The Field of Computer Science

Dylan Changela

Mr. Alburger

English III Honors

21 February 2018
 Changela 1

Dylan Changela

Mr. Alburger

English III Honors

21 February 2018

The Field of Computer Science

What would our world do without computers? All of modern life revolves around some

form of technology. From communicating with people around the world to simply researching on

the Internet. The creation of the first computer by Alan Turing started the occupation of a

computer scientist, and created a whole new world of technology.

Over the years, people have stated many untrue myths about computer science that have

become believable for most people. In an article about myths of computer science, Michelle

Brandes explains four majors myths believed by the ordinary person. Today's society believes

that only math geniuses go into the field of computer science. While many computer scientists

need some math skills, they do not need to excel in math. Actually, in some cases a high school

student with a twelfth grade math education can enter the field of computer science, and

depending on the path they choose determines how much math they will learn (Brandes). A

majority of computer scientists exceed in math, but not all of them become mathematicians.

Another myth explained in her article states that people believe computer scientists lack

creativity. In fact, computer science professionals use creativity, imagination, and their artistic

abilities to create new, innovative products, like games, virtual reality suits, or work in the film

and television industry (Brandes). Some of the most ingenious games comes from the

development of computer scientists who choose the path of game design. In addition, Brandes’
 Changela 2

third myth states that computer science does not represent a helping profession. In reality, the

world continues to integrate technology into society, from buying groceries to playing music on

a smartphone. Humans constantly use technology in their everyday lives to assist them with daily

tasks, such as using their GPS when driving, grocery lists and coupons, music at the gym, etc.

Lastly, Brandes explains that others may think computer scientists seclude themselves to dark

rooms and tend to have an antisocial personality. Conversely, computer scientists interact

frequently with others when programming, and complete many cooperative projects where

everyone contributes to a certain job (Brandes). With these myths in mind, people also have

misconceptions about computer science as well.

Most people have heard others explain certain stereotypes about computer scientists

which later turned into false misconceptions. In an article about misconceptions of computer

science, Peter Denning writes that one major misconception about computer science includes

how people define computer science as just programming which only accounts for part of the

profession. Many people find it easy to comprehend that computer science consists of only

programming. All computer scientists need to have the ability to code, but some of these

professionals complete other jobs such as software and hardware design, networks, databases, or

applications (Denning). When most people think about computer science they think about

programming. Their belief skews their mind to visualize computer science as just programming.

Another common misconception by Denning states that people believe programming comes as

an easy to learn part of computer science. Students looking to go into the computer science field

need the ability to program, since programming requires a skill set that they learn from time and

experience. Experts of programming achieve mastery through years of practice which

 Changela 3

additionally takes time for them to apply their skills of programming into real-world applications

(Denning). The best programmers go through school to get an understanding of computer science

and programming to then take even more years mastering and applying that to real-world

applications. Furthermore, Denning explains how people believe that once a student masters the

core knowledge of computer science then they will become a computer science professional. The

core knowledge includes variables, sequencing, conditionals, loops, abstraction, modularization,

and decomposition (Denning). This basic information of computer science only covers a basis of

the computer scientist profession. A programmer needs more knowledge about computer science

to gain a real understanding of the subject. Lastly, Denning states that people believe computer

science only consists of science and math. They have misconstrued ideas that the technology

made by engineers consists only of math and science. Actually, when the first electrical

computer creation transpired, electrical engineers built it without knowing any computer science.

Computer science did not exist at the time (Denning). While many people have certain beliefs

about computer science, some people do indeed know the real facts and definition of computer

science.

The definition of computer science can have many meanings. Computer science

represents the study of every aspect of computers, including the applied and theoretical basis, as

well as their hardware and software components (Chelten). Since computers remain very

complex, most people do not realize that computer science has a broad range of subtopics. The

theoretical basis of computers refers mostly to science. It looks mainly at computation theory,

which explains how efficient a computer can solve a problem through an algorithm (Chelten). In

other words, the science and mathematics of computer science refers to computation theory, the
 Changela 4

theoretical basis of computer science. The other part of computer science refers to the

engineering and design of computers. The hardware of a computer consists of different

nanotechnologies which needs experts in electrical engineering and physics (Chelten). All of

these aspects of computers make up and define what computer science means for people.

Furthermore, computer scientists use complex programming languages to communicate with the

computer, which uses its hardware and software to execute the code.

Computer scientists write their programs using different programming languages which

demands the computer to do certain tasks. These programming language have increased in

development throughout the years with programs that translate the languages into a usable form

for computers, also known as Integrated Development Environments, or IDE. With these IDE’s

programmers can create and build computer applications quickly and reliably, which has

provoked computation in businesses, scientific applications, and daily life to improve. In an

article about programming languages, Donald Shirer explains that these languages consists of

some natural languages and algebraic symbols (Shirer). Shirer states that programming

languages generate from some English words and some algebraic math symbols. In order for a

computer to understand a program, a computer scientist needs to understand certain

programming languages. Some of these languages include Java, Python, C++, etc. The most

common language used among schools that provide a course on computer science, consists of

Java because it has easy to learn IDE’s. The majority of these languages include libraries. These

libraries act exactly like they sound. Students or professionals can use these libraries to help

reference reusable methods and objects in the particular language. Since computer languages

have stricter characters than natural languages programmers need to have awareness when
 Changela 5

writing their code because of potentially serious consequences (Shirer). Computers do exactly

what the computer scientists codes, so programmers have strict syntax, or language, they have to

follow or the computer could completely misinterpret the programmers instructions and output

the wrong data. Most programmers take years to understand which strict syntax to use so that the

program does not display incorrect data. If children can start to learn programming languages

early in their life they can already have that education and experience.

Schools implement computer science education more and more into today’s curriculum

for future jobs. The growth of technology puts lots of pressure on the younger generation to keep

innovating new technology. In an article about the education of computer science, Stephanie

Prato discusses that the Fayetteville Free Library have worked toward creating a program to

support computer science education and coding for all ages (Prato). At this program they

primarily focus on sparking an interest in elementary children, but can also help adults looking

for coding skills or career shifts. For the younger children, they use visual programming

languages, like drag and drop, to get them interested in computer science (Prato). The future of

technology rest in the hands of the younger generation that have grown up with technology all

around them. So teaching children at a young age, the concepts of programming and code, could

have significant benefits in the future. At the Fayetteville Free Library program they asked the

children for a definition of computer science. They received multiple different answers, but the

simplest definition explains that people write a set of instructions to output a certain task (Prato).

For children in elementary school to understand the idea of computer science increases the

chance for new innovations in the future. The library uses robots, like the Dash robot, LEGO

robots, and the Ozobot, to create a visual representation of this idea and makes the activity very
 Changela 6

interactive. The Dash robot works through an app on the IPad, where the children use drag and

drop coding to program the robot to move and speak (Prato). This robot takes the input that the

children drag and drop and displays it immediately, which shows them how programming works.

The LEGO robot works very similarly to the Dash robot except the children have to build their

robot before programming and after they finish programming they have to upload their code

instead of immediately seeing the output. The last robot, the Ozobot, uses a very unique and easy

way to show young children how programming works. The Ozobot follows a line on a paper that

the children draw. Different colors and patterns determine certain tasks that the Ozobot performs.

So a dashed line consisting of red, black, and red demands that the robot move slowly (Prato).

Next, Prato explains how they teach the more experienced children how to code on computers

using a website called Scratch and programming languages like Python, HTML, and Java.

Children that learn Scratch use the drag and drop method to write programs, while the children

that learn Python, HTML, and Java actually write code. Scratch and programming languages

both show great ways for older and more experienced children the basics of computer science.

Additionally, the whole Fayetteville Free Library gives young children a chance to explore the

fundamentals of computer science and understand them.

Similarly, in another article about computer science education, Dian Schaffhauser

explains how computer coding should have a place in every school’s curriculum. She claims that

programming should act as a literacy, like english, because in the future everyone needs to know

how to program (Schaffhauser). This would create a great course for young children to learn, but

most teachers do not want to explore other options for the curriculum. Some of this comes from a

generational standpoint because the older generation remain less tech savvy than the younger
 Changela 7

generation. The teachers do not want to use their time exploring computer science. Furthermore,

in Prato’s article, she states that, “Nine in ten parents want their children to study computer

science, but only one in four schools teach computer programming” (Prato). This does not seem

surprising because if the teachers do not take the time to understand coding and computer

science then the schools would have no teachers to educate the children. With this in mind Alan

Turing changed the course of education by introducing computer science.

Computers could not have existed without the father of computers, Alan Turing. Alan

Turing, born on June 23, 1912 in London, England, developed the first concepts of computers

(Crepeau). At an early age, Turing excelled in math and science, winning plentiful math awards

with his own unconventional methods to solving problems. Later in his years, he attended King’s

College in Cambridge, where he continued his passion of mathematics with unconventional

methods and had excellent success. In 1933, in his twenties, he began to have an interest in

mathematical logic, the computation and proofs of math. A few years later, Turing started his

graduate studies at Princeton University in the United States. At Princeton, he earned his PhD

and then returned to Cambridge to work on analog mechanical devices. Shortly after World War

II started, the British Government Code and Cypher School asked Turing to help them decipher

the German’s secret code (Crepeau). Alan Turing played a large role in ending World War II by

creating a machine, called Bombe, that would decipher the Enigma code. The Nazis would send

messages to each other through the Enigma Machine. In addition to famously helping in the war

effort, he also introduced the concept of artificial intelligence, the theory and development of

whether or not a computer can think like a human. His interest in artificial intelligence

influenced him to propose the Turing Test, a test to determine if a computer can think for itself
 Changela 8

(Crepeau). Additionally, Turing designed many computers that became too technologically

advanced for his day. For example, when World War II ceased, Turing joined the National

Physical Laboratory of Britain where he designed a computer able to process several different

tasks like algebra, file-management, and code-breaking (Crepeau). Unfortunately, this brilliant

design never received attention because the technology at the time did not exist. With Turing’s

significant innovations came unimaginable impacts on the world of technology.

In the world of technology, Alan Turing has had the largest impact. The first computer,

built by Turing, revolutionized the world and opened up numerous theories for how far

technology can go in the future. His computer created endless impacts in the world of technology

that continued to grow every year exponentially. He inspired inventors to go above and beyond

with technology which has helped create computers that he could have never imagined. The first

modern work of computation, the universal Turing Machine, became a central concept in an

active area of mathematical logic called the recursive function theory, and a theoretical discipline

in computer science called automata theory (Crepeau). Turing’s work also turned the tables of

World War II when he designed the Bombe, that deciphered Nazi Germany’s secret codes. His

war efforts also influenced members of The British Government Code and Cypher School to

create Colossus, the first electronic, programmable, digital computer. In all, after Alan Turing

created the first computer people became inspired to innovate new ideas dealing with computers,

like the Internet.

How would the world and the economy thrive without the Internet? The Internet provides

easy ways for people to work, learn, and do business. People from all over the world can

telecommute with each other, through video or voice, to undergo business conferences or simply
 Changela 9

talking with a friend. All workers can enjoy their homes. Students can even educate themselves

using the Internet by taking online courses at a convenient time for them. Since the creation of

the Internet in 1969, by the Advanced Research Projects Agency, also known as ARPA, of the

United States Department of Defense, the rapid growth of the Internet has changed the world as a

whole. Back in 1969 they called the Internet, ARPANET which consisted of only four computers

and intended to allow research scientists to communicate with one another. As time went on,

more computers joined onto this ARPANET, and finally in 1991 the creation of the first web

browser, led to the initialization of the famous world wide web (Wienclaw). Without the use of

the world wide web, computer scientists and students studying computer science would have a

difficult time researching different concepts of computer science. On the other hand, the creation

of the Internet would not have existed without the use of computers and computer science. With

this in mind the Internet helps computer science professionals, like Dipen Changela, complete

his daily job.

In a recent interview, Dipen Changela explains what life consists of as a computer

scientist. He currently works as a Senior Tech Manager at Bank of America, where he manages a

team that performs testing on applications for the bank to find any issues or problems in the

application, before it goes into production. He received his degree in Business Information

Technology since he really enjoyed how computer science and informational technology

branched off into different businesses rather than just coding the applications. In the interview,

he claims that a typical day for him remains busy throughout the day, especially at the end of a

large project, and that as a Senior Tech Manager he deals with technical and non-technical

problems. Two non-technical problems he deals with includes a lack of project funding and
 Changela 10

issues in the project timeline. A technical problem he deals with could consist of applications

that run too slow, typically due to poorly written code (Changela). In the same interview, he

explains how he got started and what interested him to pursue computer science. He says that as

a young boy he loved technology and computers, and loved taking things apart to find out how

they worked. While he studied in school, he helped his friends and family with upgrading and

building desktop PC’s (Changela). For computer scientists, like Dipen, they usually receive

around the same salary as most other professionals.

A computer scientist earns an average salary of $82,000 annually, according to the US

Bureau of Statistics in May 2013 (Mehta). According to PayScale College Salary Report from

2015-2016, computer science professionals with a bachelor’s degree and at least ten years of

experience in the field can earn about $105,000 a year (Mehta). Overall, computer scientists earn

a great annual salary and stands as an excellent profession to consider.

The field of computer science started when the revolutionizing Alan Turing used his

brilliant brain to create the world’s first computer which later changed the world of technology.

Everything and everyone revolves around computers, like using their smartphone to call a friend

or completing their daily work on a laptop. Even though, over the years people have created

myths and misconceptions about computer science, most people that actually take the time to

explore computer science will understand the falsity of them and understand the true definition

of computer science. The genuine definition of computer science refers to all aspects of a

computer, which includes the applied and theoretical basis, as well as the software and hardware

that construct a computer. Within the computer science field, many professionals need to have

the ability to code effectively and efficiently. They have strict programming languages they have
 Changela 11

to follow in order to properly code their program. Learning these languages takes time, so giving

the opportunity to learn programming early for children can improve the future of technology.

Like the Fayetteville Free Library, schools should implement a computer science course for

younger children, so that in the future they have the option to enter the field of computer science

and compete with the fast pace of technology. As stated earlier computer science could not thrive

without Alan Turing. In addition to creating the first computer, he also had major impacts on the

world, like influencing the development of the Internet, initially called the ARPANET. The

ARPANET later led to the advancement of the world wide web where many professionals in the

computer science field and other careers use the Internet to accomplish their daily jobs. In their

jobs, computer scientists can earn an average annual salary of $82,000 with a bachelor’s degree

and more than $100,000 annually with a specialty in computer science. In conclusion, the

profession of a computer scientists emerged with one brilliant man and later became one of the

top professions in the world of technology.

 Changela 12

Works Cited

Brandes, Michelle. "Computer Science: Myths and New Realities." ​Career Options -

Post-Secondary,​ vol. 31, no. 1, Winter/Spring2017, p. 10. EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=125689518&site=eds

-live&scope=site​>.

Changela, Dipen. Personal Interview. February 12, 2018.

Chetlen, Martin, B.S.E.E, M.C.S. "Computer Science." ​Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science,​

2013. EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89250407&site=eds-l

ive&scope=site​>.

Crepeau, Bob. "Alan Turing." ​Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia,​ 2013. EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89129668&site=eds-l

ive&scope=site​>.

Denning, Peter J., et al. "Misconceptions about Computer Science." ​Communications of the

ACM​, vol. 60, no. 3, Mar. 2017, pp. 31-33. EBSCO​host​, doi:10.1145/3041047

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=121487700&site=eds

-live&scope=site​>.

Mehta, Kamlesh and Ronald Uhlig. "Business Administration and Computer Science Degrees:

Earnings, Job Security, and Job Satisfaction." ​American Journal of Business Education​,

vol. 10, no. 1, 01 Jan. 2017, pp. 1-10. EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1125123&site=ed

s-live&scope=site​>.
 Changela 13

Prato, Stephanie C. "Beyond the Computer Age." ​Children & Libraries: The Journal of the

Association for Library Service to Children​, vol. 15, no. 1, Spring2017, pp. 19-21.

EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lih&AN=121641136&site=eds

-live&scope=site​>.

Schaffhauser, Dian. "What's Hot in 2017." ​T H E Journal​, vol. 44, no. 1, Jan/Feb2017, p. 22.

EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=121085624&site=eds

-live&scope=site​>.

Shirer, Donald L. "Computer Programming Languages." ​Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science,​

2013. EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89316936&site=eds-l

ive&scope=site​>.

Wienclaw, Ruth A. "Internet Computing." ​Research Starters: Business (Online Edition)​, 2013.

EBSCO​host,​

<​http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89163796&site=eds-l

ive&scope=site​>.