Valerie Barr Publishes an Op-Ed on AI in Communications of the ACM
Margaret Hamilton Distinguished Professor of Computer Science Valerie Barr.
Margaret Hamilton Distinguished Professor of Computer Science Valerie Barr wrote an opinion piece about AI and technological adoption in computer science programs for Communications of the ACM. In “Feeling Cranky About AI in CS Education,” Barr explains how during her 30 years of teaching, the field has been eager to adopt new technology quickly. But rather than pursuing the next big thing, she says instructors should think about what their students really need to learn. “It’s critical that we think long and hard about what it is we teach in computer science, what the goal of a CS major is, and what a balanced, modest, cautious incorporation of AI in education would be,” she writes. “The work being done by liberal arts faculty (across a wide range of fields) to explore both technical and ethical aspects of AI can also illuminate the issues before us.”
Barr has taught in the Computer Science Program at Bard since 2022. She has led national efforts to connect computing and other liberal arts disciplines into a shared curriculum. “Interesting innovative solutions to hard problems come from people who have experiences outside of class that don’t involve computing,” says Barr. “ [They] do something besides code all the time; like be on the debate team, sing in a choir, get involved in theater, take a dance class, study history, read poetry.”
Post Date: 09-23-2025
Barr has taught in the Computer Science Program at Bard since 2022. She has led national efforts to connect computing and other liberal arts disciplines into a shared curriculum. “Interesting innovative solutions to hard problems come from people who have experiences outside of class that don’t involve computing,” says Barr. “ [They] do something besides code all the time; like be on the debate team, sing in a choir, get involved in theater, take a dance class, study history, read poetry.”
Post Date: 09-23-2025