Principles versus artifacts in computer science curriculum design
Computer Science is a subject which has difficulty in marketing itself. Further, pinning down a standard curriculum is difficult-there are many preferences which are hard to accommodate. This paper argues the case that part of the problem is the fact that, unlike more established disciplines, the subject does not clearly distinguish the study of principles from the study of artifacts. This point was raised in Curriculum 2001 discussions, and debate needs to start in good time for the next curriculum standard. This paper provides a starting point for debate, by outlining a process by which principles and artifacts may be separated, and presents a sample curriculum to illustrate the possibilities. This sample curriculum has some positive points, though these positive points are incidental to the need to start debating the issue. Other models, with a less rigorous ordering of principles before artifacts, would still gain from making it clearer whether a specific concept was fundamental, or a property of a specific technology. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
curriculum design curriculum standards pedagogical issues teaching strategies