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(Re)defining computing curricula by (re)defining computing

Published: 18 January 2010 Publication History

Abstract

What is the core of Computing? This paper defines the discipline of computing as centered around the notion of modeling, especially those models that are automatable and automatically manipulable. We argue that this central idea crucially connects models with languages and machines rather than focusing on and around computational artifacts, and that it admits a very broad set of fields while still distinguishing the discipline from mathematics, engineering and science. The resulting computational curriculum focuses on modeling, scales and limits, simulation, abstraction, and automation as key components of a computationalist mindset.

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Published In

cover image ACM SIGCSE Bulletin
ACM SIGCSE Bulletin  Volume 41, Issue 4
December 2009
205 pages
ISSN:0097-8418
DOI:10.1145/1709424
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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 18 January 2010
Published in SIGCSE Volume 41, Issue 4

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Author Tags

  1. computational thinking
  2. computationalist mindset
  3. computing

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