As a pathway through the CLE (Virginia Tech's Curriculum for Liberal Education), the LIKES (Living In the KnowlEdge Society) program provides an integrated liberal education experience with thematic coherency.
The purpose of this discussion is to reach consensus on a set of learning objectives that we'd like to see covered by courses we recommend for those interested in LIKES.
Our overall learning objective is for LIKES students to have the ability to apply computing concepts and methods to the needs of living in society (especially in modern and future times, which we refer to as the emerging Knowledge Society).
LIKES-designated courses should have coverage of:
1) "computational thinking", i.e., at least one of the following:
--- 1.1) coverage of key concepts related to computing,
--- 1.2) computing type activities / use of computing systems
and of software (computer-related methods);
2) combined with, or in the context of, living in society
(especially learning to prepare for the future).
We can summarize this coverage as: ((1.1 OR 1.2) AND 2).
Key concepts related to computing (i.e., what we call for in 1.1 above), from our workshops and reports, and related documents, include:
* Algorithms / Problem Solving / Complexity
* Communications / Networking / Internet / WWW
* Computational Science / Numerical Methods
* Computer Architecture and Organization
* Computer Literacy
* Computer Privacy, Security, Rights Management
* Computers and Society / Social Networking / Professionalism
* Data Structures / Discrete Structures / Logic
* Databases and Data Modeling
* Graphics / Visualization / Virtual Reality
* Human Computer Interaction
* Information Management / Storage and Retrieval
* Intelligent Systems / Artificial Intelligence / Natural Language Processing / Planning / Robotics
* Knowledge Representation / Knowledge Management
* Modeling / Simulation
* Operating Systems
* Programming / Authoring
* Software Engineering / Project Management
Note: These were taken from the LIKES year 1 report),
CC2001 curricular guidelines), and the syllabus of the LIKES intro course.
With regard to 1.2, some of the activities we welcome include:
* Analysis of software requirements
* Programming
* Working with digital libraries, especially in topics areas, e.g.,
--- Perseus (regarding Greek, Roman, ...)
--- Specialized collections for chemistry, law, medicine, news, ...
* Working with software of any of the following types, e.g.,
--- CAD/CAM
--- Computer game / multimedia / graphics development
--- Computer supported collaborative work
--- Data/information visualization
--- Database management
--- Digitization, preservation/curation
* Design, synthesis, integration of software systems
--- E-commerce, e-government, e-science development
--- GIS
--- Hypertext / hypermedia / multimedia publishing
--- Knowledge management
--- Mathematical processing (e.g., Mathematica, Matlab)
--- Modeling / simulation
--- Statistical software (e.g., SAS, SPSS)
--- Virtual reality / environments
--- Workflow management
With regard to 2, some examples include:
* Addressing grand challenges / society's problems
* Automation of healthcare and other activities, monitoring
* Business, commerce
* Citizens' issues
* Communication, including science fiction
* Economics and finance
* Government, politics
* Healthcare monitoring
* Lifelong learning
* Psychology, especially cognitive, social, ...
* Sociology, including communities, cities, nations, ...
Senior surveys and focus groups may be used to help ascertain how LIKES students achieve relative to others involved in other CLE approaches.