Modern Societal Needs: Information, Algorithmic, and ......2019/11/10 · Information, Algorithmic, and Computational Thinking and Training, in Large Numbers Manolis G.H. Katevenis

ModernSocietalNeeds:Information,Algorithmic,andComputationalThinkingandTraining,inLargeNumbers

ManolisG.H.KatevenisProfessorofComputerScience,UniversityofCrete

CRISSSymposium,14November2019

UniversityofCrete

Societychanges,Schoolsmustfollow– orratherlead!• Technologyadvances,affectingsociety–maketaskseasier,increaseproductivity– shifttointellectual,creative professions– awayfrommanualorrepetitive tasks

• Schoolsmustadapttosocietalchanges…• orrather:Schoolsmustlead societalchanges!– schoolseducatethenextgeneration– ourfuture– ourfuturedependsonthosewhocreateit– oncurrentstudents

2Information,Algorithmic&ComputationalThinking&Training- CRISSSymp.,2019

Information&CommunicationTechnologies(ICT)• ICTdrivesthemoderntechnology&societyrevolution– knowledgeispower– speedandeaseofinformationaccessandprocessingprovidescountlessnew,previouslyunknownopportunities

• ICTisstillinitsinfancy!– self-drivingcars?drones?drugdesign?nextgoogle/fb/AirBNB?– systemreliability,security,privacy,performance,easeofuse?– parallelism,artificialintelligence:stillintheirinfancy– hugecomplexitytobuildthese – “labor”(intellect)intensive!

⇒ Needmany-manymoreICTprofessionals!


ReorientEducationtowardstheProfessionsneeded• Needmoreintellectual,creativeprofessionals,andlesspeopleinmanualorrepetitivetasks• NeedmanymoreICTprofessionals,world-wide• WouldmoreICTgraduationsleadtounemployment?– definitelynot – example1:Israelinthe90’s– definitelynot – example2:AMCC-Greece(missed),1998

• Onthecontrary,availabililtyofhigh-qualityICTprofessionalsisapre-requisiteforeconomicgrowth⇒ Attractyoungs(maleand female)towardsSTEMandICT!


Weneedtoboth useandunderstandICTbetter• ICTisanewTool foralmosteverythinginlife– needtraininginusingICTintheotherprofessionsandactivities– digitalcompetencesmustbeacquiredintheclassroom

• InformationandAlgorithms,asa(new)WayofThinking,mustalsobecultivatedintothenextgenerations–WhatisInformation,howisitrepresented,processed,derived– Algorithmicthinking:relatedtomathematics(rigorous,correct)andengineering(howtoachieveagoal),yetseparatefromboth– Understandingcomputersandcomputations

• TrueEngineeringinschool:design&build(≠justsolve)5Information,Algorithmic&ComputationalThinking&Training- CRISSSymp.,2019

ExamplesfromUniv.ofCrete:canwemovethesetoSchool?


SwitchesinSeries:LogicalAND

SwitchesinParallel:LogicalOR



Eachredshunt“joins”arowtoacolumn

AMemory(8words× 8bitsperword)



readingtwootherwordsoutofthismemory

ExamplesfromUniv.ofCrete:canwemovethesetoSchools?


ADecisionTree

III II6 I6I I66 6I66II 66I 666



AddressDecoderbuiltoutofaDecisionTree



AddressDecoderconnectedtotheMemory

OtherExample:aBookforHighSchool?


Ideasonly,noprerequisites• Googlesearch/rankalgorithm• Public-keyCryptography• Errorcorrectioncodes• Patternrecognition,machinelearning• Datacompression,DataBases• Digitalsignatures• Computability

GreektranslationbyCreteUniv.Press

Conclusions• Reorienteducationand professiontopics–moreintellectual,creativeprofessionals– not forrepetitivetasks–manymoreICTprofessionalsneeded,ofhighquality– vocationalguidance

• Everybodytobecomeabetteruser ofICT• Everybodytobetterunderstand ICT– Information,Algorithmic,ComputationalThinking

• Attractyoungs(maleand female)towardsSTEMandICT


Modern Societal Needs: Information, Algorithmic, and ......2019/11/10 · Information, Algorithmic, and Computational Thinking and Training, in Large Numbers Manolis G.H. Katevenis

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