I would like to present some classic computer science papers in a class I am teaching. I know teachers usually assign papers before the lecture, but I can't figure out how to present material they've already read and likely understood. In the case of a highly technical paper, I'd go over the more technical portions, perhaps letting them know beforehand not to struggle with the proofs, programming examples, etc., but I'm thinking of less technical papers, such as:
- Reflections on Trusting Trust by Ken Thompson
- The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond
- No Silver Bullet by Fred Brooks
While I don't need to use pure lecture format, I am not sure that discussion would work well, since some of the papers (such as "Reflections on Trusting Trust") aren't really discussable, and my students lack the experience to discuss others (such as "No Silver Bullet").
EDIT: I was hoping not to task the students with extra prep, since they already have a lot of assignments to do, but, as some of you suggest, that may be the best way.