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Re: What I like about programming . . .

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On 07/02/2023 23:18, Stefan Ram wrote:
> JJ <jj4public@outlook.com> writes:
>> Many jump directly into learning how to code, and skip learning the concept
>> of programming.
> 
>    Requiring students to learn abstract concepts of programming
>    languages before they have made concrete programming
>    experiences in some specific languages might actually make it
>    unnecessarily difficult for them and slow down their learning.
> 
> 

That is going to depend on what you are trying to teach them, and what 
they are trying to learn.  "Programming" is a broad field, and includes 
software design, coding, algorithm design, testing, maintenance, project 
management, code-reuse, libraries, understanding OS's, understanding 
hardware, working with customers, documentation, specifications, and a 
dozen other things that could be major aspects of work for someone who 
calls themselves a "professional programmer".

No one course is ever going to teach it all.  No one person is ever 
going to be good at it all.

If you are teaching a short language-specific course for people who are 
already experienced programmers but need to learn a specific language, 
then you focus on that language.  It can also be suitable for people who 
are never going to be serious programmers but just need to use computers 
for convenience (teach them Python), or for those with low ambitions and 
low expectations who will be pure coders within a large team (teach them 
C# or Java).

But for bigger courses teaching over a longer period, don't bother with 
coding in "realistic" languages at the start.  Your task is to show them 
what's out there, and teach them how to learn.  When teaching different 
aspects of programming, use different languages.  When they are done, 
they will see languages as a detail, not the driving force - you'll have 
taught people to be /programmers/, not merely Java programmers or C++ 
programmers.

And who cares if it slows down their learning?  Speed of learning is not 
a goal - things that are quickly taught are quickly forgotten.  It is 
what you know at the end of the course that matters.

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Re: What I like about programming  . . . JJ <jj4public@outlook.com> - 2023-02-08 04:58 +0700
  Re: What I like about programming . . . David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-08 08:59 +0100
  Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-08 09:34 +0000
  Re: What I like about programming . . . Paul N <gw7rib@aol.com> - 2023-02-08 07:03 -0800
    Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-08 15:50 +0000
      Re: What I like about programming . . . Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-02-08 21:07 +0000
        Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-08 21:56 +0000
          Re: What I like about programming . . . Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-02-09 01:09 +0000
            Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-09 07:18 +0000
              Re: What I like about programming . . . David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-09 09:42 +0100
                Re: What I like about programming . . . "Dmitry A. Kazakov" <mailbox@dmitry-kazakov.de> - 2023-02-09 11:17 +0100
                Re: What I like about programming . . . David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-09 14:15 +0100
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-09 11:41 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2023-02-09 14:20 +0100
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-09 13:38 +0000
              Re: What I like about programming . . . Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-02-09 14:05 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-10 07:04 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-02-10 11:46 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-10 12:49 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Y A <air000000000000@ya.ee> - 2023-02-10 06:37 -0800
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-02-10 23:16 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-11 07:20 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2023-02-11 21:12 +0000
                Re: What I like about programming . . . Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> - 2023-02-11 23:05 +0000

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