Can great research be taught? independent research with cross-disciplinary thinking and broader impact

Nick Feamster, Alexander Gray

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper describes a course we have developed for preparing new Ph.D. students in computer science for a career in research. The course is intended to teach the skills needed for research and independent work, prepare students psychologically and socially for years lying before them, and help them find a good Ph.D. topic by providing principles and examples. In this course, we emphasize and encourage impact through cross-disciplinary research and broader societal outreach. To our knowledge, the course represents a first-of-its-kind systematic introduction to a graduate research career. This paper describes our high-level goals for this curricular initiative, the structure of the course (including lecture components and assignments), and the challenges we faced in developing this course. As we continue to develop this course, which is now in its second year, we hope it will serve as a model "introduction of Ph.D. research" course for other computer science departments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSIGCSE'08 - Proceedings of the 39th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education
Pages471-475
Number of pages5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Event39th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE 2008 - Portland, OR, United States
Duration: Mar 12 2008Mar 15 2008

Publication series

NameSIGCSE'08 - Proceedings of the 39th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education

Other

Other39th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, SIGCSE 2008
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPortland, OR
Period3/12/083/15/08

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Computer Science Applications
  • Education

Keywords

  • Graduate education
  • Ph.D.
  • Research

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