Reflections on computing education for liberal arts students from demand perspective

Computer science, as 21st century skill, benefits all students, not just those interested in pursuing computer science. Computing education, as an integral part of the nation´s education system, plays an important role in meeting the demands of an information-based society. Nevertheless, the need to integrate and use information technology has been stepped up increasingly, thus the distinctions have blurred between what is called computer science and what is, in fact, information technology literacy and the use of technology to support literacy. To meet this demand, a reconsideration of computing education in higher learning institutes is given firstly. Further reflections on the advancement of the teaching methods are presented. Finally, we propose some suggestions on the contents, managements and assessments of fundamental computing education, which are proven to be beneficial according to our teaching experiences on liberal arts students.