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Questions to Ask University CS Departments?

Posted by Cliff on from the enquiring-minds-want-to-know dept.

egarrido16 asks: "I will be visiting numerous undergraduate colleges over the next several months and meeting with the chairpeople of the computer science departments. I need to come up with some questions to ask them so that I can evaluate their methods of teaching CS (i.e. 'Does this college believe programming is a fundamental or is it more of a tool?'). Reflecting upon your experience, what questions do you think would be necessary to ask to decide what the educators feel is important in a CS curriculum?"

2 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. The most imporant question by Dr.+Bent · · Score: 3, Informative

    The most important question you can ask is:

    "Does your school have different curriculum tracks for software engineering and computer science"

    Learning the basics of how to program will be the same for both tracks, but the 3rd and 4th year classes should be very different. Computer science, is a SCIENCE, while software system development is something else entirely. Schools that don't recognize the difference are so out of touch that the knowledge they teach you will not be applicable in the real world.

    Software is no longer just a tool for mathmaticians to solve complex equations. Unfortunatly, I think many CS professors are still locked into the scientific mindset when it comes to computers.

  2. Be wary of computer counts by Sits · · Score: 3, Informative
    One things that I noticed when I was looking about for a place to study was that departments were keen to point out the sheer number of computers they had. If you are not planning on doing all your work on your home machine (and why should you?) it far more helpful to know the number of useful computers. Talk to the students in the room. Ok one of them might have an axe to grind or they may have all been specially selected but if the room is busy this is less likely. Whatever you do don't just stand there like a lemon when you can talk to real students - after all that's going to be you in a year. Many students are willing to talk but won't volunteer information. It leaves an impression of you too (someone willing to ask irritating questions or someone who genuinely interested in the department)...

    Some of the things that make a computer unuseful:
    1. It's broken. This happens an awful lot and can happen in non obvious ways. Ranges from it doesn't power on to it doesn't see the printer.
    2. The network is too slow. This one is a killer at busy times of the year and doesn't just apply to logging in. If your uni/college's connection is unreliable and you are trying to fetch something from home it doesn't matter that it's fast...
    3. The computer doesn't have the software you need on it. It's all very well having a library of hundreds of computers but if the software you need is only in the Compsci lab your options are limited.


    Most important of all computer counts really mean very little in terms of your education. Theory doesn't always need you to be sat a keyboard to understand it.