School of Computer Science

Dr. Carol Frieze

Office: Wean Hall 4622
Phone: 412-268-9071

email: cfrieze @ cs.cmu.edu

Understanding and Challenging the Images of Computing

When and Where:

Undergraduate Course 15-296
Spring 2009
Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00 - 4:20 p.m.
Wean Hall 5316

Instructor: Dr. Carol Frieze
Units: 6 (mini)

Course Description:

“Computer science is one of the most exciting scientific endeavors in recent history.
Too bad so few have had the opportunity to share the thrill”.
[S. Arora, B. Chazelle, Communications ACM 48 (2005), 31-33]

In this research and action based course we will explore computing from a cultural perspective. We will reflect on some issues often taken for granted e.g. are our attitudes to computing generalizable or culturally specific? How are computing and its workforce perceived and represented in US culture and in cultures from around the world? Can this cultural perspective help us understand the declining interest in computing in the USA? The 2008 Taulbee Survey reports that "Enrollment today is more than 50% lower than it was five years ago." Meanwhile, in many other parts of the world, interest in computing education and computing careers, is on the increase.

Using academic papers, web sites, group discussion and interviews we will examine some of the broad issues surrounding computing and explore, for example, how cultural images, attitudes and access to resources can impact participation in computing. We will use findings from our investigations to build an action component in which student teams develop and implement a public presentation aimed at broadening understanding of, and participation in, computing.

 

Tasks and Topics:

This course is aimed primarily at students who are interested in exploring some of the broad issues of computer science and who would like to direct their interests towards creative outreach activities, thus also gaining experience in teaching and presenting.

Some tasks and topics:

  • Self-reflection on attitudes and attitudes of others to computing
  • Identifying the role of images in the formation of pre-conceived views of computer science and the computing profession
  • Opportunity to define and redefine what it means to be a computing professional in the USA in the 21 st century
  • Interviewing a computer science student to explore some "myths and reality"
  • Reading and analyzing research texts which may challenge traditional thinking
  • Exploring computing in other cultures and writing a research paper on the findings
  • Recognizing that access to computing resources and attitudes to computing issues are subject to cultural factors (e.g. political, economic, social and educational)
  • Teamwork and collaboration
  • Teaching and presenting

Grading:

Students will be graded primarily on the quality of their performance in 3 assignments –2 individual assignments and one team assignment. The assignments will constitute 80% of the final grade. The course will be divided into 3 parts with grades assigned 25%, 25%, and 30% to each assignment respectively.

Class attendance and participation in discussion will count for 20% of final grade.

 

Syllabus

Introduction: An overview of the Course Contents, Assignments, the Issues, and Grading

  • What are some of the major current issues of concern relating to computer science in the USA?
  • What part do images play in these issues and in the re-production of culture?
  • What do we mean by computing and/or computer science?
  • Images of the field and the people in it ( USA): "CS Stereotypes, myths, and reality"
  • Broadening participation in computing: Does this matter?
  • How does our understanding of computing and images of the field relate to broadening participation?
  • Current outreach efforts: challenging images, broadening understanding and broadening participation
  • A global perspective on computing cultures

Readings: (see below)

Part 1: Issues and Definitions

  • What are the issues?
  • Why “Images”? Why Challenge images of Computing?
  • What do we mean by Culture?
  • What do we mean by Computing and/or Computer Science (CS)?

"Computer science is nothing less than a new way of thinking; explaining it to the wider world is critical to the future of the field." [S. Arora, B. Chazelle, Communications ACM 48 (2005), 31-33]

Readings: (see below)

Assignment 1: In-class Questionnaire

Part 2: Images of the Field (USA) and Participation in CS

  • Participation in Computer Science: Data from the USA
  • Broadening Participation in Computer Science: Why does this Matter?
  • The Images of the Field (USA): Myths, Stereotypes, Reality and Challenges

Readings: (see below)

Assignment 2: Due Date: March 31st This is a research project and students will be required to complete IRB training for working with human subjects. Each student will conduct an interview with a computer science student to find out firsthand about their self-image, their day-to day studies, their views of the field and computing culture. Students will write a report for each interview and include the interview transcription. The reports will compare their expectations with their interview findings and comment on ways in which their findings challenge and/or support popular images of computing.

Downloads:

Assignment 2

Research Questionnaire

Confidentiality Form

Sample invitation

Selections from ACM Computing Curricular Report

Part 3: Outreach and Broadening Understanding of CS

  • Current Outreach Efforts
  • Presenting New Images of the Field and the People in it
  • Readings and Outreach Assignment 3.

Students will read about, and see videos of, some current outreach efforts and assess their potential impact for broadening participation. Discussion will focus on creativity, on ideas and preparation for presentations.

Readings/viewings: (see below)

Assignment 3: Due Date: Tuesday, April 21 Students will work in small teams on an outreach component in which each team prepares and implements a presentation at a local venue, or on campus, with the goal of showing the breadth of computing and the potential for broadening participation.
Factors to consider:

  • What are your aims?
  • Who is your target audience? —elementary students, middle school, high school, college level students, parents, teachers, children with disability? e.g. Western PA School for the Deaf
  • What equipment will you use?
  • How long should the presentation be?
  • How will you measure impact?

Part 4: A Global Perspective

In this final part of the course we will take a global perspective on computing by looking at some case studies from other countries and cultures. We will look at cultural influences and specific factors contributing to different levels of participation. In particular, by looking at the different levels of participation of women in the field we will establish that participation in, and perception of, computing is impacted by cultural factors.

Readings: (see below)

Assignment 4: Due Date: Tuesday, May 5 Students will write a 2-3 page (single-spaced) research paper exploring attitudes to, and participation in, computing in a specific country, culture, or micro-culture.
Guidelines for writing a good research paper.

Readings

Guidelines for Readings and Discussion
Be prepared to present:

-- a brief summary of the paper
-- the main argument/points made by the author
-- the evidence given to support the argument
-- any key words/phrases
-- what questions are raised?
-- what did you learn?
-- what did you find particularly interesting?
-- do you agree/disgree with the argument made by the author?
-- in what way(s) does the paper relate to this class?
-- any other points ....

Part 1. Issues and Definitions
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