Re: KDE Program for a FLOSS-oriented CS curriculum

There are some questions to answer before we can really start moving
forward.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current curricula in many
schools?

What can KDE offer to augment the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses?

If we get good answers for these questions, we can start designing a
program for schools to use as a supplement, with an eye toward expanding
the program.
On Apr 29, 2015 10:35 AM, "Sandro Andrade" <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 11:21 AM, Harold Schreckengost <[email protected]>
> wrote:
> > Unfortunately, part of what you are describing really would require a
> > curriculum change to implement. Many schools (here in the states at
> least)
> > have rather specific guidelines for their educators.
> >
> > You mention the use of eclipse, netbeans, etc; these options are used
> > because they are common enough in the outside world, flexible, and
> manage to
> > maintain some sort of platform agnosticism.
> >
> > In addition to the internship idea I mentioned, perhaps also of value
> would
> > be a liaison with academic institutions in general. If we present these
> > ideas in the right way at the right time, we may be able to get
> additional
> > support from them, without trying to shoehorn in kde.
>
> Yes, totally agreed! What I'm wondering is exactly how we could effectively
> present these ideas and the means for doing so. This mapping from CS
> curricula
> to KDE technology is what I have in my mind so far. Suggestions about other
> mechanisms for achieving that are pretty welcome :).
>
> Sandro
>
> >
> > Again, just my two cents.
> >
> > On Apr 29, 2015 8:10 AM, "Sandro Andrade" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>
> >> On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 2:58 AM, Harold Schreckengost <[email protected]
> >
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi Harold, thanks for your comments,
> >>
> >> > I would first want to know what, exactly, using KDE-specific tools and
> >> > methods would offer to the education sector over other, more common,
> >> > curricula.  It seems that it would be, at best, ineffective, and at
> >> > worst
> >> > antithetical to their cause.
> >>
> >> Well, the curricula wouldn't be modified. The practices and uses of the
> >> fundamental knowledges taught in the classes, however, would be done
> >> in a scenario that:
> >>
> >> i) offer real solutions for real problems, instead of toy problems;
> >> ii) cares about technically correct solutions;
> >> iii) leverages the skills related to social aspects of working in
> >> communities.
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Perhaps there is a middle ground here, however.  Would KDE be able to
> >> > offer
> >> > internships to students looking for one to get them on board?  Rather
> >> > than
> >> > trying to change the curricula in an entire department, this would be
> >> > relatively simple in comparison.  This way, we end up with students
> who
> >> > are
> >> > more likely to be highly motivated and who will want to be here to
> help.
> >>
> >> Yes, I wouldn't expect such a program be adopted in its entirety. The
> >> message
> >> would be rather: "if you are a professor (or even a student) of a
> >> particular CS
> >> subject X in an undergraduate CS course and would like to know more
> about
> >> how
> >> such matter has been applied in real KDE applications or about how to
> >> apply
> >> such matter as practical exercises formatted as KDE contributions,
> please
> >> take
> >> this guide and find the recommendations for the X subject".
> >>
> >> To any extent, professors always push their students towards some
> >> particular
> >> technology when they suggest Eclipse, Netbeans, or a particular web
> >> development
> >> framework, for the practical activities. If other FLOSS communities
> >> provide such
> >> adoption programs, professors and students could choose which one they
> >> would
> >> like do focus their work. Kevin Ottens has some successful experiences
> >> in pushing
> >> students towards KDE development in Toulouse. I have also conducted a
> >> FLOSS
> >> development course, some time ago, where students chosen a particular
> >> FLOSS
> >> community to make their practices. IMHO, such "KDE Program" would make
> >> these efforts
> >> more frequent and easier to be undertaken.
> >>
> >> Cheers,
> >> Sandro
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Just my two cents as someone outside the CS field.
> >> >
> >> > On Tue, Apr 28, 2015 at 10:10 PM, Sandro Andrade <
> [email protected]>
> >> > wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Hi there,
> >> >>
> >> >> I've been thinking about the process by which newcomers start doing
> >> >> their contributions in KDE. In spite of some minor exceptions, I
> guess
> >> >> undergraduate students are still the majority of such potential
> >> >> contributors. However, different universities around the world vary
> >> >> from zero to very intense incentives not only to the adoption but
> also
> >> >> to focus their academic activities towards FLOSS applications.
> >> >>
> >> >> Certainly many possible causes for such zero adoption of FLOSS in
> >> >> universities are out of our immediate control, but I think we have
> >> >> chances for addressing another ones. What I've seen, at least in
> >> >> Brazil, is that most CS professors are either not interested in FLOSS
> >> >> or perhaps interested but completely unaware about how things work
> and
> >> >> how they would correlate FLOSS with the subjects taught in their
> >> >> courses.
> >> >>
> >> >> Cutting right to the chase, I was wondering if the availability of a
> >> >> high quality and comprehensive "KDE Program for a FLOSS-oriented CS
> >> >> curriculum" would help in any way the number of CS students doing
> >> >> their work using KDE software. In practical terms, we initially would
> >> >> have to agree on a common CS curricula (hopefully that is expected to
> >> >> be easily identified) and then document, for each curriculum
> >> >> component, the KDE technologies that would be either inspiring
> sources
> >> >> for analysis or potential cases to apply, as contributions, concepts
> >> >> related to that curriculum component.
> >> >>
> >> >> Some examples:
> >> >>
> >> >> - For a "Data Structure" and "Graph Theory" courses: we  would
> >> >> document possible contributions in Rocs or the main implementation
> >> >> aspects of Qt container classes.
> >> >> - For a "Design Patterns" and "Software Architecture" courses: we
> >> >> would describe how patterns have been used across KDE software and
> the
> >> >> tactics adopted in outstanding architectures of applications like
> >> >> KDevelop, Qt Creator, Plasma, KF5, and many others.
> >> >> - For a "Software Quality" and "Project Management" courses: we would
> >> >> explain the quality assurance process adopted in Qt and KDE
> >> >> communities, along with the tools, standards, and procedures that
> >> >> support the process.
> >> >> - For a "Computer Graphics and Image Processing" course: we would
> >> >> point out contributions possibilities in kdenlive, krita, and so on.
> >> >> - For a "Compilers and Programming Paradigms" course: we could
> explore
> >> >> the grantlee parser automata and/or the QML interpreter.
> >> >>
> >> >> The ultimate goal would be having a detailed set of guidelines about
> >> >> how to adopt KDE as a central case study in CS courses. Obviously,
> >> >> that would require some time investment and the help of those of you
> >> >> who knows a lot about KDE solutions.
> >> >>
> >> >> By now, I would like to hear from you about two initial questions:
> >> >>
> >> >> 1) Do you experience this same scenario in your
> countries/universities
> >> >> and consider this problem 'pervasive' enough to demand a global
> >> >> endeavour from our community ?
> >> >>
> >> >> 2) Do you think such a 'KDE Program' is worth and would help in
> >> >> fostering the adoption of KDE in universities and in alleviating some
> >> >> initial contribution barriers ?
> >> >>
> >> >> Cheers,
> >> >> --
> >> >> Sandro
> >> >>
> >> >> _______________________________________________
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> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
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