Undergraduate education part of the development plan of KTH CSC June 2008 Programmes The aim of the Master of Science in Engineering program in Computer Science and Engineering is to give graduate engineers the prerequisites and the ability to participate successfully in and manage the work of assessing, developing and introducing new computer technology. A major part of the program is mathematics and programming techniques. In recent years, the program has been continuously evaluated and revised, year-by-year. It has been strengthened by training in security questions in response to the needs of technological and social development. The introduction of compulsory bachelor thesis and the transformation of the last few years to Masters Programmes will lead to some minor changes. The aim of the Master of Science in Engineering program in Media Technology is to give graduate engineers the prerequisites and the ability to participate successfully in and manage the work of assessing, designing, developing and introducing use of media technology and mediated services in various communication situations. The students are prepared for tasks on both the sender and receiver side, and for the entire communication process between these two. The Bachelor in Media Engineering will shut down and accepted the last students in 2007. The international Masters Programme Scientific Computing launched 1997. It has had students from 30 countries. The international Master of Science program in Scientific Computing (three semesters) started in 1997, and to date, about 100 students from over 30 different countries worldwide have taken their degrees. In 2006, this program was extended from 90 ECTS credits to a two-year Master s. As co-ordinators, we also hope to be granted funding for a joint Master of Science program with some other European universities within the EU Erasmus Mundus program. The one-year Masters in Software development and Human-Computer interaction was both founded a few years ago with good intentions, but has not attracted as many students as we hoped. We therefore intend to shut down these programs. The school s 13 specializations, of which the student can choose after tree year of study, will be converted into three new Masters Programmes in Computer Science, MDI (probably in cooperation with TMH) and Media, which will replace the last two years in the five year Computer Science and Media programmes. Scheduled starting year is 2010. These programs are not necessarily international. A two-year international Masters Programme in Media Management replaced the former AFM specialization offered to students in both the Stockholm School of Economics HHS and the KTH in 2007 in continuing cooperation with the HHS. A new two-year international Masters Programmes in computational and systems biology replaces the specialization Biomedical technology from 2008. At Stockholm University we have recently renewed the Bachelor and Master of Science degree programs, in co-operation with the Department of Mathematics. Since 1977 we have been involved in a four-year program in Mathematics and Computer Science. In the programs students study mathematics and computer science and they can specialize in computer science, mathematics, mathematical statistics, scientific computing or economics. A Bachelor s degree program in Computer Science/Applied Mathematics was established in 2007 and we intend to deepen our commitment in the Biomathematics program. A bachelor programme in scientific computing was set up in 2007 but shut down the year after due to little interest from students. Three orientation courses that were established in 2007 were shut down due to few students. We are also examining the possibility of initiating a bachelor in the design of IT systems for high school students from samhällsvetarprogrammet. Finally, we plan a bachelor in Simulation technology at the Royal Institute of Technology.
Courses Our objective is to offer courses to all Master of Science in Engineering programs at KTH and the Faculty of Science at SU. This applies both to those who want to specialize in our disciplines and those who have chosen other disciplines but need the computer as a sophisticated tool. Our ambition to change old courses and create new ones is driven by advances in the scientific fields and by improved tools and new applications. We have experience of adapting the curriculum to students who have studied at other universities and we aim to develop new types of education to facilitate these transitions further. In order to contribute to adult education, we are considering the establishment of popular web courses in some of our subjects. The basic courses in computing science concentrate on simple ideas and concepts and numerical methods for resolving engineering problems, often modelled with differential equations. Assessment of results is an important aspect. The basic courses should lead to solutions of relevant realistic computational problems, which now is possible with modern software. Advanced courses give deeper mathematical theory, more methods and problems with more difficult applications. In addition to the general and specialized courses in numerical methods other courses are given in cooperation with other schools, for example courses in fluid mechanics, electromagnetic, materials science and molecule dynamic problems. There are also some scientific computation courses in programming and a course in visualization. In the future, where advisable, preparatory parts will be introduced so that the courses will fit more students of different educational backgrounds. In computer science the basic courses concentrate on modern programming technology by methods such as modularization and abstraction. Larger courses also include algorithms, advanced data structures and software development. Focus is in specializations and free elective courses in connection to the department's research such as artificial intelligence, computational, biomedical technology, database engineering, computer security, computer vision and robotics, internet programming, internet, machine learning and neural networks, program system technique and theoretical computer science. The topics language, graphics, interaction programming and visualization are shared with HCI and numerical analysis. In Media techniques and methods for the whole spectrum of media types and services are covered, from printed communications to interactive digital media. This includes the study of effective and innovative use of technology in the media industry and among consumers. On the five year programme the bulk of the courses fall into the categories interactive media, motion picture, audio and printed communications. Focus on the master level is also offered in specializations for publication technique and within the master programme Media management. In Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) the interaction between people and computers are covered. We give both basic and advanced courses in HCI as well as courses in communications, graphics, language technology and computer game design. Focus is made in several specializations suited to their respective training programmes. Especially different methods for the design of computer systems, so that the interaction between people and computers become powerful and simple and computer-aided tools for writing, Speech, Music and Hearing Communication and interaction between humans via speech and music is the unifying theme of research and teaching. The department is engaged in a diverse set of multi-disciplinary activities, commonly classified into speech communication, speech technology, speech coding, music acoustics, auditory perception and second language acquisition, to mention the largest areas and also practical music in KTH s orchestra. Most of the courses are optional and read by engineering students from D, Media, E, and F, but also from other programs. Our Language Unit offers a large range of undergraduate courses in English, German, French,
Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Swedish and Swedish as a Foreign Language. In the autumn of 2006, a course in Technical Arabic was offered. In total, about 125 courses are run with a little over 2,500 places. Most of the languages are divided into four different levels, and an initial language test ensures that students are allocated a place on the right course. Courses at the first two levels provide students with practical elementary language skills, some ability to express themselves in speech and writing and to read texts of a general nature. The top two levels are geared to special purposes, and train students oral and written skills for international professions. We also offer courses in practical English for students at Masters and PhD levels as well as for teachers. The five-years programs K, IT, ME and D now all have international branches. This means that students in addition to their regular masters degree can also be obtain a language that includes 45 credits in German, French or Spanish alternative 60 credits in Chinese or Japanese. There are discussions at KTH on providing this opportunity to all five-.years programs. Staffing and recruitment of teachers Key elements of the quality of education are the teachers skills and commitment and thus are teachers unequivocally our most important resource. During the nineties, the teaching staff at Nada doubled to about 40, and the academic level was increased substantially. For example, the number of professors and lecturers more than quadrupled. This development has continued and been made both by the teachers themselves, and through recruitment. The school has 20 professors and thirty lecturers of which more than half are docents. The objective of the teaching staff as a whole will spend at least 50% of their time on research has been met and has been possible mainly through external grants. By careful teacher planning which includes planning for long-term individual development, we intend to continue to offer all teachers the opportunity for continuous training. Many retirees in the next few years provide an opportunity for both savings and renewal. For the appointment of new teachers we want to have a specific educational expert. We want the educational qualifications valued highly, and in line with what we want to introduce a pedagogical promotion ladder. Recruitment of students for undergraduate education The number of first-hand applicants to our five years programs has decreased but is still reasonably well with almost two candidates per seat. Nevertheless, this has dropped in recent years because of a reduced interest in engineering, but also because of an increase in the number of seats at other universities in Sweden. In particular, the decline in the proportion of female students is alarming. Here, specific efforts, both through visits to schools and through the activities at KTH, both for secondary school students and teachers. We can draw on the lessons learned from efforts at international universities such as Carnegie-Mellon. The recently formed association of alumnae - female D-engineers can become an important resource in this work. We also need, together with the students get to know the culture that exists among students, and possibly change it to become more welcoming to students with different backgrounds. We are initiating international programmes on D, as well as a language technology specialization, with hope that this will attract new groups of students with potential higher percentage of women. Beginning 2008 the school arranges an annual Family Day when the school opens for families and prospective engineering students. We are promoters of KTH s new venture KTH junior for middle and secondary school pupils and see our role as an initiator and a partner in other ventures for improving recruitment to KTH in general. We would also like to use our automatic program testing system Kattis in recruitment. On master level, we need to work more marketing our programmes to bring up the number of applicants. We are cooperating with the KTH schools ICT and EES on defining our bachelor programs so our schools masters programs will be open for as many of our bachelor students as possible.
Economic education Student learning is the guiding principle of our pedagogy and in our courses we use the teaching and assessment methods in which the students' main learning takes place through their own active work. The long ongoing resource reduction in basic education forces us to continually review our teaching, the pedagogy we can and want to use and infrastructure for undergraduate education. Over the last few years there has been a continuous effort to gradually change the teaching and examination so that the quality remains at a high level, but within the financial framework. However, over the past 15 years resources have been cut dramatically. At the same time, the number of seats at KTH has increased considerably with a greater variety of proficiency. Improved teaching methods cannot completely overcome these realities, and we fear that not all students will achieve the desired skills. Our goal is that each of our schools subjects should make ends meet financially, even if not every single course can do it. Learning outcomes and grading criteria for all our courses are formulated so that they are clear, useful and warrant assessment and are publicly available on the Web. Lectures on a large group is preparing in an efficient manner and in the labs we are capable of individual tutoring and examination, as well as to independent work outside of scheduled time. Most students appreciate this form of learning examination, that the department gives high priority to, especially in basic courses. In some courses more extensive project are conducted in which students with different backgrounds are cooperating. We will continue to invest in and develop alternative methods of teaching, so that students may work and seek knowledge in many different ways. We have also formulated a code of honour and rules for the examination. There attention to both students' and teachers' interest to have an open atmosphere characterized by trust and mutual confidence, which all contribute to the positive spirit of academic knowledge seeking. We can then concentrate more on teaching and examination by using available time to control and the development of knowledge, rather than control of cheating. All new students at CSC should be introduced to the school s code of honour. Values and norms should be made visible and discussed, so that they are accessible to and subject to all students. We want to try out new confidence-building forms for the examination. The examination should become target oriented, while more economic. We work for a more general shift from large written exams to small easily graded (preferably peer graded) and oral exams for higher grades. Lab work and homework will be graded more often. The new bachelor thesis projects will be defined both to promote high throughput as well as sound economics. Research relations We strive to better than previous offer of engineering and other students the opportunity to gain insight into the research activities at our school. Teachers are encouraged that in the context of teaching describe their own research. Seminars are arranged where students are encouraged to contact the school's researchers and participate in their activities. A step in this is the reception of the new students in Computer Science and Media, which was conducted the first time in August in 2005. Fifty teachers were engaged to take care of groups of students and show them around. Another step is to offer students targeted seminar with elements from current research. We intend to more systematic offer interested engineering students from the second year to participate in and contribute to the activities in the school's research groups. These actions can be set up so that they can be attributed as an "advanced individual course."
Study environment Nada has since the 80's built up a well-functioning learning environment that includes both the everavailable computer rooms, and a rich supply of mentor and student services. The school owns and operates the computer halls with about 130 computers for D and Media and 90 computers for courses on other programs. In order to achieve a high level of operational safety to reasonable cost, all computers connected to servers. Students are encouraged to cooperate in labs and in projects. Computer labs are appropriate for such a group with neighbouring study places available around the clock. For Media we offer within the KTH Learning Lab a programme specific learning environment with space and technical support for their special purposes and where an important focus is to create a "learning community" among students. With the falling prices on computers, the students will to a greater extent own their own computers. Computer rooms will remain but will be used more flexibly than today and serve as a combination of individual study places and places for group work. The school plans to offer powerful computers, advanced software and good working environment. KTH is expected to provide wireless networks all over KTH. Teachers should have access to lecture halls outside scheduled hours so as to check equipment and prepare teaching. We intend to form a group that monitors the lecture halls so that they are equipped for and working well for the different kinds of teaching that we want to be able to carry out. Lecture halls should be checked each week, so they do not degenerate. We will strive for an increased affinity between our students and our school, this might be especially important for our foreign students. We also want our students to take more responsibility for their own studies. Throughput, examination and educational administration The examination frequencies in our courses are too low. We have proposals to a number of measures to improve it. We want to introduce academic educational guidance for the course and specialization selection. The educational administration shall identify the students who are close to finish, and allow a teacher working continuously to help them through. On the course level, we want to detect students who have difficulties faster. We analyse examination results continuously and put special measures in courses where the results are very bad. In order to support students who have difficulty with oral and written presentation, we want to start a language workshop. Together with ICT and SCI we will investigate how the math courses can be improved to better support our engineering students. Education administration should be brought together organizationally and physically. We are working diligently to replace our old result management system res with a new one. Quality Teachers are encouraged to take educational courses at the KTH and other universities and we will arrange regular educational seminars and teacher meetings where we discuss both thematic and general questions. We would like to see teachers try to implement a trainee week in industry or in secondary schools. In order to improve training and adapt it to the students' needs and skills, we have in several years, presented our course analysis on the Web. The students can thus learn about planned changes for the next course opportunity, thus increasing the possibility to better choices of courses. We are working to improve our course analysis and to follow up the results. Course analysis should be implemented in all courses, including FoV and graduate courses. We want to use exam surveys and alumni surveys to evaluate programs and specializations. We want to encourage students to take advantage of a part of its optional space for the formation courses. Uppsala University has designed an "Educational Programs" which summarises the university educational vision and goals in a practical and easy to understand manner. We want to do something similar. The school intends to seek HSV-award for prominent educational environment.