From: david.brown@hesbynett.no   
      
   On 07/02/2023 23:18, Stefan Ram wrote:   
   > JJ  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.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)