[SIGCIS-Members] History courses in CS departments

Wed Feb 15 12:00:33 PST 2023

Another example that might be useful from the engineering side of things: the Engineering in Global Context course (ENGR31000) at Purdue.

While not strictly a history class, you will see in the description and learning outcomes a considerable emphasis on historical content and themes. Also, it has an engineering course number - which I fought for in the approval process - and some of our engineering programs accept it as a technical elective. See:

https://selfservice.mypurdue.purdue.edu/prod/bwckctlg.p_disp_course_detail?cat_term_in=202110&subj_code_in=ENGR&crse_numb_in=31000

And if anyone really wants to get into the weeds, here is a conference paper that includes a discussion about my experiences developing and getting approval for this course: https://strategy.asee.org/23198

ENGR31000 also has much in common with the Engineering Cultures course at Virginia Tech, originally developed by Gary Downey. While that course has long been popular as an elective among engineering students (especially to meet general education requirements), it is offered by a department (Science, Technology, and Society) in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Best of luck!

Brent

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From: Members <members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Tracy, Kim via Members <members at lists.sigcis.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 2:43 PM
To: Evan Koblentz <evank at njit.edu>; members at lists.sigcis.org <members at lists.sigcis.org>
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] History courses in CS departments

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I would echo what Evan said—our students here at Rose-Hulman also thought my Software History course would be easy (but it’s not so easy).   Now, it’s getting a good reputation and students keep asking me when it will be taught again.  It’s become a popular CS computing elective.  It’s currently taught as a computing elective and contains a fair amount of technical content, mostly based on the work I did for my textbook on the topic.

--Kim

From: Members <members-bounces at lists.sigcis.org> on behalf of Evan Koblentz via Members <members at lists.sigcis.org>
Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at 2:34 PM
To: members at lists.sigcis.org <members at lists.sigcis.org>
Subject: Re: [SIGCIS-Members] History courses in CS departments

[External Sender]

Our students started taking it partially because they thought it would be "easy" and partially because the ACM chapter leaders knew me (through my daytime job here, as a writer in the university communications office), so they recommended the course to their peers. Now it's in the third semester and the course has been very popular. For the current semester, the course is full at 43 students, and there were two dozen on the waiting list.

On 2/15/23 1:44 PM, Len Shustek via Members wrote:

I am currently teaching a short course in the history of computing at Stanford, but in the "Continuing Studies" (adult education) department.

I had previously pitched it to both the EE and CS departments. My conclusion after those discussions was that the faculty would be interested but, sadly, it was unlikely that the students would be. They are too focused on creating the next unicorn to be bothered with history.

Len Shustek
Founding Chairman Emeritus
Computer History Museum

At 09:40 AM 2/15/2023, Evan Koblentz via Members wrote:

Hi everyone,

I've been teaching a special topics course in computer history for three semesters here at NJIT. The university policy is three semesters maximum, then the course must be made permanent or cancelled. So I'm going through the process of trying to make it permanent.

The department administration supports it, but it has to be voted on by the rank-and-file faculty, many of whom don't seem to understand the value of a history course -- or at least not of a history course in a technical department, rather than through our humanities college.

It would help if I can show them other examples. Can anyone point me existing examples of history courses in CS, EE, or other technical departments at U.S. universities?
--
Evan Koblentz

New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Senior Writer, Office of Strategic Communications
- Adjunct Instructor, Ying Wu College of Computing
- Faculty/Staff Advisor, NJIT Lego Club

evank at njit.edu<mailto:evank at njit.edu>
(973) 596-3065
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--
Evan Koblentz

New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Senior Writer, Office of Strategic Communications
- Adjunct Instructor, Ying Wu College of Computing
- Faculty/Staff Advisor, NJIT Lego Club

evank at njit.edu<mailto:evank at njit.edu>
(973) 596-3065
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