Communications - July 2009

DOI: 10.1145/1538788.1538791

inspire with introductory Computer science

Mark Guzdial’s Viewpoint “Teaching Computing to Everyone” (May 2009) was interesting reading but included several implications, possibly unintentional, that should be corrected. For example, one potential benefit of contextualized computing is that it allows coursework students may find more attractive and relevant, but Guzdial seemed to imply that DrScheme and How to Design Programs (HtDP) cannot be used with such coursework. In our experience, this is not the case; our students are attracted and very engaged by HtDP’s evolving teaching libraries. For example, students using HtDP can write interactive graphical programs from week one in a first-semester programming course without sacrificing computing fundamentals.

Libraries will soon enable them to write applications for their cellphones and embedded hardware. We look forward to experimenting with these domains in our introductory programming courses. The rich variety of contexts the HtDP community provides (and is continuously developing) excites students, and they enjoy our HtDP-based courses.

Another implication was that DrScheme and HtDP were unsuitable for non-major and female students. We found this surprising, as it is not our experience in our three very different settings. DrScheme’s language levels and simple syntax seem to reduce student frustration in getting started with programming, and HtDP’s design recipe approach gives them a roadmap, from problem statement and blank screen/page to a working solution. The language levels are particularly effective at reducing syntax errors by introducing new programming constructs only as the need for them arises. Both our major and non-major female students have taken quite well to this environment and approach.

Some of us are also beginning to see higher retention rates thanks to HtDP.

We were delighted to see more attention on introductory computing courses. They play a critical role in how students use, perceive, and understand computing and computer-based technology. It is important that they be well-designed, empowering students to use computing both in and outside the classroom.

Marco T. Morazan, South Orange, NJ Marc L. smith, Poughkeepsie, NY sharon Tuttle, Arcata, CA

tive, useful articles for those of us who are practitioners.

Bryan R. Meyer, Pittsburgh, PA

Author’s Response:

DrScheme (and its libraries) is undoubtedly one of the best programming tools for students. It inspired our Python tool, JES. To make contextualized education work, you need a language and libraries that provide the opportunity for context, a curriculum that provides examples, and lectures that support the context, as well as a course that takes advantage of these opportunities and supports. Our experience at Georgia Tech missed some of these elements. I now anticipate using DrScheme to create a great contextualized computing course.

Mark Guzdial, Atlanta, GA

More for the Practitioner, As in Web site Design Kudos to Steve Souders for his article “High-Performance Web Sites” (Dec. 2008). While many of the techniques he mentioned are indeed commonsense for Web site developers— reduce the number of HTTP requests and remove duplicate scripts—what impressed me most was that such a useful article made its way into Communications at all. In the seven years I’ve been a member of ACM, I’ve found most of its articles to be news-related or theoretical in nature. It’s about time Communications recognized that membership includes not only researchers but also those of us keeping businesses operating by applying the theories developed in the lab and outlined in the technical literature. Please keep publishing such informa-

To Motivate Cs students,
Connect with People in need

Two contributions (both in Apr. 2009), “Computing Education Matters” by Andrew McGettrick and “IT and the World’s ‘Bottom Billion’” by Richard Heeks, covered urgent problems computer scientists can help address. The former involves making computer-related education more attractive for both prospective and current students, the latter for helping the Fourth World develop itself. Students are typically of an age when altruism could be a driving force in their lives, and showing them how IT helps people in the Fourth World would add to their motivation.

To evaluate such ideas, my students and I began a project last October to provide critical information during obstetrics procedures in remote parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Obstetricians there rarely have access to current best practices, so our system gives them current information related to the APGAR scores of newborn babies. An international team of students—from Australia, China, Germany, and Switzerland—weighed the various aspects of information delivery, from usability and battery life to selective data persistence on mobile devices with limited connectivity. The project showed them how to use their knowledge and inventiveness to help others. Microsoft lent extensive support and invited them to the Imagine Cup competition. A number of NGOs also suggested ways to extend the project. We now invite Communications readers to participate by sharing their own ideas and imaginations.