How to teach computer science in Europe (and in the Czech Republic in particular)
Introduction
After reading the topic about the educational process in Moscow State Technical University. Bauman , I decided that I also have something to say on this topic. I studied (actually, still formally studying) at the Charles University in Prague at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics (at the computer science department) and, I think, many, not only those who are thinking about studying abroad, will be interested to know what foreign education looks like for future programmers.
Since I studied only at one university (although I communicated with students from different universities from different countries), I can only tell about him. However, the system of almost all European institutions of higher education is about the same. So I hope that this topic will help those interested in having a general idea of ​​how it all works there.
')
Receipt
Disclaimer: I acted long ago and since then something could change.
It is very easy to enter the Czech university (even such a university as Charles University) for computer science. The competition here is about 2 people per place, and you can apply to many universities at once - therefore, some students go to the exam “just to see people, to show themselves,” and an effective competition is somewhere near a person to a place.
The entrance exam itself is taken in three subjects - physics, mathematics and computer science, and regardless of which particular department (physics, mathematics or computer science) a person goes to. The worst result of the three is not counted, that is, one exam can be completely overwhelmed or not at all go (I did not go to physics), and this will not affect the result.
Examinations are quite simple and typical. For example, a math exam is to solve a simple trigonometric equation, some simple planimetric problem, a logic problem like “Masha and Dasha has 5 apples, who stole the sixth apple?” Or a rebus and something else. On computer science - for example, to answer the question “How many stars will this program display?” (Without frills and pitfalls). In total, there are 4 such tasks in each part and 90 minutes are given for the solution of the exam.
Still there is no cronyism on admission. And not taken tutors. And if the latter is explained by low competition, then there is no cronyism here (or almost none) even in those faculties where there is a competition of about 7-8 people per seat (in the Czech Republic it is, oddly enough, all sorts of languages ​​and political science).
Training
If you enroll in a university is very easy, then it is rather difficult to study here, and somewhere around 60-70% of students do not complete their diploma.
The system here is quite pleasant - for the delivery of each item is given three attempts. If, after three attempts, the student has not passed the subject, he can write it down himself for another year and he will again have three attempts. Total 6 attempts to surrender each item.
On the other hand, if a person did not pass the subject, which was mandatory, for 6 attempts, then he was expelled from the university. Or if you didn’t get enough credits, they exclude too. With all the liberality of the requirements for gnawing granite science, they exclude here quickly, clearly and without problems. To persuade the dean not to exclude - probably, perhaps, but a very (VERY) good reason is needed.
However, in order to be excluded, you must really very desperately scored for study. Well, even the one who is expelled has the opportunity to do again and count the items that were handed over to “excellent” and “good” automatically.
Items, schedules
There are several programs on computer science - something like an analogue of departments in post-Soviet universities. "Theoretical Informatics", "Programming" and "Databases". For each program there is a list of required items (this includes matan, algebra, programming, algorithms and all that), a large list of semi-obligatory items (they don’t have to be scattered all, just dial the required number of credits - usually you need to choose 3-4 items from 12 to your taste) and free subjects (these can be any subjects that are studied at the faculty - I have one of these subjects, for example, was the “History of Physics”). Required items need to pass all. You also need to pass some semi-binding.
Since a student can choose subjects to his own taste, then, accordingly, he can create a schedule for himself which is convenient for him. And to study (except for compulsory) subjects only those that are interesting to him. The degree of freedom here is quite large. Some use it (they choose for themselves the most “free” items), but there are quite a few of these, according to my observations.
Credit training system
At our university, everything is built on a credit system. This means that each student must transfer a certain amount of credits per semester to be transferred to the next semester. Usually this number corresponds to about 40 hours of study load per week - 1 hour of classes per week = 1 credit. Credits are awarded for the passed exam or credit (if the subject does not have an exam). Credits can be gained "in reserve" - ​​to pass a bunch of exams in the first few semesters. This is very convenient for those who want, for example, without leaving their studies to go to the Himalayas for six months - a year (there are those too).
Level of study
From what I can point out (subjectively):
Visits, groups and other administrative activities
Since the university does not have such a thing as “Mandatory Schedule”, the concept of a group is also very conditional. I was in my first year in group 31, but it absolutely didn’t mean anything - everyone only went to different subjects and I don’t even know what my groupmates look like.
In this place I should be ashamed, but I did not attend the university as regularly as I could (why go to matan, if you can read the same thing in a book?). Once I even tried to pass by mistake a written examination paper to another teacher (I saw the teacher for the first time on the exam and didn’t know how it looked at all before). And not once was this a problem at the exam (at the exam there were not even hints of the question “Why didn’t I see you at lectures?” But what’s at the lectures — the teachers didn’t see me even at the practice). It doesn’t really matter if the student is good at taking an exam / writing a test.
Necessity of visiting results in the fact that the majority of students begin to work on the second or third course. Personally, I work full time from my third year. This was somewhat reflected in my average score (from 4.72 from 4.60 on a five-point scale) and I also study 7 years instead of the standard five (here I hide behind work, but some amount of scholarship and a lot of interesting things in life besides the university also plays a role - If you wish, even if you are working full time, you can complete it in standard time). And this is a completely normal situation.
I would also like to mention separately that a student who thinks that he was given an assessment was unfair and the teacher did it only because he disliked him for something, he could write a statement and ask the commission for re-examination (usually 2-3 teachers which does not include "biased"). I did it once and this process is quite normal and sane - it is not considered a scandal or "he offends our colleague - let's give him a lyuly!". It just happens that the student and the teacher did not agree on the characters - and in order to avoid the offenses of the student, the third-party teacher reevaluates.
findings
I think local students have a slightly weaker base in mathematical and theoretical disciplines in general - we didn’t go through superficial integrals and a whole lot of everything that is taught in many post-Soviet universities (but I managed to study for a year at BSU and once even knew what it is ).
On the other hand, the students here are not stuffed with a large amount of unnecessary or outdated material, and do not give to the arbitrariness of teachers, who themselves do not understand their subject and put "unlucky" because "not like it was at the lecture." Most of the teachers here are very healthy - both as people and as teachers. They can go to drink beer and generally communicate on an equal footing. And, most importantly, many of them actually work on real projects in the areas that they teach.
Well, the main point is freedom and opportunity. Opportunities here the sea - if you have the desire. The list of items that can be written, and areas - very inspires. But no one forces students under a lash - neither to study, nor to use these opportunities. No one will pull it or put the top three "for the sad look." And in order to get a diploma, you will still have to try hard - but such a diploma, at least, says a lot.
FAQ
Ps. Full list of faculty items for this year
After reading the topic about the educational process in Moscow State Technical University. Bauman , I decided that I also have something to say on this topic. I studied (actually, still formally studying) at the Charles University in Prague at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics (at the computer science department) and, I think, many, not only those who are thinking about studying abroad, will be interested to know what foreign education looks like for future programmers.
Since I studied only at one university (although I communicated with students from different universities from different countries), I can only tell about him. However, the system of almost all European institutions of higher education is about the same. So I hope that this topic will help those interested in having a general idea of ​​how it all works there.
')
Receipt
Disclaimer: I acted long ago and since then something could change.
It is very easy to enter the Czech university (even such a university as Charles University) for computer science. The competition here is about 2 people per place, and you can apply to many universities at once - therefore, some students go to the exam “just to see people, to show themselves,” and an effective competition is somewhere near a person to a place.
The entrance exam itself is taken in three subjects - physics, mathematics and computer science, and regardless of which particular department (physics, mathematics or computer science) a person goes to. The worst result of the three is not counted, that is, one exam can be completely overwhelmed or not at all go (I did not go to physics), and this will not affect the result.
Examinations are quite simple and typical. For example, a math exam is to solve a simple trigonometric equation, some simple planimetric problem, a logic problem like “Masha and Dasha has 5 apples, who stole the sixth apple?” Or a rebus and something else. On computer science - for example, to answer the question “How many stars will this program display?” (Without frills and pitfalls). In total, there are 4 such tasks in each part and 90 minutes are given for the solution of the exam.
Still there is no cronyism on admission. And not taken tutors. And if the latter is explained by low competition, then there is no cronyism here (or almost none) even in those faculties where there is a competition of about 7-8 people per seat (in the Czech Republic it is, oddly enough, all sorts of languages ​​and political science).
Training
If you enroll in a university is very easy, then it is rather difficult to study here, and somewhere around 60-70% of students do not complete their diploma.
The system here is quite pleasant - for the delivery of each item is given three attempts. If, after three attempts, the student has not passed the subject, he can write it down himself for another year and he will again have three attempts. Total 6 attempts to surrender each item.
On the other hand, if a person did not pass the subject, which was mandatory, for 6 attempts, then he was expelled from the university. Or if you didn’t get enough credits, they exclude too. With all the liberality of the requirements for gnawing granite science, they exclude here quickly, clearly and without problems. To persuade the dean not to exclude - probably, perhaps, but a very (VERY) good reason is needed.
However, in order to be excluded, you must really very desperately scored for study. Well, even the one who is expelled has the opportunity to do again and count the items that were handed over to “excellent” and “good” automatically.
Items, schedules
There are several programs on computer science - something like an analogue of departments in post-Soviet universities. "Theoretical Informatics", "Programming" and "Databases". For each program there is a list of required items (this includes matan, algebra, programming, algorithms and all that), a large list of semi-obligatory items (they don’t have to be scattered all, just dial the required number of credits - usually you need to choose 3-4 items from 12 to your taste) and free subjects (these can be any subjects that are studied at the faculty - I have one of these subjects, for example, was the “History of Physics”). Required items need to pass all. You also need to pass some semi-binding.
Since a student can choose subjects to his own taste, then, accordingly, he can create a schedule for himself which is convenient for him. And to study (except for compulsory) subjects only those that are interesting to him. The degree of freedom here is quite large. Some use it (they choose for themselves the most “free” items), but there are quite a few of these, according to my observations.
Credit training system
At our university, everything is built on a credit system. This means that each student must transfer a certain amount of credits per semester to be transferred to the next semester. Usually this number corresponds to about 40 hours of study load per week - 1 hour of classes per week = 1 credit. Credits are awarded for the passed exam or credit (if the subject does not have an exam). Credits can be gained "in reserve" - ​​to pass a bunch of exams in the first few semesters. This is very convenient for those who want, for example, without leaving their studies to go to the Himalayas for six months - a year (there are those too).
Level of study
From what I can point out (subjectively):
- The level of teachers: 90% of teachers of the Czech University at a very good level. Firstly, most of the teachers are no more than 40-45 years old and they are very active in the scientific field, secondly, they very openly and willingly help students with an understanding of the material, thirdly, I didn’t have the “A why the evidence is not like it was at the lecture? " Whenever I did something the way it was written in my favorite book, and not at lectures, the teacher sat and understood my evidence and gave an assessment only after he had completely understood. And if my answer was correct, but not the same as it was with him, then this did not affect the assessment (on the contrary, many were very happy to see that someone had written something new).
It should also be noted that in the applied areas they are taught by people who really understand them. The subject “F #”, for example, is taught by a person who worked on Microsoft in developing this language and wrote a book about him. Programming in C ++ / Java / C # is taught by people who have been writing in these languages ​​for a very long time, and they write real projects that earn real money. Teachers of the subjects “Administration of Linux” or “Computer Security” teach only a couple of hours a week - and the rest of the time they work as specialists in administration or security. - The relevance of the material: Since programming is a very dynamic area, most subjects need to constantly update the program. Our university is doing it. We learn to program in C # at once (the C ++ subject is also mandatory, and asm is semi-obligatory). If they study the architecture of processors, then they study using the example of Pentium 4, devoting a couple of lectures to differences from modern architectures like Core 2 at the level of micro-instructions. There are subjects "Programming for Android", "Programming for the iPhone." In general, there is no problem with the urgency.
- Learning materials: There are no problems with teaching materials either. First, there is a very good library of computer literature (in many languages). If there is no very necessary book in it, then it can be ordered at the expense of the faculty (this, however, only teachers can do). Secondly, the faculty has several well-equipped computer labs. You can connect to them remotely and use of computational power (for example, to leave for the night to count all sorts of different indecencies like neural networks).
- Diplomas and coursework: Not long ago, I met with former classmates from BSU (Belarusian State University) and one girl told me how she was very tense and wrote a diploma in 2 weeks. I do not know how this reflects the real situation, really. At our faculty, graduates in last year’s survey estimated the average time to write a diploma at 500 hours. Of course, it can be like a joke with the size of Indian condoms, when "you asked, and we measured". But according to my feelings, to accept a diploma here, recompiling 10 books is not enough.
And there is no coursework. But there are a lot of mandatory tests - when you need to write a project in C ++, a project in Java, a project in Haskell and Prolog (this was a mandatory subject, by the way), a PHP site with a database, a project in Flash, a Unix utility in C ( at server level with sockets or rlogin). There is also an obligatory subject “Operating Systems” - where we write part of the operating system for MIPS (it was horror-horror and two weeks of sleepless nights) - which is considered one of the most difficult for the entire course. In general, a student who honestly worked all the tests - will be able to gradually a very large pile of everything and be very well prepared for the real life of the programmer.
Visits, groups and other administrative activities
Since the university does not have such a thing as “Mandatory Schedule”, the concept of a group is also very conditional. I was in my first year in group 31, but it absolutely didn’t mean anything - everyone only went to different subjects and I don’t even know what my groupmates look like.
In this place I should be ashamed, but I did not attend the university as regularly as I could (why go to matan, if you can read the same thing in a book?). Once I even tried to pass by mistake a written examination paper to another teacher (I saw the teacher for the first time on the exam and didn’t know how it looked at all before). And not once was this a problem at the exam (at the exam there were not even hints of the question “Why didn’t I see you at lectures?” But what’s at the lectures — the teachers didn’t see me even at the practice). It doesn’t really matter if the student is good at taking an exam / writing a test.
Necessity of visiting results in the fact that the majority of students begin to work on the second or third course. Personally, I work full time from my third year. This was somewhat reflected in my average score (from 4.72 from 4.60 on a five-point scale) and I also study 7 years instead of the standard five (here I hide behind work, but some amount of scholarship and a lot of interesting things in life besides the university also plays a role - If you wish, even if you are working full time, you can complete it in standard time). And this is a completely normal situation.
I would also like to mention separately that a student who thinks that he was given an assessment was unfair and the teacher did it only because he disliked him for something, he could write a statement and ask the commission for re-examination (usually 2-3 teachers which does not include "biased"). I did it once and this process is quite normal and sane - it is not considered a scandal or "he offends our colleague - let's give him a lyuly!". It just happens that the student and the teacher did not agree on the characters - and in order to avoid the offenses of the student, the third-party teacher reevaluates.
findings
I think local students have a slightly weaker base in mathematical and theoretical disciplines in general - we didn’t go through superficial integrals and a whole lot of everything that is taught in many post-Soviet universities (but I managed to study for a year at BSU and once even knew what it is ).
On the other hand, the students here are not stuffed with a large amount of unnecessary or outdated material, and do not give to the arbitrariness of teachers, who themselves do not understand their subject and put "unlucky" because "not like it was at the lecture." Most of the teachers here are very healthy - both as people and as teachers. They can go to drink beer and generally communicate on an equal footing. And, most importantly, many of them actually work on real projects in the areas that they teach.
Well, the main point is freedom and opportunity. Opportunities here the sea - if you have the desire. The list of items that can be written, and areas - very inspires. But no one forces students under a lash - neither to study, nor to use these opportunities. No one will pull it or put the top three "for the sad look." And in order to get a diploma, you will still have to try hard - but such a diploma, at least, says a lot.
FAQ
- What language is the training conducted in?
Training is conducted in Czech. Written works and emails can be written inCzechEnglish. In the first year I passed (due to non-Fountain Czech) matan and algebra in Russian. The entrance exam wrote with a large number of errors at the level "Here this formula turned out and said that the solution was found." - Do foreigners have to pay for their studies?
Do not. Foreigners can study in the Czech Republic for free. On the other hand, the student covers third-party expenses - housing, food, insurance. The cost of living is about 500 dollars a month. Optimum about 700-800. - Do Czechs offend foreigners? They say they do not like Russians there.
Do not hurt. I have a lot of Czech friends, a Czech husband and for 7 years in the Czech Republic, no Czech has ever offended. - Do foreigners give a hostel? And how to live there?
Dormitory give. It costs about 180 dollars a month, the room is usually designed for two people. The conditions there for the hostel are quite good. - A scholarship is paid?
Do not pay. There is a scholarship on the results of studies - but they start to give it only from the second year, only to excellent students, and it amounts to about $ 50. To get a social scholarship or a scholarship of friendship of nations or some other is unlikely to work out - the university does not give anything.
Ps. Full list of faculty items for this year
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/90529/
All Articles