Computer science education for majors of other disciplines

• Authors: J. A. Archibald, Jr.
• Venue: AFIPS '75 Proceedings of the May 19-22, 1975, national computer conference and exposition
• Year: 1975

There is an old saying that a specialist is a person who "knows more and more about less and less." It would be nice to believe that that saying, if ever true, is no longer true. Our world does not consist of little, isolated problems and situations which exist totally independent of their surroundings; it consists, rather, of a massive set of interconnected and interrelated objects and events. While, on the one hand, practical considerations make it necessary to isolate subsystems for the purposes of conducting detailed study, on the other hand a subsystem cannot be fully understood without understanding its interfaces with and relationships to its environment and the other systems with which it is associated. Indeed, we are witnessing the beginnings of this type of interdisciplinary activity with the present levels of interest and trends in biochemistry, biophysics, and biomathematics, as well as in some of the modern approaches to the study of the environment. Thus, we recognize that educational programs can no longer address themselves to single, isolated disciplines. Indeed, the approach to higher education needs to be interdisciplinary to a degree never before appreciated. The present need is not for a scientist with a monolithic perspective who has majored in a traditional discipline in a traditional manner, but rather a scientist with an interdisciplinary perspective who has studied in a broad, interdisciplinary program with an area of specialization. Computer Science must contribute, effectively, to broad, interdisciplinary programs for individuals specializing in a wide variety of fields. We must address ourselves to two primary considerations with equal vigor: the development of specialized understandings for the practice of Computer Science, and the development of generalized understandings to aid in the practice of other disciplines. We must present a degree program that includes sufficient study in the other disciplines to enable the new practitioner to participate effectively and innovatively with professionals from other disciplines in the solution of problems, and we must provide sufficient instruction to majors in other disciplines that they will be able to understand the relationships between the respective disciplines and the role and utilization of Computer Science in the solution of problems in their disciplines. In both cases, more emphasis needs to be placed upon interfaces. The need for such action has been mentioned many times in the past. The responsibility of providing appropriate programs for majors was commented upon in an earlier paper. The second responsibility, Computer Science for majors of other disciplines, is discussed herein.