Newtruck

Abstract

Recent literature in both the computer science [1,2] and data processing [3,4] communities encourages the involvement of computing students not only in formal classroom experiences but also in “real world” learning experiences such as project participation and management, effective approaches to “real world” problem solving, interaction with people from different disciplines, interaction with people from similar disciplines, interaction with people in the “real world,” budget management, formal report writing, and the ability to accurately document a system. ACM has recognized this need in both the 1977 report of C 3 S [5] and in the more recent “Curriculum '78: Recommendations for the Undergraduate Program in Computer Science [6].” Recent articles in the SIGCSE Bulletin [1] as well as other computer education journals indicate that universities are responding to this need through one or more of the following: 1. Integration of “real world” projects into the existing curriculum. 2. Special projects courses added to the existing curriculum where students are responsible to the university only. 3. Special projects done in conjunction with the university and some outside organization. The student is responsible to both the university and to the outside organization. 4. Cooperative education in which the student works part-time for an outside organization.