MASC 1044
MASC 1044

 

 

MaSc 1044, Computer Science: Contemporary Issues and Tools

Digital World

The world has gone digital. Its time you caught up.

MASC 1044, Computer Science: A Liberal Arts Approach introduces the internet technologies transforming our world. There are two textbooks for the course:

  1.  "Blown to Bits" by H. Abelson, K. Ledeen, & H. Lewis, (freely available for download).

  2. App Inventor Create Your Own Android Apps,  David Wolber, Hal Abelson, Ellen Spertus, Liz Looney, O'Reilly, 2011.ISBN: 1449397484.

MASC 1044 fulfills 3 credits of the Area 5 Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning  of the Curriculum for Liberal Education graduation requirement.

Students learning objectives:

Click here for MaSc 1044 Frequently Asked Questions


MASC 1044 Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I take this course?

Computing touches almost every aspect of our lives. While some students prepare themselves for building the core technologies that underly computing (e.g., computer science, computer engineering), all students can become better prepared to use---and evaluate and critique---computing technology. So whether you have only a vague sense of dread when the topic of computers comes up, or are fascinated by computing but have other things that interest you even more, this course is an efficient way to satisfy CLE Area 5 while learning about this influential and dynamic field.

What are the main topics of the course?

We will blend together topics from these two textbooks:

 Blown to Bits, Abelson, Ledeen & Lewis

App Inventor Create Your Own Android Apps,  Wolber, Abelson, Spertus, & Looney

The Abelson et al. book discusses how the digital revolution is transforming our world, dealing with contemporary topics such as privacy and security, the power of data, and digital rites and ownership. The Wolber et. al. book is a gentle introduction to computer programming, using a graphical language called App Inventor.

Programming?! Why do I have to learn programming?

Good question. The word "programming" may conjur up nothing but negative images. But students will find that learning a bit of programming can be a fun and rewarding experience, and it goes a long way toward meeting the goals of a course in Area 5 of the CLE. More specifically, here are some reasons we include programming in MASC 1044:

What kind of work will be required in this course?

Your grade will be based on approximately 1-3 homework assignments, 12-14 on-line quizzes, 3-4 programming assignments and a final exam.

What support does the course offer for online study?

All the lectures are available for reading online and recordings of the lectures are available for watching.  Video icon

What's with the mysterious title "Compute Science: A Liberal Arts Approach"?

This title is inherited from a much older version of the course.  The course has recently been revived after not being offered for many years.  A better title for the current course is something like "Computer Science: Contemporary Issues and Tools".  

What if I want to know more?

Feel free to contact the instructor, Dwight Barnette (barnette@vt.edu).