Code Reading Rebuttal
I disagree 100% with the statements made in Dion's blog entry. Computer Science is not about solving real world problems; it's about theory and learning how to think. In my CS program, I enjoyed writing programs to solve the Towers of Hanoi, 8 Queens Problem, and The Sieve of Eratosthenes. These problems were much more enlightening than adding a feature to a piece of otherwise working code. If "good schools" were to take this approach, they would become more like trade schools and that would be disappointing.
With that being said, I don't think that offering a course on the practical application of Software Development would be a bad thing. It just shouldn't be the driver of the program.
My Rebuttal to the Rebuttal
Mike:
Did I say that CSci should be 100% about adding features and reading code?
No.
I think there is PLENTY of room to offer more practical courses in Computer Science programs though.
The fact is that I am in the real world now, and although some of the CSci classes were good, I would still rather have had the opportunity to learn how to work well with a real database like Oracle, compared to how to write a database from scratch.
That is just me. I think there is room for the CSci guy who just wants the theory. I never even had the chance to take the practical.
I care about solving business problems. I happen to solve those problems through code. I don't get off writing another bubble sort. There is room for all of us :)
Dion
Re: Code Reading Rebuttal
Hmm, I didn't claim you said " CSci should be 100% about adding features and reading code". I merely said that reviewing code and adding features is a practical approach to developing/maintaining software. IMHO, this is not what CS should be about. This approach more closely resembles that of a trade school or technical college. Now if you asked me what makes a great programmer, I'd have to say that would be somewhere between the clouds and the trenches.
Re: Code Reading Rebuttal
I would much rather hire an MIS graduate or someone with real world business experience than a CS major for the J2EE apps we write. It's easier to teach the computer skills to the MIS person than to teach business skills to a CS major.
If we were writing compilers, I'd hire CS majors.
Re: Code Reading Rebuttal
"It's easier to teach the computer skills to the MIS person than to teach business skills to a CS major."? First off, I wonder if you are stating this as a fact or as your opinion. If it's your opinion, I respect that and assume you are basing it on past experiences. If you are stating this as fact, I probably don't even have to point out the flaw in your logic.
Re: Code Reading Rebuttal
You should read Pyre at http://pyre.third-bit.com/blog/
He is a teacher who really struggles to teach CS students with more realistic "real-world" examples. Problem is, they get bogged down in configuration hell when they try to create Ant buildfiles, get the database to work, setup the development environment, etc. By the time the infrastructure issues are all worked out, they don't have much time left to focus on real problems. I've developed several training courses and the hardest part is finding meaningful examples. Anything non-trivial is typically bogged down in sidebar issues that take a lot of time to work through.