Unpacking the Demand for Coding Skills. an exercise in skepticism

Transcription

1 Unpacking the Demand for Coding Skills an exercise in skepticism

2 All opinions expressed in this talk are solely those of the speaker

3 Source: The Orange County Register September 26, 1987

4 Source: The Orange County Register September 4, 1993

5 What hasn t changed? Businesses still have costs Businesses must still be marketed Businesses still need infrastructure Businesses still require supply chains Businesses are still run by people Competition has not disappeared Margins are still pinched The playing field is not level You cannot simply open your door for business and then head out for vacation

6 The Digital Native Myth Born with a mouse in one hand and a joystick in the other, able to leap tall websites in a single bound, jargon cascading out of their mouth, the digital native needs only observe over our shoulders for half a minute before ripping the keyboard out of our hands to show us that had we simply pressed CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-F7 we could have accessed binary code through a backdoor that the original programmers had left wide open for digital natives who want to inventory their refrigerators while Snapchatting with friends around the globe and storing away bitcoin in secret reserves in the cloud.

7 The Reality The digital native: Adroitly navigates digital media Knows a lot of jargon Naively shares every thought, foible, and photo Was not born knowing how to code Must master logic, algorithms, and analysis Knows almost nothing about: Business Technology Society Diplomacy Law

8 Digital native is to computer programmer as...

9 Digital native is to computer programmer as... licensed driver is to automotive engineer.

10

11

12

13 What about competition from MOOCs? What is good: Access for all No or low cost Organized training Study remotely

14 What about competition from MOOCs? What is not so good: Personal attention Accreditation Completion rates Credibility

15 Code camp The Good: Master a skill Get first job Move up ladder Fast Intensive Focused Targeted

16 Code camp The Bad: Federal financial aid Liberal arts Management skills Business context Technological context Communications Accountability Students are customers!

17 Code camp The Ugly: Not graded Not accredited Does not count towards eventual degree The skill, the whole skill, and nothing but the skill Prepares you for...

18

19

20 The true challenge: molding adults who will not be manipulated and fooled by machines Fake news Cold calculus in ethical questions Quantification not qualification Computer-generated social media Belief that all data is fair game IoT, listening and watching Remote take-down of home, office, cities, or states

21

22 Not a surprise...

23 NMC students share a rich collegiate tradition...

24 So what about this demand for coding skills? Coding is a useful but not a necessary skill for most careers Society needs: Doctors, dentists, lawyers, and CPAs Writers, poets, and artists Fire fighters, police, and lifeguards Social workers, philosophers, and teachers Politicians, judges, and regulators Welders, plumbers, and builders...and so many more...

25 But what about competitiveness in the 21st Century? It certainly won t hurt to teach our digital natives about: HTML, spreadsheets, and databases How to be informed consumers of computer applications How to be informed consumers of information Ethical issues raised by pervasive technology Legal boundaries they should not cross How to be a master, not a victim, of technological change

26 Conclusion, Part A Yes, we need: To turn out more programmers To increase inclusivity, especially for women To assure that all of our students leave NMC with necessary digital skills Turn out citizens who will not be manipulated and fooled by machines

27 Conclusion, Part B But: Teaching everyone to code is like teaching everyone to wire and plumb their own houses Coding is but one of many skills that our community needs filled The liberal arts component of a college education results in: Better citizens Better workers Better businesspeople Better engineers Better lives

28 Takeaway 1: 1. Do not be distracted by demands that every child should code. Concentrate on a complete education including the skills needed to survive in a digital world!

29 Takeaway 2: 2. Talk to Faculty. We are experts in our domains and we care about student success. For referrals,

30 Takeaway 3: 3. Come visit us in our classrooms. This is where the magic happens. For suggestions,

31 For more information about CIT: CIT Developer Program: CIT Infrastructure Program:

32 Photo & Image Credits The photos and images in this presentation were obtained through Creative Commons licensing or fair use from: WikiMedia Pixabay.com TechRepublic.com NMC.edu What is Pixabay? Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images and videos. All contents are released under Creative Commons CC0, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist - even for commercial purposes.