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CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

academy.cs.cmu.edu

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Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#81

Post by cnfernandes »

8f2ab37a-ed6c wrote: post #9

I wonder if soon all elite universities will make all of their curriculum and lectures free online, effectively turning them into content marketing to drive their customer acquisition funnel. The actual product will be a prestigious brand name, networking opportunities, and a laundered IQ test performed by the admissions committee anointing you with the stamp of approval at the gates. In the public's mind one goes to…

Absolutely right. The value of a university is no more than it’s initial filtering system. It’s the one status symbol that can’t be bought (well, I know what you are thinking but let’s not digress ). I’ve always thought it would be a great idea for people to apply to college and once accepted - you have an elite college club that they join, and they just don’t attend college. It would be a $200 application fee well spent. Then you take $50,000 and spend it on 5 international and 5 local trips over a 3 year period and boom - you got a great network!

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#82

Post by henry_viii »

7839284023 wrote: post #59

How can I actually use this course? When I try to Sign Up as a student I need a Registration Code. I don't have such thing since I am located in a different country.

You can access the curriculum if you sign up as a Mentor/Volunteer.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#83

Post by primax »

phtrivier wrote: post #64
calvinmorrison wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The lack of formal professional organizations is the biggest boon for computing. I'm glad we don't have an artificially low supply of programmers like we do doctors

To be fair, I'm also glad doctors are (on average) better trained, more professional, more disciplined, and have higher standards than programmers. (We're still very much at the "bloodletting, leech, and saw" part of our craft. Look at the horrors we inflict on our users.)

That isn't a factor of the artificial scarcity however, that's a factor of the teaching standards.

In Australia we have a very limited number of surgical training positions each year. We could do plenty more, but we don't... more or less because surgeons are snobs who want people to go through the same hoops they went through.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#84

Post by chongli »

hedora wrote: post #36
swighton wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have both MechE and CS degrees. The big difference I see is that MechE is one course that builds on top of another on and on. Quite a rigorous progression that is hardcore on math and physics. To self teach MechE you have to work yourself through that progression which is a huge commitment. OTOH what most people consider “CS” is more like “the ability to program”. You can get competent enough to be dangerous with a…

I've heard the saying: Any idiot can make a bridge stand up. It takes an engineer to make the bridge barely stand up. I want a class on making the bridge stand up for idiots (like "let's write this bridge in python, and build it with cob"). I don't care if I spend twice as much on wood and hay and mud or titanium or whatever. I live in the SF Bay Area, so I can't afford the mechanical engineers I can actually hire to…

Bridge building is the purview of civil engineers. Mechanical engineers deal with machines, moving parts and the like.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#85

Post by frozencell »

mym1990 wrote: post #62
7839284023 wrote: post #59

How can I actually use this course? When I try to Sign Up as a student I need a Registration Code. I don't have such thing since I am located in a different country.

The irony of their headline “free for all, designed for you”.

They are talking about the self-reproducing privileged wealthy "American" parents children caste. You should have noticed the cute bunny paws as an indicator :p

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#86

Post by AstixAndBelix »

hedora wrote: post #41
blue039 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Computer Science has become a "programming" farm degree rather than what it was originally back in my day (grumble, grumble). It used to be an off-shoot of mathematics and was so strongly tied at the hip many schools had CS and math in the same department. Cynically programmers are paid better than any other so-called "knowledge worker" field. Naturally, schools paid by large organizations have a vested interest in f…

I think the problem is that CS is too young to have sub-disciplines. If you want to lay a concrete slab foundation, then you get an architect, multiple engineers, the rebar guy, the cement mixing truck driver, the person that understands the chemistry of the cement, dyes, etc. Then, you get the guys with shovels to spread it around. Finally, there are some artisans that somehow make it perfectly level using nothing b…

Exactly, when I"m told to double up as a database engineer I always die inside a little bit. If this were any other profession there would be a specialized guy in every company doing that sort of thing.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#87

Post by arethuza »

tgv wrote: post #54
hedora wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. In my opinion, computer science is using mathematical constructs to produce correct programs. Computer engineering is getting the not-quite-ideal digital circuits in the computer to run programs correctly. Software engineering is a mixture computer science, computer engineering, and sociology while spinning a plate on a stick (or, if you're unlucky, while planning sprints).

It's a somewhat limited and artificially restricted view. CS develops theories and algorithms that can be used in practice. The shortest path algorithm is an early example. And mangling algorithms into another complexity class also belongs to CS (IMO, of course). Studying CS may not prepare you for centering divs, but a good curriculum provides you with enough tools to learn and understand e.g. the constraint mechani…

Why would a CS degree be a place to teach people "proper development techniques"?

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#89

Post by cornholio »

primax wrote: post #83
phtrivier wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, I'm also glad doctors are (on average) better trained, more professional, more disciplined, and have higher standards than programmers. (We're still very much at the "bloodletting, leech, and saw" part of our craft. Look at the horrors we inflict on our users.)

That isn't a factor of the artificial scarcity however, that's a factor of the teaching standards. In Australia we have a very limited number of surgical training positions each year. We could do plenty more, but we don't... more or less because surgeons are snobs who want people to go through the same hoops they went through.

I think the two approaches are not that far apart. High teaching standards require an elite and dedicated student body and will weed out all that don't conform. An aggressive entry barrier for a limited number of seats will push applicants to compete with each other and select for largely the same thing, only earlier and at a lower cost for the students and the educational system.

I've experienced both systems "easy to enter, next to impossible to finish" vs "highly selective, smooth sailing after that", I can't say there is a definitive superior solution.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#90

Post by lvl102 »

exogeny wrote: post #2

For only $10 more, they'll send you three pounds of fries served in a greasy paper bag, a Terrible Towel, and a Donnie Iris cassette single of "Ah! Leah!". It's the best deal in academia. All jokes aside, if you'll allow me a tangential but relevant aside, a lot of people have heard of Carnegie Mellon, but very few have heard of Richard Caliguiri or David Lawrence. They were both mayors of Pittsburgh, and both led th…

I don’t know about that. Most living city? Pittsburgh has its charms but it’s just a bigger version of typical Rust Belt cities. All of it is second class stuff. Food sucks there and not even going to mention the roads or even the “townies.”
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