Toward the visual understanding of computing curricula
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Toward the visual understanding of computing curricula Shingo Takada 1 & Ernesto Cuadros-Vargas 2 & John Impagliazzo 3 & Steven Gordon 4 & Linda Marshall 5 & Heikki Topi 6 & Gerrit van der Veer 7 & Leslie Waguespack 6 Received: 1 October 2019 / Accepted: 30 January 2020/ # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Various computing subdisciplines, such as computer science and software engineering, each have their own curricular guidelines. They can be very difficult to understand and compare for people such as prospective students, industry personnel, and even faculty members. This is compounded by a lack of information surrounding undergraduate computing curricular topics via visual methods. This paper describes two experimental activities where the objective is to explore the possibility of obtaining quantitative data sets necessary for visualization, one based on competencies and the other based on knowledge areas. Both activities were based on surveys. The results from the first activity showed that a consensus interpretation could be obtained for the knowledge, skills, and dispositions implied by the competency descriptions, although not as strongly for dispositions. The second activity resulted in a table of knowledge areas with minimum and maximum weights for six computing subdisciplines. Finally, this paper also shows two examples of how users can explore the various curricular guidelines through visualization. Keywords Curricular visualization . Computing education . Computing competency .
Global standards
1 Introduction The use of digital technology as a tool is very pervasive in educational circles. At the university level, we witness the use of course assistant packages such as Blackboard and Moodle. However, use of technological tools for curricula purposes is still wanting.
* Shingo Takada [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
Education and Information Technologies
This paper explains recent activities within professional organizations to facilitate curriculum understanding for computing undergraduate (baccalaureate) programs. 1.1 Problem situation In today’s world, students, professional practitioners and academic personnel and teachers usually prefer to learn through visual information representations rather than acquiring information via textual methods. With the preponderance of smartphones, tablets, and other visual devices, it is only natural that dissemination of information, including curricular and learning information have similar representations. Unfortunately, little information surrounding undergraduate computing curricular topics currently exists via visual methods. The presentation of computing curricular guidelines published by learned societies has remained stagnant and static for more than fifty years. Although PDF versions of printed copies are available, currently no automated or dynamic representation of these documents is available. To compound the situation, there is an underlying shift in the way students in computing courses sho
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