Restructuring and Coordinating the Introductory Courses for Computer Science and Mathematics Majors at New Mexico State University

尽管计算机科学的基础是数学理论，但这两个学科在过去十年中已经渐行渐远。计算机科学课程很少强调理论基础，数学课程强调纯数学和服务课程，很少关注计算科学。这个项目将学科更紧密地结合在一起，通过一系列的四门入门课程，整合了数学基础和算法计算。基础课程介绍抽象的数学概念，成为算法计算课程中算法发展的基础。后面的课程使用函数式和逻辑编程范例，以便学生可以在实验室中直接实现和测试数学概念。通过强调可视化、具体的例子和实验室中的实际应用，这些课程使抽象概念比目前的方法更容易被准备不足的学生理解。这是三年发展计划的第一年；目前正在准备和教授两对课程中的第一对。产品包括用于实验室活动的文本材料和软件。

Although computer science has its foundations in mathematical theory, the two disciplines have drifted apart over the last decade. Computer science programs place too little stress on theoretical foundations and mathematics programs emphasize pure mathematics and service courses with little attention to the computational sciences. This project brings the disciplines closer together with a sequence of four introductory courses that integrate mathematical foundations and algorithmic computation. The foundations courses introduce abstract mathematical concepts that become the basis for algorithm development in the algorithmic computation courses. The latter courses use the functional and logical programming paradigms so that students can directly implement and test mathematical concepts in the laboratory. By stressing visualization, concrete examples, and practical applications in the laboratory, these courses make abstract concepts more accessible to under-prepared students than current approaches. This effort is the first year of a three year development; the first pair of two pairs of courses are being prepared and taught. Products include text materials and software for the laboratory activities.