CS-199A: Interview

Interview with Godfried Toussaint

CS-199A Excursions in Computer Science

(Interviewed December 4, 1996 by Elizabeth McMillan-Davey from the McGill Center for Teaching and Learning)

1. What are the goals in this course, that is, what are students supposed to learn or develop as a result of having taken this course?

The students are supposed to:

Acquire a general idea about what problems and issues the field of computer science is primarily concerned with.
Better appreciate the power and ubiquitous applicability of computers in society at large.
Learn the limitations of computers.
Learn to do research work (1) independently and (2) on problems of their own choosing.
Develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Improve their writing skills.
Develop public speaking skills and the preparation of oral research reports and audio-visual aids.

2. What steps did you take to help students achieve these goals?

I gave seminar-type lectures on a large variety of topics in the field and used a textbook with the same flavour.
I organized a class debate between teams on the topic of whether a computer can think.
I insisted that each student choose an individual project on a different application of computers.
I gave 8 assignments on a wide variety of different topics that required problem solving and essay writing.
Students were required to write a term paper on their individual project.
Students were required to give oral presentations of their term project in class using audio-visual aids such as overhead projectors and video-machines.

3. How well prepared do you feel students were for this course?

4. How would you characterize learning in this course?

5. How successful do you think students have been in learning in this course?

6. Did anything in particular contribute to their learning?

The eight challenging problem-solving assignments.
The frequent and relaxed free-style discussions in class.
The self-motivated research project on a topic of personal interest to each student.

7. Do you think students have learned new ways of studying or of thinking in this course?

Yes. I think they have learned to study by doing exploratory research.
I also think the creative problem-solving type of thinking was new to them.
Finally, I think they see the positive aspects of discussion and constructive debate.

8. Would you say the learning experience in this course has been different from that in other courses you have taught? If so, in what way?

Yes. I am accustomed to teach graduate students. Therefore it was a novel experience for me to teach first year students. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were brighter than I expected. Their passion for learning was inspiring.
In other higher level courses with large classes, students generally shy away from questions (there is really no time for them because of the pressure to cover a lot of material). In this course, because of the free seminar atmosphere, students asked many questions and I felt free to entertain them. It was refreshing to feel such an interest from the students and to feel that I was clarifying their thoughts by answering them. I have not experienced imediately-gratifying aspect of teaching to this degree in the upper level courses.

9. What advice would you give a student entering this course?

Take advantage of the freedom the course affords.
Ask questions freely in class.
For the class project select the topic (whatever it may be) that you are most passionately curious about in your life.

10. Is there anything else that you think is important about the students' learning experience this term?

Yes. I think that with small seminar style classes like these the students obtain a different view of the university professor. They view the professor not only as an information disseminating object but also as a human being that is not only a teacher, but also a researcher. Instilling a research approach to knowledge acquisition is important for the student because success in life is strongly dependent on it.