Everyone needs to learn programming? Does programming have a future?

This question was first raised in the 1980s, when personal computers were in their ascendancy. Later, the development of the software industry seemed to have given a clear and negative answer. But now, it appears again in front of people with fierce momentum. This time, we have to take it seriously.

Everyone needs to learn programming? Does programming have a future?

Interviewee: Serge Abiteboul (Information Management Scholar)

Paris Tech Review: Computer literacy is increasingly important today. What are the stakes for students and society?

Serge Abiteboul: Quite simply, information technology is the core of today’s digital world. To understand the world, understand its basic structures and participate in it, computer skills are essential. And from an economic competitiveness perspective, we do need to master computer technology and science, which is as important as mastering mathematics and physics in the 19th and 20th centuries.

US President Obama personally called on young Americans to learn programming, including almost all daily applications and machine programs. Between writing programs ourselves and asking others to write them for us, from a macro perspective, the latter is not impossible, but it means losing the initiative and giving up in the innovation competition, because innovation and writing code are not the same. The two things have become increasingly inseparable.

From a personal point of view, not knowing how to write programs will make you very passive in front of the programs. Apart from following the instructions step by step, you have no autonomy at all. As a webmaster, if some functions are not satisfactory, unless you can figure out the 10 lines of code that implement these functions and write two lines of code to change them, you will always be a slave to technology.

If a person wants to control technology and do whatever he wants, he must understand knowledge such as cloud and electronic voting, and must be able to independently write small mobile app or website code. It has nothing to do with what you do for a living, and it can be mastered by anyone. Computer skills are no more difficult than writing reports in English or designing logistics systems. The key is to really get involved and strip away the mystery. This is a challenge for all of us, not just corporate IT departments.

People always confuse computing with digitalization. What is their difference and relationship?

This is a digital world, and in this world, there is computer science. People read e-books instead of paper books; classrooms use digital displays instead of chalk and blackboards; people's cameras and cars have become digital; children know how to use spell check as soon as they learn to type, and they know how to use spell check as soon as they learn arithmetic. With Excel, these are digital tools, but we still have to learn about writing and counting. People are proficient in using Google or Facebook, but they don’t know the complex algorithms behind Google search and how Facebook protects privacy.

Computers and programming languages ​​are at the heart of the digital world. Information science develops software that makes it possible to digitize the entire world. It is an education, a science, and an art—not just giving people tools and operations. Time and time again, people confuse using digital tools with programming, when in fact the two have nothing to do with each other.

So, it is absolutely necessary for information science to enter the classroom and be on an equal footing with physics, chemistry and mathematics. But it also has strong technical attributes. You must learn to program yourself and use computers to solve problems. This is an essential aspect of computer science.

Should we set up an independent IT course, or combine it with the study of other subjects based on its interdisciplinary characteristics?

Be careful not to cause confusion. Learning digital tools means different courses (architectural design tools, database and search tools, scientific computing tools, etc.). But computer science is an independent field in its own right. There is only one kind of algorithmic thinking. Whether you write a program to count the frequency of certain words in the works of Shakespeare or Proust, or to compute matrix multiplication, the basic flow is the same (sort operations, tests, loops, etc.). Only through this scientific training can people choose different programming projects according to different fields and situations.

So, what does the teaching content include?

Computer science provides a new way of thinking: algorithmic thinking, that is, how to use programs to solve problems. The concept of algorithmic thinking has been around for a long time. When you perform calculations such as addition, multiplication, or division, you are learning algorithms. But programming smart tools and apps is much more complex. You must master more abstract concepts such as loops - allowing iteration of specific tasks.

However, IT is indeed very practical. The beauty of this science is that you can put it into practice and what you just learned can be used to write small, simple programs right away. Even in elementary school, children can become familiar with programming from an early age using programming languages ​​like Scratch. The key is to understand computational thinking, the foundational thinking that helps us understand the world around us, and to develop it by writing small programs.

So people can start learning at a very young age?

Everyone should start at an early age because children are the most receptive to new ideas. In addition to "knowing a certain number and knowing a certain text", we should also add "writing code". It will surely enter the core level of national basic education. Obviously, IT is more than programming, just as mathematics is more than algebra and literature is more than writing. But programming is still the foundation of computer science, and people need to learn it from an early age.

Is school the best way for this kind of education? Or does it need to be done through society?

Many schools have begun to teach children programming. There are also many groups, clubs, associations, etc. outside schools, organizing many cool and fun activities. However, even though these out-of-school activities are useful, we must recognize that if all children are to have equitable access to education, they need to be integrated into regular schooling as quickly as possible.

What about those who have left school without any computer education?

They can learn relevant knowledge and skills on the job, learn programming through various associations, online training, and even use games. Engineers must start learning now. In addition, teachers of other subjects must also be trained.

Normally, we can envision three important periods of on-campus learning. First, we must become familiar with the main concepts at the primary school level, learn the basics of algorithms and computational thinking, and let people experience it through games and programming languages ​​​​such as Scratch; middle schools should truly become a place where every citizen learns the basics of computer technology, including practical Algorithm programming, information architecture, hardware, etc. This is not a complete education, but it should at least be elevated to the same status as middle school physics and biology. Lay a solid foundation for students' future professional learning and acceptance of more advanced knowledge.

At university, we can tailor computer courses for students. Students who choose science and engineering majors may be more interested in mathematical applications of computing, while students who take the humanities path can focus more on text indexing, linguistics, etc. Young people in today's vocational schools have begun to allocate more time to learning computers. In fact it is in these schools that you will realize the importance and necessity of learning computers.

Specifically, what lessons can underdeveloped countries draw from the global boom in computer culture?

Some countries have already solved the challenges ahead. Generally speaking, developed countries are very advanced in this regard. The UK has decided to add computer exams to high school graduation exams to promote computer education. In Germany, local governments hold the power and responsibility in this area, and Bavaria has been very active and benefited from this. They began to recruit teachers with IT skills on a large scale even before computer science was included in the curriculum. Some emerging countries such as Israel and South Korea are already competing in this area. Today, computer courses are popping up all over the world, and the age of those being educated is getting younger and younger.

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