Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #37064

Re: A small challenge at beginner's level

Show all headers | View raw

On 8/3/2017 5:57 PM, Silvio wrote:
> 
> Persisting in using a retarded formatting style is bad enough already. Forcing it
> upon students is criminal.
> 
> And it is a pointless exercise to boot. Programming is not about exploring
> obscurities and extremities but about common sense and good taste. You are teaching
> neither. Your students deserve a better teacher.
> 

Rants such as this should have no place in this forum.

Teaching programming is not about the solution to some trivial
problem.  It is about training students to think in ways that
are often unnatural to them.  I agree about examples always
showing proper style (except when showing why bad styles are
harder to read and can mask errors).  But teaching innovative
problem-solving is not about forcing beginners to learn tons
of syntax or forcing them to StackOverflow or the like to copy
and paste an answer to a more realistic, non-trivial question.

Solving this particular problem is not the point; figuring out
how to solve problems is the point.  Once the students know
more about Java, the examples can include "correct" use of
language features and more realistic challenges.  I have no
doubt the OP is well aware of this and adjusts exercises to
the level of their students.

If someone doesn't feel the challenge is a useful one, then they
should ignore it or suggest a better one.  I, for one, would love
to steal (er, I meant adopt) some excellent exercises for my students
beyond the standard ones like "show all the ways with legal U.S.
coins to make change for someone of 45 cents", guess the number,
Fahrenheit to Celsius converter, and so on.  I encourage instructors
to post their exercises: to share, to receive constructive feedback,
and to share student reactions and results.

-- 
Wayne

Back to comp.lang.java.programmer | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Re: A small challenge at beginner's level Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2017-08-03 23:57 +0200
  Re: A small challenge at beginner's level Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-08-03 18:12 -0400
  Re: A small challenge at beginner's level Wayne <wayne@nospam.invalid> - 2017-08-04 04:23 -0400
    Re: A small challenge at beginner's level Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2017-08-04 23:55 +0200
    Re: A small challenge at beginner's level Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2017-08-07 20:11 -0400
    Re: A small challenge at beginner's level lewbloch@gmail.com - 2017-08-08 07:34 -0700

csiph-web