Computer Science As Competitive Sport

I was reading Stacey Armstrong's blog this morning. He was writing about the end of the Texas CS Competition season. Yep, in Texas there is a Computer Science competition season. Who knew!  Here in New England where I live there isn’t a season. There are some computer science, ok, let’s call them programming contests which is what most of them are. But there is no season. That is to say there are not whole bunches of competitions that you can take teams to on a regular basis. I’m not sure if it lack of people to compete – Texas has a higher density of computer science classes than many areas seem to. Or lack of a certain competitive spirit – they do like to compete in Texas. or something else again. Now there are computer programming competitions in the area. I know of one in New Hampshire and one in Massachusetts. And there is the SkillsUSA programming contest which takes place in some states but no where near all of them. Now I have mixed feelings about programming contests which I have written about before (Programming Contests – for good or for ill). But Stacey makes a good case for them on his post.

He included something I had not thought about before.

Another benefit is that many large software companies use similar problems for interviewing purposes as those often seen in contest packets. A common programming problem often involves determining if an exit from a maze exists. A former student of mine was asked to explain solving this exact problem when interviewing for a Google position.

He has other points and he is probably winning me over on these short form competitions. Long form, like the Imagine Cup or the Bliink contest in web design or the Kodu Cup, I have always had an easier time with because they more closely approximate reality. But perhaps there is value in the short  form events as well. I think also of the idea behind the FIRST Robotics competitions – treating academic competition the way we do sports by rewarding and paying attention to people who work at it and make themselves good at it.

This is one of the advantages of reading blogs for me – the chance to read ideas and arguments from other people. I learn for these blogs. I get ideas. And they often make me think.  It’s the sort of community thing that we don’t have enough of in computer science education. Hum, I wonder if teachers sitting and talking while their students compete is yet another side benefit of programming competitions? I know I have a good time and learn a lot at the events I have attended. Something to think about. Social professional development while motivating students to work hard to learn to compete. What do you think?

Comments

• Anonymous
  May 11, 2011
  Yes, the ability to talk with other CS teachers is a huge benefit for the teachers. But the students really do enjoy the competition. PS...It is Stacey Armstrong.

• Anonymous
  May 11, 2011
  Thanks for picking up that I had Stacey's name wrong. Embarrassing (because I know better) but at least it is fixed now.