QA with Professor Paul Curzon, Professor of Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London Viewpoint careers advice blog

QA with Professor Paul Curzon, Professor of Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London Professor Paul Curzon is Professor of Science at Queen Mary, University of London. His research combines the areas of interaction design, automated reasoning and formal verification. The main focus of his work is on human error, extending the verification of hardware/software systems to human-computer systems. Do the coding initiatives schools are now using offer a platform for future employment? The increasing number of high-quality coding platforms aimed at schools is a really important development. They make learning programming fun and reduce the learning curve. In the past it was possible to program without really needing to understand the concepts. This has meant making the jump from, for example, programming in visual languages to textual languages too hard â€" the early programming has not prepared students for the jump. That is changing. It isnt just about learning programming, it is about gaining thinking skills to work in a high-tech economy. Only a fraction of those learning to program will go on to be programmers, but that isnt the point, any more than we expect schools to teach physics so that everyone will be a physicist. The algorithmic thinking skills you gain by learning to program matter. Just as students need to understand physics to understand how the physical world works, they need to understand computing to understand how the virtual world works. How important are coding skills among jobseekers? Part of the point is that coders can generate new employment, as has happened over the last 10 or 15 years. If a country wants to have an economic edge then having creative innovators who can code â€" make their ideas into a reality so many more jobs follow â€" is vitally important. Computer Science has changed the way the sciences and other disciplines are actually done, not just in using IT but in solving problems computationally. New industries are emerging and existing industries are changing â€" the emergence of algorithmic trading is one example. Having people who understand computational methods and can think algorithmically matters a lot, whether they are doing the coding or managers. Do business owners understand and appreciate the coding skills being taught at the moment, and how they could help their businesses improve their competitiveness? It is starting to happen. For a long time there has been a perceived wisdom that only basic IT skills matter generally. There is an increasing recognition that computational thinking skills do matter and can make a difference especially when combined with creativity. Is it difficult for students to choose the right language to study? The language isnt really the issue when learning to code. What matters is learning the underlying concepts. If you have learnt one language well then it is easy to pick up others in the same paradigm, procedural, object-oriented etc. Once youve learnt one paradigm well then picking up others is also easier. Programming is a skill, so what matters is putting in thousands of hours of coding. Thats one of the reasons it is important to start in school â€" to have the time to be really competent when you are looking for employment. You shouldnt be thinking about what is the language industry wants now it probably will have changed by the time you are looking for employment. Do you think the teaching of coding is clearly linked towards future employment? I think it is too early to say. Until the recent school syllabus change, very little programming has been taught in schools. In the past the link between computing and employment has not been made, but I think that is changing. Initially though, enjoying it for its own sake matters most. Coding and computational thinking skills go hand in hand but it is important we dont focus just on coding. Computing is much more than that, and it is that wider understanding that ultimately matters. Understanding human-computer interaction and interaction design are also important skills. Ultimately it is about learning problem solving skills: problem solving for people. Join our LinkedIn Group Join our LinkedIn Group to share your thoughts and stay up-to-date with the latest on business, employment and recruitment news in the IT industry. Join our Group