Critical Thinking Traits of Top-Tier Experts and Implications for Computer Science Education

A documented shortage of technical leadership and top-tier performers in computer science jeopardizes the technological edge, security, and economic well-being of the nation. The 2005 President's Information and Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) Report on competitiveness in the computationa...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Bushey, Dean E
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
ACHIEVEMENT TESTS
COGNITION
COGNITIVE SKILLS
COMPETITION
COMPUTER PERSONNEL
Computer Programming and Software
COMPUTER SCIENCES
Computer Systems
CREATIVITY
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
DOCTORAL STUDENTS
EDUCATION
EXPERT PERFORMANCE
GRADUATE STUDENTS
GRADUATES
Humanities and History
NATIONAL SECURITY
PERFORMANCE(HUMAN)
PROBLEM SOLVING
Psychology
SCIENTISTS
SHORTAGES
SKILLS
STUDENTS
THESES
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
UNITED STATES
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Summary:A documented shortage of technical leadership and top-tier performers in computer science jeopardizes the technological edge, security, and economic well-being of the nation. The 2005 President's Information and Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) Report on competitiveness in the computational sciences highlights the major impact of science, technology, and innovation in keeping America competitive in the global marketplace. It stresses that the supply of science, technology, and engineering experts is at the core of America's technological edge, national competitiveness, and security. However, recent data show that both undergraduate and postgraduate production of computer scientists is falling. The decline is a quiet crisis building in the United States, a crisis that, if allowed to continue unchecked, could endanger America's well-being and preeminence among the world's nations. Past research on expert performance has shown that the cognitive traits of critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving possessed by top-tier performers can be identified, observed, and measured. Companies have begun to realize that cognitive skills are important for high-level performance and are reevaluating the traditional academic standards they have used to predict success for their top-tier performers in computer science. Previous research in the computer science field has focused either on the programming skills of its experts or has attempted to predict the academic success of students at the undergraduate level. This study examines the critical-thinking skills found among experts in the computer science field and asks the following questions: What cognitive skills do outstanding performers possess that make them successful? and How do currently used measures of academic performance correlate to critical-thinking skills among students? The original document contains color images.