2010 2nd International Conforence on Education Technology and Computer (ICETC)

Research and Discussion on Introduction to Computer Science and Technology

Teaching Based on Methodology

FuHefang Li Zhaoxia
Department of Computer Science Department of Computer Science
Xinzhou Teachers University Xinzhou Teachers University
Xinzhou, China Xinzhou, China
e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract-According to our department's reformation of Basis of College Computer mainly teaches computer
Introduction to Computer Science and Technology curriculum from implementation and students learn computer through
building, introduced the teaching experience of Introduction to operation, which makes students treat computer as a tool in
Computer Science and Technology teaching based on computer function, computer implementation and computer
Methodology, come up with the proper content and mode of operation, etc and limits students' cognitive perspective of
teaching for undergraduate teaching, discussed several
this subject. However, Methodology of Computer Science
questions in Course Teaching.
and Technology emphasize on the cognition of the nature of
the computer science subject and the understanding of the
Keywords-Introduction to Computer Science and
content to the main field and the content to the common and
Technology; Methodology of Computer Science and Technology;
essential character of each field in computer science subject.
Parkinson's disease; Teaching Innovation; Teaching Experience
Only teaching these contents will make students feel dull.
I. INTRODUCTION Recent years, scholars have some new views about the
building of Introduction to Computer Science and
Introduction to Computer Science and Technology is a
Technology through researches on the methodology of the
course which help students who major in computer come to
subject. They hope to change the location of the subject from
understand. Recently years, more and more research on
introduction to the combination of introduction & subject
teaching and learning this course appeared, and discussions
overview. [l]They hope to overview this subject from the
around this course are becoming more drastically, especially
perspective of "methodology of the subject" and introduce
after Report on CC1991& CC2001 were put forward by
core conception, essential questions, typical teaching method,
ACM and IEEE-CS. In 2007, Mr. Dong Rongsheng
formal technique of computer subject systematically, and
published a New Book called Introduction to Computer
introduce knowledge system, the division of the main field
Science ---Thought and Method after his Methodology of
and some problems each field has to students. They also
Computer Science and Technology. It is a turning point for
hope to guide students to understand computer science from
teaching Introduction to Computer Science and Technology
higher perspective and learn computer science through
in the field of computer education. Scholars had more
methodology of subject and educate students to face the
cognition on choosing the teaching content and innovating
future. So, we have innovated the teaching of The
the teaching mode, and got some achievement through
Introduction to Computer Science and Technology, and
attempting.
introduced the content of Methodology of Computer Science
II. NATURE, FEATURE, AND TEACHING CONDITIONS OF and Technology into The Introduction to Computer Science
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE AND
and Technology. According to students' feedback, we have
improved, fulfilled, formed a fixed teaching mode and
TECHNOLOGY
gained some achievements after several years' teaching
At present, most of the university in our country open practice.
Introduction to Computer Science and Technology in the
first semester, they hope students can come to a general
understand to computer major through teaching this course, III. SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS OF INTRODUCTION TO
set the thinking style of calculation preliminarily, and set the COMPUTER
stage for learning the computer course deeply.
A. Cultivating the students' interests in computer course
There are two kinds of way to arrange Introduction to
Computer Science and Technology. One is to adapt to a way The well-known educationalist B·A·Cyxomjnhcknn
similar to Basic Computer Culture. With emphasis on from the former Soviet Union ever said: "learning interests
general introduction of knowledge about soft- & hardware are the important part of the learning activities." Computer
and master the usage of operate system and office software; course itself is attractive for the students, yet they think it's
the other is similar to Methodology of Computer Science and mysterious and are afraid of it at the beginning. In the
Technology, and try to grasp the subject's basic sequence computer learning, they come to feel tired of the abstract
deeply. theory. Therefore, how to cultivate the students' interests in

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 2010 2nd International Conforence on Education Technology and Computer (ICETC)

computer in the fIrst place is the top consideration that the 1) The main contents of theoretical part are as
teachers should care about in teaching. Besides, it requires follows:
more much for computer majors at the theory level. Subject characteristics, development law and trends,
Furthermore, the computer science is updated quickly and and the history of calculation and computer, focusing on the
develops rapidly and this requires the students' quick Turing machine and computational model;
thinking and knowing new things. It's necessary for the
Introduction of computer hardware and software
educators to lead the students into a learning, which cycles
system, during which lead students to understand the
forward from easy to difficult, from simple to sophisticated,
dialectical relationship between hardware and software in
from concrete to abstract.
discipline development;
B. Based on the Method Approach The scientifIc problems in discipline development,
Method Approach should be introduced into the course three discipline forms and the core concepts of the
of Introduction to Computer and the basic questions, core discipline;
concepts and core technologies in computer science also Typical mathematical method and system science
should be introduced. This will help the students grasp method in the discipline;
learning strategies in computer science. For instance, Teaching program and curriculum system of the
introducing computational algorithm concept and typical discipline, how to learn computer science well.
algorithms. When we try to solve some problem, fIrst 2) The main contents of practical part are as follows:
analyze this question, then fIgure out the plan, fmally decide The input of Chinese and English;
the procedure of operation and carry it out, that is to say, The use of common office software and the ability of
algorithm comes fIrst and then operation goes. It's the same consulting information online;
as computer processing. Algorithm precisely describes the The expression of algorithm (using natural language or
process of looking for a solution to the problem and is for flow chart);
taking limited procedures to solve a specifIc problem. Using a high-level programming language to realize
[2]Through the teaching the students should be able to learn algorithm (C language).
about algorithm emotionally and furthermore, rationally For the evaluation of the course, we break the general
make a description in form. teaching routine and adopt the method that theoretical part
e. Cultivating Practical Ability and practical part account for 50% respectively, in which the
practical part includes 10% for usual performance and 40%
Introduction to Computer is a beginner course for
for the performance of computer operation.
computer majors. According to the old students'
questionnaires, 88 percent of them hope that they can B. The teaching based on "methodology" and its effect
skillfully use some regular software after this course ends. Raise some scientifIc computing problems through
However, teaching how to use software should not become some lively and interesting mathematical stories. For
the main contents, which is what the other departments do. example, during the teaching of ''the scientifIc problems in
The teachers have the responsibility to design some tasks computing discipline", students show particular interest in
carefully so that the students can study for themselves and such computer science problems as Cantor's set theory,
enforce their practical abilities through task-driven mode. Russell's paradox, Seven Bridges Problem of Konigsberg,
Hanoi Tower problem, the proportional variation-seeking
IV. INNOVATION OF TEACHING MODE AND TEACHING
algorithm of the king's proposing to neighboring princess,
EFFECTIVENESS
traveling salesman problem, and combinatorial explosion
The author has been teaching Introduction to Computer problem, etc. and we inftltrate the three discipline forms of
for many years and knows what the students are eager to computing discipline - "abstract, theory, design"[4] in the
acquire, and also have tried to make teaching innovation process of analysis, thus, by making the issue abstract and
many times, Especially after Mr. Dong Rongsheng put formalized, the mathematical method for problem-solving
forward Approach Theory, the author learnt a lot and got can be produced. In this way, students' thought is suddenly
inspired and is also making some progress in teaching. As enlightened, and they will realize the leading character of
follows: mathematics in computing discipline and the guideness of
A. On curriculum setting and teaching content subject methodology, hence their curiosity and thirsty for
selection!3J knowledge can be inspired, and their mathematical quality
and scientifIc way of thinking can be cultivated.
In the teaching process, we adopt the model that the
Some content with strong practical characteristics will
proportion of teaching periods of theoretical part to those of
be demonstrated to students when they are on computer, so
practical part is 1:1. Based on the thinking of ''methodology",
they can watch and simultaneously operate. For another
we select some contents from Introduction to Computer
example, when teaching word processing software, we may
Science - ideas and methods, and some basic knowledge
give them tabloid layout task. Such task-driven model
from Basic Computer Science for the theoretical part. Thus a
virtually enhances students' learning enthusiasm and
comparatively complete teaching system can be constituted.

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initiative, and cultivates their capacity of independent to the contents. This kind of method should be abandoned,
learning and lifelong learning. and we should adopt different means to inform students
The students have got a correct, comprehensive according to the teaching contents. For some historic
recognition of this course through this reform, moreover, knowledge we could made full use of internet resource and
their initiative and creativity improved and confidence offer students some related documents and references
enhanced. Apart from that, we did a questionnaire, 92% of through the line. For some abstract theoretical part, teachers
the students revealed that this course gave a guide to the should dominate the class and at the same time give some
course they' re going to learn later, which ensures them to interesting stuffs for them to focus. The most important
analyze and solve some problem. method is to implement research-oriented teaching in the
classroom teaching, by describing, analyzing and solving the
V. REFLECTIONS ON TEACHING typical questions, students can learn the real method of
A. Reinforcement of computer science methodology by knowledge and arouse their curiosity.
teacher
Every teacher who teaches computer science should VI. CONCLUSION
know that the teaching of "Introduction Course of
There is an old saying ''you should teach students
Computer" is based on methodology, this theory applies for
knowledge and what's more, you should teach them how to
every course. Every teacher should learn the course of
obtain it". This methodology can provide students with a
"Methodology of Computer Science and Technology". In
brand new perspective to look at computer science and focus
fact, some questions like ''what's computer science?", "how
their attention to some common, substantial contents. Once
should we apply theory to practice?" have been bothering us.
they know the direction, purpose and method of every course,
To be honest, many teachers themselves can not even tell
they will give out more zest to it, which is also essential to
them apart. Hence, the teaching plan must be confused and
our purpose of developing qualified professional graduates.
unreasonable, and as a result, there will be confusion,
overlapping, in appropriate arrangement of the curriculum. REFERENCES
Only do teachers know exactly of the objective and key
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teaching plan for our students, with this course focusing on [2] Huang RC. "Introduction to Computer Science," China Railway
some common, substantial features and the characteristics of Publishing houses , 2004,pp. 1-23

the teaching system and our students.[5] [3] Dong RS. "Introduction to Computer Science ---Thought and
Method," Beijing: Higher Education Press , 2007,pp. 53-86.
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Technology," Beijing: Post & Telecommunication Press , 2002,pp.
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