Computer Science for the Liberal Arts: Reaching an Untapped Pool of Students

计算机科学(31)这个项目针对计算机科学(CS)专业数量下降的问题，为非专业学生开设了一门计算机科学课程，旨在满足大学数学通识教育的要求，并增加学生对计算机科学及其在当今社会的相关性的欣赏。扭转计算机科学招生人数下降的途径很多，面向不同的学生群体，但这些计划往往是长期的，或首先依赖于注册CS课程的学生。新课程对学生来说是一个有吸引力的选择，以满足他们的数学通识教育要求。它为计算机科学教师提供了一个机会，让他们将计算领域作为学生生活和社会所必需的。开发材料是为了整合数学和计算机科学的概念，并纳入影响学生生活和整个社会的重要计算机应用程序。最初为哥伦比亚大学设计的课程最初是为哥伦比亚学院设计的，这是一所文科女子学院，学生主要是非裔美国人，这门课程允许在计算机科学领域的两个代表性不足的群体上测试课程材料。然而，设计的课程也适用于大多数适应较少的文理学院。除核心单元外，在项目期间，课程的不同课程还会增加不同的单元，以便为适应课程的部门提供更多选择。该项目包括重要的宣传活动，以扩大该项目的影响，远远超出哥伦比亚学院的范围。

Computer Science (31) This project addresses the problem of the decline in the number of computer science (CS) majors by creating a computer science course for non-majors designed to satisfy the college mathematics general education requirement and to increase students' appreciation of computer science and its relevance in today's society.Efforts to reverse the decline in enrollment in computer science are numerous and target different student populations but these programs tend to be long-term or dependent on students enrolling in CS courses in the first place. The new course is an attractive option for students to satisfy their mathematics general education requirement. It gives an opportunity to the computer science faculty to present the computing field as essential to the students' lives and to society. Materials are developed to integrate the mathematics and the computer science concepts and to incorporate significant computer applications that impact students' lives and the society at large.The course designed initially for Columbia College, a liberal arts women's college with a large minority representation of mostly African-American students allows testing the course material on two under-represented groups in computer science. However, the designed course is appropriate as well for most liberal arts colleges with little adaptation. In addition to core units, additional units vary between the different offerings of the course during the project duration to provide more choices to departments adapting the course. The project includes significant dissemination activities to increase the impact of this project well beyond Columbia College.