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Educators embrace Java

High marks in college signal long-term, real-world success of new programming language

By Barry D. Bowen, JavaWorld.com, 01/01/97

Page 3 of 5

"I see students getting the same experience over and over again with C/C++. With Java I can cover material, ideas, and concepts that would not be possible with C/C++ -- at least I have not been able to do so successfully (and no one here has done so either). So students will have a broader range of experience, which in the long run is much better for the students," Whitney said.

Java not only changes the vehicle or language for teaching concepts but also drives changes in the concepts themselves, said Lea of SUNY. Concepts like distributed computing, component-based design, and theoretical issues in concurrency, distribution, and reactive design used to be reserved for advance courses but now need to be introduced in the first few computing courses, he said.

"I don't think anyone has a very clear idea of where this is heading, but the next generation of software engineers coming out is sure to be a lot different than the last," said Lea.

Programming education

The growing adoption of Java in the education market is not mere coincidence. Sun is investing considerable marketing energy to cultivate the trend. Sun wants schools to teach Java as a first programming language, and to push Java in short courses and continuing education. Moreover, Sun wants to boost Java's stature as a mainstream, general-purpose programming language.

Sun sponsored three universities to produce computer science courseware and is making the courseware available on its Web free of charge. At the moment they are available for download from Sun's Java CourseWare Web page (http://www.sun.com/edu/java).

The three available short courses include:

• Abstract Data Types and Programming Methodology, by Dr. Rameen Mohammadi, which teaches about program validation and verification, and analysis of algorithms as a significant part of software design.
  
  
• Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, by Dr. Eric J Bryne, which explores OO requirements analysis, using Java to demonstrate concepts.
  
  
• Syntax, Semantics and OO Databases, Java as a Subject Language for Teaching Formal Syntax, Semantics and Compiling Techniques, and Java as an OODB Programming Language, by Barrett R. Bryant and Viswanathan Vaidyanathan.

Sun is now developing additional courseware with a book publisher, which it prefers not to name at this time. The publisher will in turn contract with colleges and universities to develop content designed for traditional academic time frames -- semesters and quarters, says Sun's Lovell.

Related to that effort, Sun also is developing a two-tier courseware and certification approach for continuing education. The first will focus on Java in a Web and browser context for those without prior programming experience, and the second with focus on Java as a programming language for people familiar with basic programming constructs.

Lovell said Sun is not assuming any specific experience with a particular language -- so it is not a bridge from, say, C++ to Java in particular.

Two certifications are now in place. The first level concentrates on basic programmer competence -- do you know the language, do you know how it is put together, can you use it -- and the second level is devoted to application development, which tests programmers' ability to use Java to meet a specification for a distributed application, so that is a much deeper level.

 

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