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Robots Coming to Intro Computer Science Classes

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the my-dog-ate-my-robot dept.

BlueCup writes "Two colleges are hoping to make computer science courses more attractive by including personal robots with the textbooks. Looking to boost enrollment in introductory computer science classes, Microsoft Corp. is working with Bryn Mawr College and Georgia Tech on developing new ways to bring robotics technology into the classroom. Douglas Blank, a computer science professor at Bryn Mawr, said the goal will be to start incorporating the robots in introductory courses at the suburban Philadelphia college next spring. Georgia Tech hopes to start during that term as well. The idea behind the program, Blank said, is to make computer science more hands-on and practical, rather than simply about debugging programs." Update: 07/13 15:52 GMT by T :Professor Blank wrote in with some clarification on one of his statements — read on below.

dougblank writes

"Note to self: when talking to the press, don't use complicated technical jargon, like 'debugging' :) I think what I actually said was 'rather than debug a program to make it give the right answer, the students must debug the program to make the robot behave the way they want it to.'

I think many of you will actually like the hardware, software, and curriculum that we are designing. Check out roboteducation.org/ and pyrorobotics.org. The new version of the software will be based on Pyro, Python Robotics. We think of the hardware as something like an iPod on wheels. The software is also being developed with an open source license. This project is not what many of you guess it might be.

The CS1 and CS2 that we are developing won't be watered down, but also won't be just the standard 'intro to programming, using robots.' It's a complete rethinking of the intro courses."

7 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. The Japanese are doing the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... with sex ed classes.

  2. Why? by 1u3hr · · Score: 2, Funny
    Robots Coming to Intro Computer Science Classes

    As teachers or students?

    1. Re:Why? by Money+for+Nothin' · · Score: 2, Funny


      Robots Coming to Intro Computer Science Classes

      As teachers or students?

      You mean there's a difference between robots and the people in the CS dept?
      --

      Is Capitalism Good for the Poor?
  3. Da Cheatbot by Average_Joe_Sixpack · · Score: 4, Funny

    If only I would've had this lesson before deciding on a career in technology

  4. It's a Trap! by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 2, Funny

    It case anyone hadn't noticed, computer science has very little to do with computers, and nothing whatsoever to do with hardware. I can just imagine the course instructors cackling as the naive students skip inside expecting arrays of sophisticated robots waiting to be programmed:

    "Fools!! Did you really think it would be that interesting? You're mathematicians now!! Now get back to computing runtime complexities for applications you will never have call to write, or understand! *Wwwuu-ttisshh* Bwahahahhahahaaa !!"

    --
    May the Maths Be with you!
    1. Re:It's a Trap! by sesshomaru · · Score: 2, Funny
      This is why computer science professors get all the chicks, "Then I made them prove why one travelling salesman problem was not NP complete, Baby..."

      I have the perfect robot for a computer science class. It doesn't do anything, it's just a plastic toy. But it is called "The Big O."

      --
      "MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
  5. Re:Then it's not computer science by dim5 · · Score: 2, Funny

    No, you misunderstood... they're actually robotic travelling salesmen. You program them with a turing machine.

    --

    Is something burning?
    Oh, it's my karma.