workshops |
tuesday |
32 |
Object-Oriented Curricula: the Future of CS2 |
convention centre room 19 |
In this workshop, we will address how OO languages and design affect the second course in computer science and, more broadly, the first year of computer science. This workshop builds on a workshop held in 1997 and reported on in SIGCSE in 1998.
The second course in computer science, traditionally known as either CS2 or data structures is changing rapidly as a result of new paradigms, languages, and philosophy. Traditionally, the course has been built around the study of data structures: their implementation, use, and analysis. However, the availability of widely-available and robust class libraries (e.g. STL in C++, JFC in Java) could change one focus of the course to emphasize use more than implementation.
Should we teach our students how to understand and use class libraries, rather than implementing elementary data structures from scratch? Should we encourage the development and use of more complex programming assignments in which we ask students to build or augment larger programs than were possible when all components were built from scratch? Can we include object-oriented concepts only at the expense of de-emphasizing other topics (e.g. algorithm analysis)?
Workshop participants will produce a list of issues and develop a position statement to serve as the beginning of a blueprint for the future of teaching data structures and programming in the first year of computer science.
Owen
Astrachan, Duke University
Email: ola@cs.duke.edu