Work in progress-adaptation of a computer networks curriculum for nontechnical audience

A variety of computer networks related courses are being offered as part of mainstream curricula at the undergraduate as well as graduate level in many engineering and computer science programs. The pervasiveness of computer networks in all aspects of industry and education make a basic understanding of networking as important to nonscience majors as other scientific disciplines such as physics and chemistry. Understanding how the Internet works is a fundamental part of modern engineering education, but there are few opportunities for those in nontechnical fields to learn about networking. As networking becomes increasingly important to business and K-12 education, those without engineering background will become more likely to be in positions that require them to make decisions about how networks will be deployed and used. This paper describes first steps in adapting a standard computer networking curriculum, as required by most science and engineering programs, to the needs of those outside of engineering disciplines. The paper is divided into two sections; the first addresses the parts of the curriculum that we are initially concerned with implementing. The second section discusses educational techniques that we are using to help students learn these unfamiliar concepts in ways that should enable them to use the knowledge when appropriate.