Service learning in computer science and engineering

ABSTRACT

Attention is increasing on the need to educate students in areas that extend beyond the traditional technical basis for their field: the Kellogg Commission's mandate for a "scholarship of engagement" [3]; the Engineering Deans Council report's emphasis on teamwork, communication, and the need for students to "understand the economic, social, environmental and international context of their professional activities" [2]; the CSAB Criteria 2000 requirements in written and oral communication and "coverage of social and ethical implications of computing" [1]; the growth of broad IT programs and schools.Service learning offers the opportunity to broaden the educational experience by engaging students in "real-world" projects. However, it also poses new questions: Should students earn academic credit for courses in which a significant portion of their time is spent on "soft" skills? Are students gaining valid technical experience on projects defined by an outside customer rather than by CS&E faculty? How can curriculum structures support projects that aren't constructed to fit within semester boundaries?The panel includes faculty and students from service-learning programs, the chief technical officer for a software company, and a community "customer."

References

1. CSAB, Criteria for Accrediting Programs in Computer Science in the United States, Jan. 2000. http://www.csab.org/criteria2k_v10.html.
2. Engineering Deans Council and ASEE, Engineering Education for a Changing World, 1995. http://www.asee.org/publications/reports/greenworld.cfm
3. Kellogg Commission, Renewing the Covenant: Learning, Discovery, and Engagement in a New Age and Different World, 2000. http://www.nasulgc.org/Kellogg/kellogg.htm.

• Applied computing

• Social and professional topics

  • Professional topics

    • Computing education

      • Computing education programs