Providing Breadth while Retaining Depth and Focus in an Introductory Computer Science Course

计算机科学（31）大多数计算机科学入门课程侧重于开发编程技能。广度优先的课程包括编程方面的材料，但不强调它，而是对许多主题进行简短的处理。广度优先的方法假定，只介绍编程的介绍对我们的领域的印象太狭隘了。该项目支持这一说法，但不必要的广泛主题所带来的知识不连贯性是广度优先课程失败的一个主要因素。计算机科学各部分之间的差异不应被强调，而应被强调的是连接计算机科学各部分的共同元素。本项目正在创建一个计算机科学入门课程，专注于计算机科学中的一个专业领域，并将该专业作为一种工具，展示该领域所有工作的技术和原理的广泛概述。本课程是“深度优先”，在检查计算机科学中的一个单一的子领域，但在另一种意义上，本课程将是“广度优先”，从选定的子领域中选择材料，说明在该领域的广泛适用性的技术和原则。这种课程被称为深度/广度优先入门课程。该项目正在开发一套阅读材料和项目，以配合本课程的方法，将通过一个演示和研讨会的计划与计算机科学界分享。该项目包括对广度优先方法基本原则的广泛支持，该方法仍然受到2001年计算机课程报告的鼓励。这个项目的新贡献是将形容词“广度”应用于所探索的一系列基本技术和概念，而不是所涵盖的一系列不同的子领域。将注意力从编程转移到其他主题以及将编程与实际应用领域的讨论结合起来，解决了被确定为计算机科学性别不平衡因素的问题。预计拟议的办法将吸引和留住更多的女生。

Computer Science (31)Most introductory computer science courses focus on developing programming skills. Breadth-first courses include material on programming, but de-emphasize it in favor of brief treatments of many topics. The breadth-first approach assumes that a programming-only introduction provides far too narrow an impression of our field. This project supports this claim, but the intellectual incoherence introduced by unnecessarily broad spectrum of topics has been a major factor in the failure of breadth-first courses. It is not the differences between the parts of computer science that should be emphasized, but the common elements that connect all the parts of computer science.This project is creating an introductory computer science course that focuses on one area of specialization within computer science and is using this specialty as a vehicle to present a broad overview of the techniques and principles underlying all work in the field. The course is "depth-first" in examining a single subfield within computer science, yet in another sense, the course will be "breadth-first" in choosing material from the selected subfield that illustrate techniques and principles of broad applicability within the field. Such a course is referred to as a depth/breadth-first introductory course. The project is developing a set of readings and projects to go with this course approach that will be shared with the computer science community through a program of presentations and workshops.Intellectual Merit. This project includes widespread support for the principles underlying the breadth-first approach, still encouraged by the Computing Curriculum 2001 report. The novel contribution in this project is in applying the adjective "breadth" to the set of fundamental techniques and concepts explored rather than the set of distinct subfields covered.Broader Impact. The shift of attention from programming to other topics and the integration of programming with the discussion of a practical application area address issues identified as factors in the gender imbalance in computer science. It is expected that the proposed approach will attract and retain more female students.