Writing across the computer science curriculum

Abstract

At our university, as at many others across the country, there is a movement to integrate the common core subjects with the disciplinary studies. While in the past writing has been a domain of English departments, the new trend is 'writing across curriculum'. It is clear that effective written and oral communication skills are critical for the successful computer professional.We present suggestions for writing assignments that complement the main themes of computer courses from introductory to advanced levels. While some of these have appeared in the literature, others are new. We report on our experience with these assignments and reflect on how they enhance the computer science curriculum.