TITLE: SIGCSE Day 3 -- Interdisciplinary Research
AUTHOR: Eugene Wallingford
DATE: March 28, 2010  6:15 PM
DESC: 
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BODY:
<P ALIGN="right">
   <FONT SIZE="-1"><EM>[A transcript of the
   <A HREF="http://www.sigcse.org/sigcse2010/">
      SIGCSE 2010</A>
   conference:
   <A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2010-03.html#e2010-03-10T19_40_55.htm">
      Table of Contents</A>]
   </EM></FONT>  </P>

My SIGCSE seem to come to an abrupt end Saturday morning.
After a week of long days, I skipped a
<!A HREF="XXXXX">
   last run in Milwaukee</A>
and slept in a bit.  The front desk messed up my bill, so
I spent forty-five minutes wangling for my guaranteed rate.
As a result, I missed the
<A HREF="http://nifty.stanford.edu/">
   Nifty Assignments</A>
session and arrived just in time for some time meeting with
colleagues at the exhibits during the morning break.  This
left me time for one last session before my planned pre-luncheon
departure.

I chose to attend the special session called
<A HREF="http://db.grinnell.edu/sigcse/sigcse2010/Program/viewAcceptedProposal.asp?sessionType=specialSession&sessionNumber=19">
   Interdisciplinary Computing Education
   for the Challenges of the Future</A>,
with representatives of the National Science Foundation who
have either carried out funded interdisciplinary research or
who have funded and managed interdisciplinary programs.  The
purpose of the session was to discuss...

<BLOCKQUOTE><EM>
... the top challenges and potential solutions to the problem
of educating students to develop interdisciplinary computing
skills.  This includes a computing perspective to
interdisciplinary problems that enables us to think deeply
about difficult problems and at the same time engage well
under differing disciplinary perspectives.
</EM></BLOCKQUOTE>

This session contributed to the
<A HREF="http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/blog/archives/monthly/2010-03.html#e2010-03-20T21_04_38.htm">
   conference buzz</A>
of computer science looking outward, both for research and
education.  I found it quite interesting and, of course,
think the problems it discussed are central to what people
in CS should be thinking about these days.  I only wish my
mind had been more into the talk that morning.

Three ideas stayed with me as my conference closed:
<UL>
<LI> One panelist made a great comment in the spirit of
     looking outward.  Paraphrase:  While we in CS argue
     about what "computational thinking" means, we should
     <EM>embrace the diversity</EM> of computational thinking
     done out in the world and reach out to work with partners
     in many disciplines.  </LI>
<BR/>
<LI> Another panelist commented on the essential role that
     computing plays in other disciplines.  He used biology
     as his example.  Paraphrase:  To be a biologist these
     days requires that you understand simulation, modeling,
     and how to work with large databases.  Working with large
     databases is the <EM>defining characteristic of social
     science</EM> these days.  </LI>
<BR/>
<LI> Many of the issues that challenge computer scientists who
     want to engage in interdisciplinary research of this sort
     are ones we have encountered for a long time.  For instance,
     how can a computer scientist find the time to gain all of
     the domain knowledge she needs?

     Other challenges follow from how people on either side of
     the research view the computer scientist's role.  Computer
     science faculties that make tenure and promotion decisions
     often do not see research value in interdisciplinary
     research.  The folks on the applied side often contribute
     to this by viewing the computer science as a tool builder
     or support person, not as an integral contributor to
     solving the research problem.  I have seen this problem
     firsthand while helping members of my department's faculty
     try to contribute to projects outside of our department.  </LI>
</UL>

This panel was a most excellent way to end my conference, with
many thoughts about how to work with CS colleagues to develop
projects that engage colleagues in other disciplines.

Pretty soon after the close of this session I was on the road
home, whether repacked my bags and headed off for a few days
of spring break with my family in St. Louis.  This trip was
a wonderful break, though ten days too early to see my UNI
Panthers end their breakout season
<A HREF="http://www.uni.edu/ncaa/">
    with an amazing run</A>.
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