Computer appreciation class highlights technology’s impact on daily life
Students across majors can learn how computer scientists think and create
Ever wonder how everyday technology works? Your phone? Gaming systems? Search?
A new University of Cincinnati course offered this fall, ‘CS-CA1001: Computer Appreciation: Thinking and Creating Like a Computer Scientist,’ is designed to give students of all majors an introduction into the field of computer science. The goal of the course is to demystify various aspects of computer science, including how computing machines are harnessed to solve problems in game playing, discover information, and control simple robots. The course will also cover the implications of computing technologies on safety, security, and ethics.
Throughout the course, students will also develop an appreciation of how computer scientists approach their work, the tools they use and the way they think while working to solve issues and create innovative solutions.
John Gallagher
John Gallagher, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science, created the class with the hope of offering students of any major a greater understanding of how the technology they use impacts the actions and outcomes of everyday life.
“Technology is everywhere and touches all of us. We make personal decisions and decisions in our workplace all the time in which technology impinges on us. I think having an understanding of what the technologies are doing and what they are capable of can better inform those decisions,” Gallagher said.
“I want to make sure when students walk out of the class, they will be able to have meaningful discussions on how things work, why they work and why they might fail, and to have some appreciation of how an engineer or computer scientist sits down and reasons through a problem and turns that into a computational machine that offers a solution,” he said.
The Computer Appreciation course was created with support from a generous gift to UC from College of Engineering and Applied Science alumnus Jim Goetz, with a goal to grow students’ computing knowledge across colleges. The gift also supported the expansion of the computer science program at UC with a newly established Department of Computer Science and provided scholarship support at UC, including the creation of the Marian Spencer Scholars Program.
Enrolled students can find the full course description on Catalyst. For questions, email Prof. John Gallagher.
Featured image at top: Two people working on laptops. Photo/Unsplash.
Related Stories
UC joins international Phase 1 trial testing CAR-T therapy for MS
July 10, 2025
The University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute is a trial site for a multicenter, international Phase 1 trial testing CAR-T cell therapy for patients with multiple sclerosis.
There once was a biologist who talked to spiders …
July 9, 2025
UC biologist and spider expert Nathan Morehouse helped a writing collaboration at Kent University explore our common ground with these eight-legged creatures that fascinate us.
UC advances digital transformation in FY 2025
July 8, 2025
The latest University of Cincinnati Digital Technology Solutions (DTS) semiannual report highlights FY 2025 milestones on the university's digital transformation journey. From secure and compliant AI tools to wireless network improvements and everything in between, DTS remains committed to accelerating UC's shared Next Lives Here strategic direction from foundation to breakthrough.