An appreciation of computer appreciation

The term “Computer Appreciation” (CA) was coined by Hamming (circa 1960) when he indicated the need for broad scale education about computers. In order to achieve this objective, the computing profession must gain for itself an appreciation of just what CA might be. Undoubtedly, there are many diverse opinions upon the subject, and it is hoped that this paper will provoke a discussion that is long overdue. For example, the authors view of CA is more intense than the usual concept of a broad brush survey and perhaps even approaches introductory programmer training. Although no attempt is made to explicitly define the term, succeeding sections of this paper discuss CA in the following fashion: (1) The need for CA and the responsibility of the computing profession to fulfill it are established, and the nature of the audience is considered. (2) The purpose and content of CA are discussed, and a structure is proposed. (3) A course in CA for Engineers which implements this structure is described. The extension of this approach to other audiences is discussed.