Integrating Core Texts into Engineering Courses

Hong Li

Department of Computer System Technology

New York City College of Technology-CUNY

Introduction

• Recently many university and colleges have begun to rethink their program in undergraduate education

• Rethinking the writing program.

• Reading and writing have not been emphasized in engineering discipline.

Survey

• A survey conducted by Department of Computer System Technology collected students’ data for consecutive 5 years

• Reading, writing, math.

• Result shows that reading is fundamental to those who successfully graduate from our program

CUE program

• A program, Coordinated Undergraduate Education (CUE), in New York City College of Technology is to rethink our undergraduate education, integrate reading and writing across disciplines in affordable ways that enhance disciplinary and collaborative learning.

Candide and Visual C++

• C++ is another language that translate English into computer language

• Candide was translated from French into English

• Common question from student with assignment and test: What do you want us to do?

Assignment

• One chapter was assigned to student as reading• Study questions given

1. How the slave states the price of eating sugar in Europe?2. What is optimism from Candide’s point of view? 3. What do you define the optimism?4. Is it always good to speak as your heart dictated?5. Candide announced that he would pay an honest am his

board and passage and give him two thousand piastres to keep him company on the voyage. How did he choose the man from a huge crowd of candidates?

6. Describe the man Candide selected to be his company on the voyage.

Discussion

• In class discussion involved all students

• Many valuable opinion were exchanged

• Students were interested in the text

Senior Legal Seminar by Professor Mary Sue Donsky

• A part of “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, Act I scene 3

• Polonius gave his son, Laertes, advice when Laertes is leaving Denmark to study in France.

• Students are first asked to paraphrase the lines in modern English. Then they are asked to analyze each piece of advice – is it sounds?– Can the advice withstand close scrutiny?– Can students relate the advice to their own lives?

Prof. Donskey continued

• After reviewing the film excerpts, students will be asked to relate the experience to the difference between trial testimony and a written trial transcript. Students will then be asked to write an essay giving their own advice to new students in the Department of Law and Paralegal Studies at NYCCT. The essays will be posted on the Discussion Board in Blackboard for reviewing and commenting by their classmates

Administration and Security of Web servers

by Professor Candido Cabo

• “Gulliver’s Travel” by Jonathan Swift• Get into the minds of big-endians. Why big-endians

are willing to die or live inexile to crack their eggs on the large end? Do you agree with their position? Why little-endians don’t defend the rights of big-endians?

• At the end of the chapter, Guilliver promises the Emperor of Lilliput that he will help him against the invasion by big-endians. Why do you think he is helping the Emperor and little-endians? Is he little-endian?