Re: programming languages as a core topic

[Kim <kim@cs.williams.edu>]

There is a difference between programming languages topics which occur
as part of teaching an initial language and those that are part of
learning about programming languages as a topic.  (Too many people -
though not those reading this list - think that the study of programming
languages consists of learning languages - hence nearly all of PF counts
as PL topics!)  I don't particularly care where programming languages
topics end up in the topic lists (and, as stated in the web page I
refered to in my earlier message), several PL topics do occur in other
places.  The disappointing thing is all the topics we listed that don't
occur anywhere.

	Kim

Dina Q Goldin wrote:
> 
> I am a member of one of the KFGs for CC-2001.  I agree that it is too late
> in the process to start changing the overall number of core hours, or the
> topics that we want to be included. However, I believe that it is still
> possible for the PL people to get a fairer shake in this process.  Let me
> explain.
> 
> In addition to the PL KFG, there is also a Programming Fundamentals (PF)
> KFG which has a whopping 65 core hours (vs. 5 for PL):
> 
>         http://www.computer.org/education/cc2001/report/PF.html
> 
> There are some items in the PF section that can easily be classified as
> "programming language" material, such as all of PF2 (which is 10 core
> hours by itself) and a lot of PF3 (12 core hours).
> 
> It seems perfectly reasonable, if fact sensible, to reshuffle these two a
> little bit... Seems those two KFG chairs need to go out and talk it over a
> few beers.
> 
> Dina
> 
> Assistant Professor                             URL : www.cs.umb.edu/~dqg
> Math & Computer Science Department              Tel : 617-287-6483
> University of Massachusetts / Boston            Fax : 617-287-6499
> 100 Morrissey Blvd., Boston, MA 02125           Room: S-3-92A
> 
> On Tue, 6 Feb 2001, Kim wrote:
> 
> > [----- The Types Forum, http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/types -----]
> >
> > Colleagues:
> >
> > I am happy to see Matthias' attempt to draft support for programming
> > languages in Curriculum 2001.  The main curriculum committee, after
> > numerous urgings on my part, set up a Programming Languages Knowledge
> > Units Focus Group (KFG).  Members of the group were Kim Bruce (PL KFG
> > chair, Williams College), Benjamin Goldberg (New York University), Chris
> > Haynes (Indiana University), Gary Leavens (Iowa State University), John
> > Mitchell (Stanford University), and Joseph Hummel (University of
> > Illinois at Chicago).
> >
> > On very short notice, we developed a preliminary set of recommendations
> > for programming languages "knowledge units".  Over our loud complaints,
> > the committee cut these recommendations to roughly those currently in
> > the curriculum draft.  In fact, we only found out about these cuts when
> > the full committee released the strawman version of the curriculum recommendations.
> >
> > At that point we attempted to rally support from the community by
> > publishing an article in the April, 2000, SIGPLAN Notices.  That
> > article, which includes many more details, can be found on-line at
> >       http://www.cs.williams.edu/~kim/Curric2001/PLKFG.html
> >
> > Unfortunately we got little response from the community from those
> > efforts, and very few changes were made by the curriculum committee to
> > the programming languages material.  While I believe it may still be
> > possible to influence the committee at the margins, the committee is
> > unlikely to make major changes at this late date.  I hope the community
> > can find a more effective way of making the case earlier in the process
> > in the future.
> >
> >       Kim
> >
> > Matthias Felleisen wrote:
> > >
> > > Dear Colleagues --
> > >
> > > ACM's and IEEE's joint task on curriculum development has released its
> > > "ironman draft" proposal for a new core curriculum in computer science. The
> > > draft allocates six hours to the area of programming languages, relegating
> > > it to third-class status. I have written a letter of protest and ask for
> > > your support. Please visit my Web site where I have posted the letter and
> > > where you can find some additional information on the topic:
> > >
> > >    http://www.cs.rice.edu/~matthias/cc2001.html
> > >
> > > Regards -- Matthias Felleisen
> >
> > --
> > Kim B. Bruce
> > Department of Computer Science
> > Williams College
> >

-- 
Kim B. Bruce
Department of Computer Science
Williams College