Cobol - OT: Computer Science Education: Where Are the Software Engineers of Tomorrow?

Author

OT: Computer Science Education: Where Are the Software Engineers of Tomorrow?

Clark F Morris

2008-01-08, 6:56 pm

I read the article mentioned below and tend to agree with it. I also
believe that a serious lack in computer science education is the
failure to explore the paradigm for COBOL, the different mathematics
(fixed point decimal versus floating point), the reasons for the use
and the different expected results. The difference in thought between
fields and strings should also be further explored.

Clark Morris

On 8 Jan 2008 04:14:25 -0800, zwebsphere@YAHOO.COM (Aaron Walker)
wrote:

>Here is a posting and accompanying article on Slashdot which you may enjoy.
>
>http://developers.slashdot.org/deve...8/0348239.shtml
>
>http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/CrossTa...rSchonberg.html
>
>Computer Science Education: Where Are the Software Engineers of Tomorrow?
>
>It is our view that Computer Science (CS) education is neglecting basic
>skills, in particular in the areas of programming and formal methods. We
>consider that the general adoption of Java as a first programming language
>is in part responsible for this decline. We examine briefly the set of
>programming skills that should be part of every software professional’s
>repertoire.
>
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Pete Dashwood

2008-01-09, 6:56 pm

"Alistair" <alistair@ld50macca.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:93bbfd90-98a4-488b-bd59-7a622b16f582@c23g2000hsa.googlegroups.com...
> On 8 Jan, 14:14, Clark F Morris <cfmpub...@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> Some of you may be interested to note that some universities in the UK
> now consider Information and Communication Technology to be a soft
> advanced level qualification (taken by 18-19 year olds) and advise
> that in order to enter their university a choice must be made from
> approved subjects. see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7174848.stm
>
> Pete is wrong; it isn't Cobol that is dead bit ICT in the western
> world.
> :-0

As I am currently writing Telephony software, it certainly isn't dead at my
place... :-)

However, I am not using COBOL to do it, so this does reinforce my argument
:-)

Whether I am right or wrong, I would strongly advise people to expand their
skill sets...

Pete.
--
"I used to write COBOL...now I can do anything."

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