[Edu-sig] Low Enrollments - programming as anti-intellectualism

[Kirby Urner]

> Those departments should fill those needs under current academic
> structures by offering the necessary computing courses.  There's no
> shortage of people with practical computing skills --- just a shortage
> of people with impractical ones. :-)
> 

I think there's a shortage of computer pros with strong presentation skills.
Like, at Europython we got a 5 minute upbraiding by one of the few female
geeks, complaining that we collectively mumbled too much, failed to project
our enthusiasm for our topics.  We must do more to delight, less to impress.

I remember this OSCON talk I was at:  the presenter kept pointing to the
screen of his laptop (which no one but him could see), bringing our
attention to this or that line of code (ever hear of a laser pointer guy?).

> One thing CS departments could do is offer service-oriented software
> engineering courses. It's clear that many people nowadays learn to
> program on their own, and run into well-known difficulties once their
> programs get too big. Those people would probably appreciate and
> benefit from a software engineering course, especially if was
> platform/lanuage neutral.
> 
> Toby

Probably the only way to push CS departments into offering such courseware
is to compete with them.  Small technical academies, like those mom and pop
martial arts schools that dot Greater Portland, could specialize in various
skillsets.  "Mom, I've off to a Plone class at Free Geek, then a C# class at
the mall, then a movie!"  "OK dear, don't forget to take your cell."

Academia has this clever way of setting up a lot of prerequisites, getting
you involved in this twisted maze, with degrees the cheese.  With the new
certifications though, you can get a "black belt" in something, without
getting bogged down in somebody else's bright idea of what "competent"
means.  That's what a of geeks want:  freedom to customize and configure.
Of course the Internet itself is the best place to start.

Kirby