to the use of frames and cascading style sheets.

• Required for Applied Computer Science, Environmental Science, and an applied option in Chemistry.

IS 275 Information Systems II

• Required for Applied Computer Science and Info Sys option in Environmental Science major. Optional for others.

• Emphasizes Visual Basic for Applications building on examples developed in previous course.

• Web page development continues through JavaScript programming and an introduction to XML

Comments on Courses

• NOT business information systems courses. Descriptive material is taken from primary and good secondary literature in environmental science, GIS, laboratory information management systems, etc.

• Lack of textbooks on both the descriptive material and skills oriented material. Need to use library resources heavily.

• Written reports on projects are major components of student output.

• Still works in progress!