Facing computer science misconceptions: An introductory course based on historical strands and career paths at a glance

Incoming students in post-secondary education often perceive Computer Science (CS) under a series of stereotypes. While it is certainly difficult to define CS, it seems still possible to grasp its scope through comprehensive points of view, addressing for example its foundations, technologies, and uses. This paper proposes a retrospective analysis of a 21-hour course trial realized in a French engineering school for six consecutive years; its aim was to help recent K12 graded students to have a more objective vision of CS. We start by discussing freshmen's CS dominant conceptions, and the role they think it plays for their future career. We then give some statistical elements concerning student perception of such a course; in particular, we analyze the obtained feedbacks and the limits of intended learning outcomes. In the light of this analysis, it is possible to state that, although initially reluctant to CS due to misconceptions, some students can develop interest and expectancy for this discipline as applied to engineering. A clarified vision of CS seems moreover to contribute to better adjusting choices of minors and majors and facilitate reasoned career plans. We finally conclude on some possible future issues in this subject for our society.