Article

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

Author:

Michael EisenbergAuthors Info & Claims

SIGCSE '03: Proceedings of the 34th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

Pages 336 - 340

https://doi.org/10.1145/611892.612002

Published: 11 January 2003 Publication History

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.

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Cohen, I. B. {2000} Howard Aiken: Portrait of a Computer Pioneer. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

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Cited By

Cortina TMcKenna R(2006)The design of a history of computing course with a unique perspectiveACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1124706.112136638:1(67-71)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124706.1121366
Cortina TMcKenna RBaldwin DTymann PHaller SRussell I(2006)The design of a history of computing course with a unique perspectiveProceedings of the 37th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/1121341.1121366(67-71)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1121341.1121366
Sivilotti PWeide BJoyce DKnox DDann WNaps T(2004)Research, teaching, and serviceProceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/971300.971464(487-491)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2004
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/971300.971464
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Creating a computer science canon: a course of "classic" readings in computer science
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education
      2. Computing literacy

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

SIGCSE '03: Proceedings of the 34th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

February 2003

444 pages

ISBN:158113648X

DOI:10.1145/611892

Conference Chair:
Scott Grissom
Grand Valley State University
,
Program Chairs:
Deborah Knox
The College of New Jersey
,
Dan Joyce
Villanova University
,
Publications Chair:
Wanda Dann
Ithaca College

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 35, Issue 1
January 2003
406 pages
ISSN:0097-8418
DOI:10.1145/792548
Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2003 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Published: 11 January 2003

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Cited By

Cortina TMcKenna R(2006)The design of a history of computing course with a unique perspectiveACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1124706.112136638:1(67-71)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124706.1121366
Cortina TMcKenna RBaldwin DTymann PHaller SRussell I(2006)The design of a history of computing course with a unique perspectiveProceedings of the 37th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/1121341.1121366(67-71)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1121341.1121366
Sivilotti PWeide BJoyce DKnox DDann WNaps T(2004)Research, teaching, and serviceProceedings of the 35th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/971300.971464(487-491)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2004
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/971300.971464
Sivilotti PWeide B(2004)Research, teaching, and serviceACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1028174.97146436:1(487-491)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2004
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1028174.971464

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