Some Reflections University of Novi Sad

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Some ReflectionsUniversity of Novi Sad

• May 30th 2007
• Andrew McGettrick

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Content

• Comments on software and IT
• The Bologna process
• The UK scene
• European initiatives
• Observations on the US scene
• CPATH initiative and related work
• ACM committees and curricula developments

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Computing in Europe

• Lisbon European Council - Presidency conclusions
  of this meeting of March 2000 calls for an
  information society for all
• Thus technological challenge and
  knowledge-based society drawing attention to
  job creation opportunities
• In June 2005 there is the new strategy framework,
  captured in i2010 Information Society and the
  media working towards growth and jobs

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Microsoft Economic Impact Study (October 2004)

• 19 countries in the EMEA region
• IT spending in 2004 generated 200bn in tax
  receipts, 9 million IT jobs
• In 2004 - 08 expected to generate an additional
  2.1 m jobs in these countries, and a further
  160bn in tax revenues
• IT is a major driver in terms of the economy and
  its effects are being felt at all levels

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The Bologna Process

• Intergovernmental initiative to bring about
  European Higher Education Area by 2010
• To improve and to promote European higher
  education, to remove obstacles to mobility
• 45 signatories, and climbing

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Common Structures

• Common structures of HE systems across Europe
• Two main cycles
• undergraduate
• Masters level
• Third cycle also exists

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The ECTS system

• ECTS European Credit Transfer and Accumulation
  System
• One academic year 60 European ECTS points (1640
  approx. hours of study)
• But also A 10, B 25, C 30, D 25, E
  10 and fails FX and F
• Based on student workload, for comparing
  attainment and performance

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ECUK Press release 08.05.07

• ECUK calls on the government to be more active in
  establishing and promoting clear UK position on
  the key issues of principle arising from the
  Bologna process, this being the move towards
  standardising academic degrees across the UK
• ECUK supports the view that the ECTS system is
  not fit for purpose and that the UK should
  develop proposals for an alternative based on
  learning outcomes

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The UK Subject Benchmark Statements

• Computing
• 2007

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Background

• Revised version of the original statement which
  was published in 2000
• Revision process overseen by QAA as part of the
  periodic review of all subject benchmark
  statements published in 2000
• Involved full consultation with wider academic
  community and stakeholder groups

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Review Group

• Lawrence Brooks, Brunel University
• Graham Gough, University of Manchester
• Alastair Irons, University of Northumbria
• Gerry McAllister, University of Ulster
• Andrew McGettrick, University of Strathclyde
• Keith Mander, University of Kent

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A Comparison

• 2000 some 2 400 computing programmes of study on
  offer
• 2006, April
• 3 344 programmes in computing, plus
• 394 in software, plus
• 1 434 on information, plus
• 860 on multimedia

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Findings

• Original proved robust
• Changes are largely a result of
• some re-organisation of material
• an updating of content, e.g. body of knowledge
• Levels now called threshold, typical and there is
  provision for excellence
• Concept of computational thinking included

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Consultation process

• Review team asked the community through the HEA
  (Computing) in Ulster for help and advice on
  updating the body of knowledge
• QAA itself carried out the main review
• All comments received a response which is lodged
  on the QAA web site
• Information Systems community needs addressed

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Web site address

• http//www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchm
  ark/statements/computing07.pdf

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On Masters Benchmarking

• Background an agreed document has been produced
  and is used by the community
• We have now been asked do we wish to have this
  go through the formal processes with QAA?
• Answer yes

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The Euro-Inf project
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Background

• Builds on Eurace (which is for engineering)
• About creating standards that apply across
  Europe, related to Bologna
• University of Paderborn, University of Applied
  Sciences in Hamburg, CEPIS
• First draft ready and about to go out for comment

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Standards for Informatics Programmes in Europe

• Essentially this is about a Quality Assurance
  Agency for Europe
• Note current UK inquiry into Bologna
• Within Euro-Inf there are two levels
  corresponding to the first cycle and second cycle

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Structure based on

• Four categories
• Underlying conceptual basis
• Analysis, design and implementation
• Technological methodological and transferable
  skills
• Other professional skills
• For each of these expected progamme outcomes are
  provided

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First cycle - underlying conceptual basis

• Knowledge and understanding of
• the principles underlying informatics
• their respective informatics specialisation and
  awareness of the wider aspects of informatics
  disciplines
• A systematic understanding of the key aspects of
  and concepts of their discipline of informatics
  including some at the forefront of the discipline

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The US scene
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CPATH initiative

• From the National Science Foundation

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Background

• CPATH about revitalizing undergraduate computing
  education
• Vision is
• a U.S. workforce with the computing competencies
  and skills imperative to the nations health,
  security and prosperity in the 21st century
  includes
• a cadre of computing professionals prepared to
  contribute to sustained U.S. leadership in
  computing in a wide range of application domains
  and career fields, and
• a broader professional workforce with knowledge
  and understanding of critical computing concepts,
  methodologies and techniques.

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CPATH projects will

• Contribute to the development of a diverse, agile
  workforce with the computing knowledge essential
  to U.S. leadership in the global innovation
  enterprise
• Increase awareness of the strategic importance of
  undergraduate computing education in a wide range
  of career fields and disciplinary and
  interdisciplinary areas
• Identify and implement integrative new models for
  undergraduate computing education that are
  replicable across a variety of programs and
  institutions, and have a high probability of
  adoption on a national scale
• Create new partnerships within institutions

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Types of projects for 2007

• Community building projects
• Bring together communities to discuss challenges
  and possible solutions
• Evaluation, adoption and extension
• Evaluate existing ideas
• Transformational projects
• Distinguished educator projects

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Georgia Tech

• The Threads Concept

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Recent Curriculum Revision

• Basis of their work - belief that
• the computing curriculum has never been
  attractive
• designed solely to produce software engineers
• CS was about wealth, no longer, so why do it
• Address this in their revision
• support a variety of outcomes

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Threads

• Take issue of context seriously
• 8 Threads
• Computing and the media
• Computational modeling
• Information internetworking
• Intelligence
• Foundations
• Result - uptake in numbers

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Degree structures

• Degree made up from any two Threads
• 28 possible paths to a degree
• Clear statement about what Computing is
• Provides different perspectives for students
• It is not just about software engineering or
  programming

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Generalising

• The Georgia Tech perspective is that their
  approach is an instantiation of a more general
  solution
• Contextualize and specialize
• Students need to be shown alternative options and
  the context issue is used to motivate

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ACM Education Board and Education Council
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Background

• Structure of these bodies
• Their remit
• Their activities
• Deep concern about the situation in the US and
  beyond

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Crisis in Computer Education?

• Enrollments falling to around 50 of 2001 levels
  in US
• Staff reductions are happening or are threatened
• The number of jobs needing high quality graduates
  is increasing
• The gap between what is needed by industry and
  what is being produced is widening

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Extent of the crisis

• The crisis is not confined to the US
• It exists in many countries in Europe, for
  example there are some exceptions
• In the UK, for instance, the numbers have fallen
  by a similar amount and the problem over jobs
  also exists
• Reaction in UK Grand Challenges in Computing
  Education 2004 and 2006

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Understanding the issues

• The problem is very complex - there are many
  factors that need to be addressed and aired
• We need to try to understand the issues
• We need to be open to the possibility there are
  good reasons for the crisis
• There are important economic considerations
  related to the competitiveness of a country

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Deep down

• Do we believe computing is really important, is
  really fundamental?
• What do we believe about education for the 21st
  century and the pervasiveness of the computing
  metaphor?
• Can we articulate this clearly to a wide
  audience?
• What does this say about computing education?

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Observations

• From Eric Roberts of Stanford
• To be on a par with other sciences we need to
  be producing about 5 times as many graduates as
  currently

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ACM Education Council

• Four task forces, covering
• Image
• The curriculum (CS, SE, CE, IS, IT)
• These are all at undergraduate level
• Update on these
• Best practices
• Internationalization

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Computer Science Review

• Meeting outcomes - highlights
• Programming - is it different from what it was?
• How has computing changed in the last 5 years?
• Security is a major issue
• How do we make the curriculum attractive?

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How do we make curriculum attractive?