michael goldweber xavier university mikeyg@cs.xu.edu

TEACHING CS AROUND TASKS FOR

THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY

Michael GoldweberXavier University

mikeyg@cs.xu.edu

What is your primary goal? For more students to go on and

major/minor in CS? For students to eventually be well

employed in the ICT sector? For students to go on and make a

(significant) contribution to society?

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Role ModelsWho are computing’s role

models?

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

How would a lay-person answer this question?

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Search for young reader books about the heros/role models from other disciplines (e.g. Einstein, Curie, Nightingale, da Vinci) as well as those from computing.

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Young children form impressions of various disciplines based on whom they see (or are told) are the discipline’s heros/role models. Television, movies and literature all play a very complex role in this.

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Some research suggests that career choice (or at least disposition toward various careers) is made as early as

kindergarten.

Motivations

What initially attracted you to computing?

What do you think attracted our current students to computing?

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Perceived Disincentives

Boring Tedious Irrelevant

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Isn’t it time we all got beyond the image that computing is made up of nerdy, anti-social males, solo programming in a window-less cubicle.

Let’s not overlook that the cubicle is in some warehouse, the guy is drinking Red Bull, and his shirt is a stained replica of a 1960’s Star Trek uniform.

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Researchers believe there is a 4x rate of graduation in social science over computer science.

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Discovered explanation: students’ desire to have a positive societal impact.1

1 – “Socially Relevant Computing” by Buckley, et, al. (SIGCSE ’08)

Unattractive (behavior-wise) capitalist role models for a discipline perceived as boring, tedious and irrelevant, at a time when students desire to have a positive societal impact!

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Outreach Programs

CS Unplugged CS4FN The Beaver Contest (Bebras:

International Contest on Informatics and Computer Fluency)

The Inside CS Project The CS Academia and Industry

Programme

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Outreach Programs (con’t) Project Impact (Students Interested in Mathematics and Problem-solving unAware of Computing Talent)

Digital Divas The Go Girl Go for IT event Microsoft Research (MSR) Gender

Diversity Strategy and Implementation Initiative

Etc.

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Middle school/high school outreach programs, by themselves are insufficient.

What do you do on the first day of your intro course?

Reunited, Post Disaster

Describe an algorithm directing aid workers in reuniting families after a disaster.

Assume all survivors are gathered, sans-mobile phones, in the undamaged football stadium. Make any other simplifying assumptions you wish. (e.g. working PA system, unique surnames)

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

OpportunityReinforce our Social Relevance

Rethink motivating examples. Reconfigure programming projects to reflect

the social value of computing. HFOSS?

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University

Pro social relevance is not anti-business, nor is it anti-gaming.

Its just another important dimension that many curricula overlook.

Computing for the Social Good

"Instead of using one's knowledge of computing to make money, how can one use computing to do good in the world?"

Mikey Goldweber - Xavier University