And, of course, how could we forget ... ?
... Yet Another Famous Nerd
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William H. Gates
|
|
- Chief Software Architect, Microsoft
- World's richest man ($80b)
- Contributions to Computing:
- Basic? ... (existed in mid-60's)
- MS-DOS? ... (from Tim Paterson)
- Window-based GUIs? ... (from Apple)
- Explorer? ... (from Spyglass)
- the Internet? ... (hah! he wishes)
|
... Yet Another Famous Nerd
Microsoft's major contribution to computing ... ?
Windows ... which is ...
- reasonably cheap (targetted at novices)
- incredibly popular (via questionable corporate behaviour)
- rather unreliable (poor software engineering)
- the reason why the public thinks computers are inherently unreliable
Thanks, Bill ... you've done the IT industry proud!
And finally ...
... there's last year's hottest Nerd ...
Terminology and Jargon
Information Technology
- overall term covering theory, practice and application
of information processing via digital computers
Information Systems
- application of IT to businesses/organisations
(how to apply packages)
Computer Science and Engineering
- foundations and technological basis for IT
(how to build packages)
... Terminology and Jargon
Training
- being taught specific skill-set for current products/packages
- knowledge that dates quickly as technology changes
- the kind of thing they do at TAFE and industry training-courses
Education
- being taught foundations on which products/packages are based
- knowledge that dates far less rapidly
(foundations change slowly)
- the kind of thing we do here at UNSW
- afterwards, we expect that you can train yourself
However, not just theory ... we do illustrate ideas by specific technologies.
... Terminology and Jargon
Course
- a single-semester (14-week) unit of study (aka "subject")
Program
- a collection of courses that make up a thorough study of an area
Degree
- the piece of paper (qualification) that you get when you finish a course
CSE Courses
Foundations (1st year)
- introduction to programming and computer systems, mathematics
Core (2nd year)
- algorithms, data structures, computer hardware, software construction
Specialisations (3rd year)
- artificial intelligence, cryptography, databases, graphics, ...
- compilers, computer design, networks, operating systems, ...
- advanced algorithms, computation theory, software engineering, ...
That's all very nice ...
but what's it like to study in CSE?
The F.F.D. of C O M P
Fun
... The F.F.D. of C O M P
Frustration
... The F.F.D. of C O M P
Discovery
What are COMP courses really about?
Many COMP courses have a number of goals:
- for you to learn about some aspect of computer technology
- for you to understand the theory/principles behind the technology
- for you to develop skills in using this technology
- for you to further develop your general problem-solving skills
- for you to learn how to learn about new technologies like this
What are our degrees really about?
Our overall goal is for ...
But what languages/systems do we learn?
Languages and Systems
We use languages/systems appropriate for the subject material, e.g.
- introductory programming: Haskell, C, Java
- software construction: Perl, Unix shell, HTML
- databases: SQL, Oracle, Java, JDBC, PHP
- artificial intelligence: Prolog ....... networks: Java
- operating systems: C, assembly language
- graphics: Java, OpenGL
Typically, use state-of-art (or research) technology
... Languages and Systems
Languages and pre-requisite structure of CSE courses
How are courses run? What do we actually do?
Cast of Characters
Students
- should be at University because they are interested and want to learn
- required to perform in exams and assignments to demonstrate learning
Academic Staff
- should be at University because they are interested and want to learn
- required to do research, teaching, administration
... Cast of Characters
General Staff
- provide invaluable support for academics and students (under pressure)
- School Office, Computer Support Group, Admin Staff, Technicians, ...
- some advice: you can never be too nice to General Staff ...
University Administration
- see comments for General Staff ...
At the "coal face"
Lectures
- we present the "theory" via lots of on-line examples
(watch, listen, learn)
Tutorials
- clarify theory, practice abstract problem solving
(design skills)
Lab Classes
- write a small program, with the tutor there to help you
(practical skills)
... At the "coal face"
Assignments
- "write a program to do XYZ" ... you take home and solve on computer
Practical Exams
- "write n small programs" ... you have 2-3 hours to finish
Written Exams
- questions on a selection of topics ... multi-choice, programming, written
Learning Environments
| Place |
Stude:Staff
Ratio |
Hours/Week |
| Lectures |
500 : 1 |
3 |
| Tutorials |
15 : 1 |
1 |
| Lab Classes |
15 : 1 |
2 |
| Assignments |
1 : 0+ |
3 (in bursts) |
| Self Study |
1 : 0+ |
?? |
Note: this is a substantial time commitment
and does not mix well with part-time work;
consider a 3/4 load if working >10 hours/week
How do you know you've succeeded?
You know you've succeeded when ...
- you leave the exam saying "Yes! ... Easy."
- you start adding bells and whistles to your assignment, a week before it's due
- you make suggestions to your tutor on how to improve their solution to a tough tute question
- your Great Idea becomes a program ... then a product ... then a company
... How do you know you've succeeded?
Don't ever say "I just want to pass this subject" ...
Why not?
- a mark of 50 means that you know only half of the material
- most courses lead onto others, so you've got shaky foundations
There are benefits available to people who maintain an average mark > 65
You will have maximum choice of 4th-year thesis topics if your average mark > 80
How to succeed in CSE Courses
Practice, practice, practice
Explore, think, create
... and install Linux on your PC ...
How to fail in Computing Courses
Some sure-fire strategies for making sure you fail ...
- turn up to tutes/labs without reading the questions
- or, don't even bother to attend tutes/labs at all
- copy assignments from other students
- don't practice before a Prac Exam
- spend the revision week in the Uni Bar
- hope that a fake medical certificate will get you a 2nd chance
... How to fail in Computing Courses
Cracking computer systems may get you some respect from your peers but ...
- it'll annoy a hell of a lot of people
- it's a real-world crime
- it'll get you kicked out of your program
i.e. Cracking ==
How to annoy people in CSE
You won't fail by doing these, but you'll annoy everyone in CSE ...
- spend the lectures chatting on your mobile phone
- download 100's of MB of GIFs and print them in the labs
- spend hours on the lab workstations in ICQ chat rooms
- go around telling everyone that Bill Gates is great innovator
How to annoy Me
A variety of ways to annoy me ...
- send me Word attachments in email
- show me pictures of your baby nephew
- tell me that VB is the best beer in the universe
- use my slides for this talk (that's ok)
- but then modify them so that they only work under Internet Explorer
Don't think I didn't notice, COMPSOC ...
Important Point about CSE Courses
Courses in CSE all run slightly differently
- the lecturer-in-charge determines
- style of assessment
- marking scheme
- supplementary assessment policy
Details of each course are in the Course Introduction
Course Intro is available on web site in Week 1
Read the Course Introduction! for every course
Want to know more?
Use the Web ... starting at http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/
Course web pages are called e.g. http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~cs1011/
Most staff members have their own web pages ... which can be revealing ...
E.g. jas ... databases, teaching, beaches, beer, babies, Bay Area ...
Nerd Activities in CSE
Similarly, for students in CSE ... it's not all class work ...
- RoboCup World Champions 2000, 2001
- ACM Programming Competition 2001, Asia/Pacific Champions
- COMPSOC/SESOC ... Linux Installfests ... BBQs ...
- Pleb ... student-run Linux-on-a-handheld project
- 4th year theses ... Web services, Robots, O/S, ...
What you can do with CSE support is limited only by your imagination ...
Conclusion
Enjoy your computing studies at UNSW!
Produced: 28 Feb 2002
