What is computer science: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:41, 11 December 2022

What is Computer Science?^[1]

I discovered this excellent treatment of disciplines within computing from the ACM^[2].

Within the broad scope of computing there are five disciplines:

Computer Engineering (CE)
Computer Science (CS)
Information Systems (IS)
Information Technology (IT)
Software Engineering (SE)

These disciplines share characteristics in the following lanes:

Organizational System Issues
Application Technologies
Software Development
Systems Infrastructure
Computer Hardware and and Architecture

It is a mistake to use the term "computer science" when you in fact mean "software engineering". They are different! There is not universal agreement about these disciplines.

A note about these files: they are fairly dense, and you may need to zoom in to read the characteristics of the different disciplines within computing.

References

[1] ttp://www.flaticon.com/

[2] ttps://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/education/curricula-recommendations/cc2020.pdf

[1]

[2]

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 [[file:computation.png|right|frame|What is Computer Science?<ref>http://www.flaticon.com/</ref>]]
-Computer science requires an understanding of the fundamental concepts of computational thinking as well as knowledge of how computers and other digital devices operate.
-- '''From the IB''' <ref>http://www.ibo.org/</ref>
-Computer science (CS) is the study of computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their applications, and their impact on society.”  - '''From the CSTA''' <ref>https://csta.acm.org/Curriculum/sub/CurrFiles/CSTA_K-12_CSS.pdf</ref>
-Computer science is the scientific and practical approach to computation and its applications.
+I discovered this excellent treatment of disciplines within computing from the ACM<ref>https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/education/curricula-recommendations/cc2020.pdf</ref>.
-- '''From wikipedia''' <ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science</ref>
-== What is Computer Science? ==
+Within the broad scope of computing there are five disciplines:
-The video below is embedded from youtube. It may take a moment to load. If on the off-chance it does not load, try clicking this link: [https://www.youtube.com/embed/-xFJM3QQ3TE]
+* Computer Engineering (CE)
+* Computer Science (CS)
+* Information Systems (IS)
+* Information Technology (IT)
+* Software Engineering (SE)
-<html>
+These disciplines share characteristics in the following lanes:
-<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-xFJM3QQ3TE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
-</html>
-== Why Computer Science ?==
+* Organizational System Issues
+* Application Technologies
+* Software Development
+* Systems Infrastructure
+* Computer Hardware and and Architecture
-'''A 21st Century Skill'''
-'''Computer science is...'''
-# a theory and practice that allows you to program a computer to do what you want it to
+'''It is a mistake''' to use the term "computer science" when you in fact mean "software engineering". They are different! There is '''not''' universal agreement about these disciplines.
-# a tool that helps you tell a story or make something happen with technology
-# a discipline that emphasizes persistence in problem solving — a skill that is applicable across disciplines, driving job growth and innovation across all sectors of the workforce
-# a skill that teaches students how to use computers to create, not just consume
-'''Computer science is not...'''<ref>https://www.cs-first.com/why-cs</ref>
+A note about these files: they are fairly dense, and you may need to zoom in to read the characteristics of the different disciplines within computing.
-# learning how to type
+* [[Media:Computing_field.pdf|Click here for an excellent graphic identifying the different computing disciplines.]]
-# learning to use word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation software
+* [[Media:Field characteristics.pdf|Click here for a zoomed-in view of the five different disciplines.]]
-# learning how to build or repair computers
-# playing video games
 == References ==