Ask HN: Case study approach to teach computer science fundamentals?
There was a thread in HN on how to teach coding / computer science subjects. I couldn't help but relate to my MBA days and juxtapose it with my Comp Sci undergrad days.
In MBA classes, case studies are the norm.A real world situation is given, the students go through the case, find possible solutions, discuss with professors and the professor introduces the theory only at the end of the case.
Students go through dozens of case studies in each of the subjects as part of the course and are judged on the merit of their arguments and some assignments. What does HN think of introducing such an approach to teach CS fundamentals (Algorithms , DS and advanced topics)? Does such a thing already exist?
Edit : Forgot to add that the case study approach certainly helps relate theory to practise and make a student hit the ground running.
1 comment
[ 3.7 ms ] story [ 14.4 ms ] thread1. Why do you assume MBA programs are positive role models? MBA degrees are about networking, not learning a science (or even engineering).
2. In the real world, most of us rarely run into concepts taught in CS programs. Whether you think CS programs should be more like job training is a different issue. A huge number of us are employed in ad-tech, using high-level languages, and will never even have to manually manage memory -- let alone implement a sort.
3. You can write dozens of real-world programs that accomplish useful things without actually understanding much of what you're doing. "Mistakes" that you make may not even matter until the program has to scale, which is something most programs aren't lucky enough to do.