Computer scientists can teach writing

Abstract

The author's institution requires all students to take one course that concentrates on writing at the upper division (junior or senior) level. The computer science department offers one such course, taught by computer scientists. It concentrates on communications issues relevant to computer scientists and computer professionals, going beyond traditional "technical writing" to give students experience in oral presentation, document design, and writing in forms appropriate for various audiences. This course takes advantage of analogies between writing and software development and motivates computer science students to pay more careful attention to their writing.