A Virginia Tech software engineering class in 2009 was discussing world problems and how computer science might offer solutions when a student piped up with a personal gripe, the Washington Post reports. “You know what I hate?” the student said, according to assistant professor Eli Tilevich, who was teaching the class. “I never know when the bus is coming.” As Virginia Tech and other universities train a new generation of computer scientists, professors are asking students to create programs that address real-life problems, often through handy, smartphone-ready apps. It’s a break from traditional coursework such as sorting lists of numbers or re-creating programs that already exist…
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland's prestigious Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
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