Slow summer interrupted by slashdotting I can't resist a little shameless promotion for my spouse, but it is technology and education related and besides, I think this is a first for Bryn Mawr. Doug Blank, professor of Computer Science, has been Slashdotted (if you don't know what that means, click here for more). The reason for the fame is the announcement of a joint grant with Georgia Tech from Microsoft to establish an Institute for Personal Robots in Education. Bryn Mawr Now has more on the details of the grant and a quick search on Google News will yield many more results.

The Slashdotters are a tough crowd and somewhat representative of the industry. Their comments provide both insight and amusement. They also make clear why such a program is interesting even if it's not the first of its kind. Many people seem to have a very narrow view of Computer Science as something that simply prepares you to sit in a cubicle and write code. The use of robots in intro courses broadens the scope of what C.S. can potentially be and focuses on one of its main strengths--solving real-world problems. Liberal arts colleges, especially, tend to work in abstractions and theories. Working hands-on with robots gives students an opportunity to see the practical application and feasibility of those abstractions and theories. Plus, the robots are fun to watch. There's a website and a blog, of course, if you're interested in following their progress.

¶ 4:28 PM, posted by Laura