blogs

Why Don't we use Worksheets in Computer Science Education?

Worksheets (short, constrained, sets of exercises with mostly fill-in-the-blank, true/false, and multiple choice activities) are unusual in CS education. Use of worksheets is a natural progression towards a broader audience for…

Most Smartphone Apps are Spyware

Why does  this flashlight app use an Internet connection? Why does this Bible quotes app want my location data? Why does this game want my contacts list?

All Grown Up Now: Service and Serial Reciprocity

Computing is central to the debate about so many aspects of our present and future that we have a duty and responsibility to be active and enthusiastic participants. In many cases, though, I fear we are still overly enamoredpaying…

Royal Society Report Recommends CS in English Schools: Implications for USA?

 The Royal Society, the world's oldest scientic academy, released a report this month calling for a radical change to English schools: Real Computer Science for all.  What are the implications for the United States?

The Way Forward for Computer Science in the U.K.

The last week has seen some interesting developments in Computer Science Education in the U.K., with some sensible suggestions for improvements published in a report by the Royal Society.

Research Data Sustainability and Access

The dramatic growth of research data, the collaborative nature of international research, expectations for economic returns, and disciplinary differences all make data sustainability and access a pressing and difficult problem…

We Needn't be Malevolent Grumps in 2012

I propose that 2012 is the year to solve the nastiness problem in Computer Science. Zero tolerance for rude reviewers starts from midnight tonight.

Online Stanford Classes Explore new Models for CS Learning

What's cool about the online Stanford CS classes is not the numbers, but the models.  They are explorations of new ways to teach computer science. 

Is the Computer Security Community Barking Up the Wrong Trees?