research-article

Interdisciplinary computing classes: worth the effort

Author:

Lori CarterAuthors Info & Claims

SIGCSE '14: Proceedings of the 45th ACM technical symposium on Computer science education

Pages 445 - 450

https://doi.org/10.1145/2538862.2538882

Published: 05 March 2014 Publication History

Abstract

The benefits of interdisciplinary computing classes have been widely discussed. For the computing students, they provide a context in which to apply their skills, and appear to aid in recruitment and retention. For non-computing students, they provide additional skills to enhance their own crafts. For both, interdisciplinary programs open up new career possibilities and hone soft skills. In consideration of these and other benefits, the Point Loma Nazarene University Mathematical, Information, and Computer Sciences department have teamed up with the Biology, Chemistry, and Physics departments to offer several opportunities for interdisciplinary experiences to their students. In addition to the benefits, however, these programs produce significant challenges. This paper reviews the benefits of interdisciplinarity and discusses three different models of interdisciplinary experiences used at PLNU. It reports on the challenges that arose in each, and ways these difficulties were resolved. Finally, it discusses the hurdle of recruiting for such courses.

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Cited By

Toti GLindner PGao ABaghban Karimi OEngineer RHur JMcNeill FReckinger SRobinson RSollazzo AWicentowski RMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2025)Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Computing Science: Culture is the Key, Curriculum Contributes2024 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3689187.3709611(175-225)Online publication date: 22-Jan-2025
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689187.3709611
Happe LMarquardt K(2025)Authentic interdisciplinary online courses for alternative pathways into computer scienceJournal of Systems and Software10.1016/j.jss.2024.112240219(112240)Online publication date: Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2024.112240
Brodley CBarr VGunter EGuzdial MLibeskind-Hadas RManaris B(2024)ACM 2023: CS + X---Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Interdisciplinary-Computing CurriculaACM Inroads10.1145/368713115:3(42-50)Online publication date: 21-Aug-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3687131
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Index Terms

Interdisciplinary computing classes: worth the effort
1. Applied computing
  1. Life and medical sciences
  2. Physical sciences and engineering
    1. Chemistry
    2. Physics
2. Social and professional topics
  1. Computing / technology policy

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cover image ACM Conferences

SIGCSE '14: Proceedings of the 45th ACM technical symposium on Computer science education

March 2014

800 pages

ISBN:9781450326056

DOI:10.1145/2538862

Conference Chairs:
J. D. Dougherty
J.D. Dougherty, Haverford College
,
Kris Nagel
Georgia Gwinnett College
,
Program Chairs:
Adrienne Decker
Rochester Institute of Technology
,
Kurt Eiselt
University of British Columbia

Copyright © 2014 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Published: 05 March 2014

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SIGCSE '14: The 45th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

March 5 - 8, 2014

Georgia, Atlanta, USA

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SIGCSE '14 Paper Acceptance Rate 108 of 274 submissions, 39%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 1,787 of 5,146 submissions, 35%

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Cited By

Toti GLindner PGao ABaghban Karimi OEngineer RHur JMcNeill FReckinger SRobinson RSollazzo AWicentowski RMonga MLonati VBarendsen ESheard JPaterson J(2025)Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Computing Science: Culture is the Key, Curriculum Contributes2024 Working Group Reports on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education10.1145/3689187.3709611(175-225)Online publication date: 22-Jan-2025
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3689187.3709611
Happe LMarquardt K(2025)Authentic interdisciplinary online courses for alternative pathways into computer scienceJournal of Systems and Software10.1016/j.jss.2024.112240219(112240)Online publication date: Jan-2025
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2024.112240
Brodley CBarr VGunter EGuzdial MLibeskind-Hadas RManaris B(2024)ACM 2023: CS + X---Challenges and Opportunities in Developing Interdisciplinary-Computing CurriculaACM Inroads10.1145/368713115:3(42-50)Online publication date: 21-Aug-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3687131
Newhouse KLehman KWofford ASendowski M(2024)Doing and Defining Interdisciplinarity in Undergraduate ComputingACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/365467624:3(1-26)Online publication date: 4-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3654676
Happe LMarquardt K(2023)RockStartIT: Authentic and Inclusive Interdisciplinary Software Engineering Courses2023 IEEE/ACM 4th Workshop on Gender Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Software Engineering (GEICSE)10.1109/GEICSE59319.2023.00012(56-62)Online publication date: May-2023
https://doi.org/10.1109/GEICSE59319.2023.00012
Groeneveld WLuyten LVennekens JAerts K(2023)Students' and professionals' perceived creativity in software engineering: a comparative studyEuropean Journal of Engineering Education10.1080/03043797.2023.229412648:6(1351-1368)Online publication date: 19-Dec-2023
https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2023.2294126
Uzoka FKeavey KMiller JKhemka NConnolly R(2022)Critical IT Project Management CompetenciesInternational Journal of Information Technology Project Management10.4018/IJITPM.20181001019:4(1-16)Online publication date: 5-May-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.4018/IJITPM.2018100101
Burridge JFekete ABecker BQuille KLaakso MBarendsen ESimon (2022)Teaching Programming for First-Year Data ScienceProceedings of the 27th ACM Conference on on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education Vol. 110.1145/3502718.3524740(297-303)Online publication date: 7-Jul-2022
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Brodley CHescott BBiron JRessing APeiken MMaravetz SMislove AMerkle LDoyle MSheard JSoh LDorn B(2022)Broadening Participation in Computing via Ubiquitous Combined Majors (CS+X)Proceedings of the 53rd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education - Volume 110.1145/3478431.3499352(544-550)Online publication date: 22-Feb-2022
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Herbert KMarlowe TLeune KSiegfried RWilmanski J(2021)Interdisciplinary STEM Undergraduate Programs and the Effectiveness of Computing Competencies within the Curriculum2021 IEEE Integrated STEM Education Conference (ISEC)10.1109/ISEC52395.2021.9763989(280-283)Online publication date: 13-Mar-2021
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