Computational Thinking

Posted September 4, 2007 to Computing category.

A brilliant article on what computer science really is.

Computational Thinking: It represents a universally applicable attitude and skill set everyone, not just computer scientists, would be eager to learn and use. (pdf link).

Here in the third world, this is exactly what is not being taught: Simpact: Computers in Schools: Clothing the future emperors of the IT Superpower?

Over the past several years countless crores of rupees have been spent in setting up computer labs in schools across the country. A very popular elective of Computer Science has been introduced for the eleventh and twelfth standard, which most 'bright' students opt for as a replacement to biology. The computer science syllabus of the otherwise very enlightened CBSE makes it very clear that computer science is equated to the process of learning to manipulate a computer and the use of various software packages (the most sophisticated of which being MS Power Point) as a minimum, and graduating to being able to program either in Visual C or Visual C++ as the ultimate pinnacle of accomplishment.

Sadly, even most engineering colleges in India that offer computer science degrees have no real grasp of what computer science is.

That goes double for Pakistan. There are a few exceptions, like LUMS, GIK and the like, but the overwhelming majority of computer schools in Pakistan are mediocre at best and often times downright harmful.

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