A13AndyTruman

A13AndyTruman

To-Do

Please Answer the following Questions: provide a brief rationale for your answer — not just yes/no answers

1. which classes did you take outside of your chosen discipline?
   1. how did you select these classes?
      1. based on interest
      2. based on requirements for your degree program
   2. did would you evaluate the “outside classes”?
      1. a waste of time
      2. okay
      3. an enrichment of your education
      4. if you had a choice: would you take more outside classes?
2. to be a well educated graduate in your respective discipline — what do you consider the most important objectives?
   1. did CU offer classes for you to meet these objectives?
   2. have you pursued these objectives outside of classes (in other settings at CU; outside of CU)?
3. what do you consider the most important impact of new media and human-centered computing on YOUR education?

which classes did you take outside of your chosen discipline?

I have taken Marching Band, two Geology classes (an intro class and a class on the history of global changes and how that relates to current climate change) and a Humanities for Engineers class. Also, when I first started taking German, it was outside my discipline, but I have since added a Germanic Studies major.

how did you select these classes? (e.g. based on interest or based on requirements for your degree program)

Band and German were entirely out of interest. The Geology classes were partly out of interest - my dad is a geologist - and partly to satisfy the CS natural sciences requirements. The humanities class was something I don't know that I would have taken had it not been required, but it ended up that I did have a lot of interest in the materials for that class.

how would you rate the “outside classes”? (e.g. a waste of time or an enrichment of your education)

They were for the most part an enrichment. Sometimes the geology classes seemed a little bit simplified to the point where I felt that the amount of time spent going over basic and easy to understand concepts was a waste of time, but overall I still am glad that I took them.

if you had a choice: would you take more outside classes?

I would, and I will - since I added a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences, I now have core requirements, which essentially require me to take a much broader range of classes. I feel like that was actually part of the reason for me adding German as a major rather than just a minor, not only because I really want to study as much German as I can, but also because in just taking engineering classes, I sometimes feel like I'd not be getting a very well rounded college education.

to be a well educated graduate in your respective discipline — what do you consider the most important objectives?

I feel like, for computer science, it's important not only to do well in classes, but also to have some sort of project that you've worked on yourself.

did CU offer classes for you to meet these objectives?

Human Centered Computing Professional Development is pretty much aimed at giving you outside-of-classroom experience, and the computer graphics class that I'm taking also involves a major individual project.

have you pursued these objectives outside of classes (in other settings at CU; outside of CU)?

I haven't done much to pursue such things outside of classes.

hat do you consider the most important impact of new media and human-centered computing on YOUR education?

I think the most important thing is how easy it is to gain an understanding of any particular topic using widely available resources online. Besides using wikipedia, just doing a google search for some topic that you have an interest in will lead you to lots of useful information. I think this results in people becoming much more knowledgeable about subjects that they care about.