SIGCSE

In this paper we discuss some of the problems in constructing and utilizing loop invariants for For-loops. Another kind of assertion, the loop post-invariant, is offered as an alternative to the loop invariant in designing, documenting and proving the ...

This paper describes an upper-division course in file processing which is intended to satisfy the requirements of both theoretical and applications-oriented curricula. It emphasizes file processing concepts from a software engineering perspective. ...

Correctness and efficiency are both legitimate concerns in program development. Through an extended example we present a multi-phase paradigm which encourages early algorithms to be abstract and maximally nondeterministic in the spirit of Dijkstra's ...

This paper offers arguments supporting the concept of requiring written requirements specifications for all programming assignments in the first Computer Science course. The term “requirements specifications” is used here to refer to a description of ...

Until recently, introductory programming classes in the Department of Computer Science, University of Minnesota, Duluth, concentrated on writing code. Not until the junior or senior year were students required to adhere to basic principles of software ...

In the past few years many schools have tried to simultaneously achieve the following goals in their introductory CS courses:

• Allow more students to enroll

• Improve the quality of education

• Keep spending at current levels

Everyone has discovered that the ...

Program animation has mainly been developed for sequential programs. Animation of concurrent programs is much more uncommon, mainly because of the important technical problems. This paper presents a project whose objective is to animate any concurrent ...

A $70 toy robot has been successfully used in Computer Science undergraduate laboratory courses in real-time programming and advanced operating systems to provide students with hands on experience.

A custom designed interface card connects a Radio Shack ...

It is ACM's 40th year and an old debate continues. Is computer science a science? An engineering discipline? Or merely a technology, an inventor and purveyor of computing commodities? What is the intellectual substance of the discipline? Is it lasting, ...

Concurrency is a major trend in computer science; it can be taught from the point of view of operating systems, programming languages, algorithm design, database design, software engineering, systems engineering, and computer architecture. The panel ...

During 1984 and 1985 I was part of an ACM Task Force to update the recommended curricula for CSI and CS2, the first two courses in programming methods for computer science majors. Our findings were reported in the communications of the ACM (Koffman, ...

The emphasis on software engineering topics in the newest report on the second computer science class will have considerable impact on computer science education. Teaching issues arising from the incorporation of software engineering topics are ...

Artificial Intelligence programming involves representing knowledge, using paradigms to manipulate the knowledge, and having a learning process modify both the knowledge and the paradigms. One could consider this process as building a model of how one ...

With multiprocessor computers becoming more readily available on college campuses and with the recent development of software tools to aid in the implementation of parallel algorithms, it is time for parallel processing to enter the undergraduate ...

We discuss possibilities for setting up an undergraduate laboratory for parallel processing and how such a laboratory, based on transputers, can be used in a course on parallel processing.

How does a programmer decide which of two different algorithms to use to solve a problem? This is a particularly difficult question because one finds that often one part of the solution of a problem “dominates” the running time of the solution, i.e. ...

Theory of computation courses have traditionally been taught at the advanced-undergraduate/graduate level, primarily due to the level of mathematical rigor associated with the topics involved. The topics covered include automata theory, formal languages,...

We present a collection of algorithms that solve problems from the realm of computational geometry to illustrate several basic notions in algorithm design and analysis. Computational geometry is a young discipline that has much to offer both as a field ...

A working group, representing ACM, DPMA, and IEEE-CS, was formed to draft a set of guidelines, including criteria, for the accreditation of computer information systems' undergraduate programs. The guidelines and criteria are summarized below.

Faculty: ...

A major in computer applications for small, liberal arts colleges is proposed in this article. The proposed program has characteristics to allow students to engage in a breadth of study, to integrate knowledge from a variety of fields, and to apply what ...

Although the CS 3 course of the ACM Curriculum '78 was defined almost a decade ago, the broader perspectives that are desired for that course have not been present in many undergraduate programs. Only recently has the pivotal role of this course begun ...

There has been much debate in the past few years about the appropriate mathematics requirements for an undergraduate computer science major. The discussion has focused primarily on two issues: (1) the underlying mathematical content of computer science ...

New approaches to system development depend heavily on graphical methods for representation of system requirements and the depiction of final design configuration. Among various diagramming methods, Data Flow Diagrams, Entity-Relationship diagrams and ...

This paper addresses the selection of projects for advanced information systems and software engineering courses and proposes criteria for group projects which gives students genuine real-world experience in the classroom. A curriculum for an advanced ...

Due to recent advances in knowledge-based systems technology it is suggested that students in a systems development course be given exposure to the concept of designing and implementing knowledge-based systems.

The purpose of this paper is to describe ...

In the last decade, the field of Computer Science has undergone a revolution. It has started the move from a mysterious art form to a detailed science. The vehicle for this progress has been the rising popularity of the field of Software Engineering. ...