Computer Science for the Masses

The following "computer science in education" talk is part of our celebration of Computer Science Education Week (December 7-13, http://csedweek.org).

Colleges and universities need a good "introduction to computer science" for their students.  What should we teach and how should we teach it?  How should we use technology in an introductory course?

This talk describes a introductory computer science course at Princeton University.  The course has been under development for 25 years.  It is the highest-enrolled course at Princeton, attracting two-thirds of all students, preparing them all for further study in computer science (nearly 40% of all Princeton students are taking a CS course at any point in time).  The content is broad and deep, building on a solid foundation in programming to address fundamental issues in theoretical computer science and to also provide an overview of computer architecture, all in the context of interesting applications in science, engineering, and commerce.  The course is currently using a new textbook, extensive online content, and studio-produced lecture videos.

Robert Sedgewick is the founding chair and the William O. Baker Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Princeton and a member of the board of directors of Adobe Systems.  His research interests revolve around algorithm design, including mathematical techniques for the analysis of algorithms.  Prof. Sedgwick is the author of the very popular textbook "Algorithms, Fourth Edition" and other books on algorithms that have been best-sellers for decades.

On-line meeting notice:  http://PrincetonACM.acm.org/meetings/mtg1512.pdf

All ACM / IEEE-CS meetings are open to the public. Students and their parents are welcome.  There is no admission charge.
Refreshments at 7:30pm