Jeff Kramer
Abstract
Why is it that some software engineers and computer scientists are able to produce clear, elegant designs and programs, while others cannot? Is it possible to improve these skills through education and training? Critical to these questions is the notion of abstraction.
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Index Terms
Is abstraction the key to computing?
Reviews
Charles Alan Wolfe
This is an interesting article; however, it stops just when things get really interesting. Kramer makes the case, as have others, that the ability to solve problems, do abstract thinking, and discern patterns is a key talent (or talent set) to be had by persons pursuing careers in computer science and allied fields. The ability to flourish in a world of complexity is necessary. I use the word "talent" because, after discussing the article with several colleagues, at least one of them strongly objected to the Project Zero concept of multiple intelligences [1]. After discussing the concept of abstraction and its importance, Kramer goes on to review some of the work of others in mathematics and computing-related fields. A review of the work by Piaget and others follows in a section titled "What determines our students' abilities__?__" The coverage of the background material is excellent, as is the overall discussion. Kramer has written a thought-provoking article. However, it concludes with a call for further research into constructing instruments with which to measure an entering student's abilities to do problem solving, abstract thinking, and so on. So, after making an argument that no one who has taught computer science, programming, or mathematics will dispute, he leaves us hanging with no way to ascertain the probability of a student's success before he or she is tossed into the fray. From his tone, I suspect he is equally frustrated and would have liked to include at least one such instrument in the article. I would like to see some discussion of the need to begin the teaching of problem-solving skills in the lower grades, not starting with college freshmen courses. I encounter far too many entering students who have little or no skill in problem solving, separate from a talent for doing so, let alone students with critical thinking skills. Online Computing Reviews Service
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