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

Post by eddsh1994 » Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 4:11 PM UTC

passwordoops wrote: post #119

boppo1 wrote: post #101

What's with all the free CS programs? How about a free law or pre-med curriculum?

As a parent member of a PTA, I can say most parents I speak with or attend the meetings demand coding, robotics and chess as part of the curriculum. My questions about increasing arts, drama, music, natural sciences, mindfulness, civics, etc etc are usually met with polite nods and comments along the lines of "I thought you said you have a science PhD and worked at like Cal Tech or something?" So, supply and demand a…

Post by eddsh1994 » Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 4:13 PM UTC

b20000 wrote: post #117

fma wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe because HN is skewed towards CS topics. But I agree, there are other careers that I think deserves attention for the benefit of society besides trying to cram everyone into an IT career. I keep reading of shortages in medical and trades fields. If we are short CS degree holders for the benefit of society, simply pivot them to meaningful software work rather then driving clicks.

my theory is that they want more programmers to lower the cost of making software. law prevents this kind of race to the bottom via a bar exam and an actual law degree etc. tech does not have these important career protections in place yet.

Post by mindcrime » Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 4:33 PM UTC

robaye wrote: post #99

lispisok wrote: post #4

How come this or things like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ dont exist for other fields like mechanical engineering?

I'm also interested into more of these "teach yourself x" curriculums if anyone has anymore to share. There's so many things I want to learn and I'm someone who likes (needs?) structure. Here's a few that I know of. Draw a Box: https://drawabox.com/ (Doesn't necessarily fit, but it's really good!) So You Want to Study Mathematics: https://www.susanrigetti.com/math So You Want to Study Philosophy: https://www.susanrig…

Post by kjs3 » Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 5:09 PM UTC

alexgartrell wrote: post #26

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…

I think people dramatically overestimate the value of CMU social connections. The value of a CMU Comp Sci degree is that you've proven (to yourself and everyone else) that you can get one. The program is essentially one "weeder" course after another to identify the people who don't belong (21-127 Concepts of Mathematics, 15-251 Great Theoretical Ideas of Computer Science, 15-213 Introduction to Compute Systems, 15-41…

Post by dehrmann » Thu, Feb 16, 2023, 5:43 PM UTC

swighton wrote: post #30

lispisok wrote: post #4

How come this or things like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ dont exist for other fields like mechanical engineering?

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…