Am Samstag, 18. August 2007 12:56 schrieben Sie:
M. Uhle sen. wrote:
....
Some years ago I switched to: A simple editor, a plain compiler, and a textbased console and AN INTERESTING JOB to do. Say: simulate an automobile on a 10 km long road with traffic lights. Answer the question: does it make sense to ignore speed limits or does it not?
So jump, dive, and swim..
Adriaan van Os answered:
At least this creates an intellectual challenge to students, but the wrong one. In fact, you are saying "I am teaching a boring discipline (science/craftmanship/art) so I am trying to make it interesting by finding an interesting application (Anwendung)".
I find that horrible. Only those students that find programming *itself* interesting, will later be good programmers and we really don't need to bother with the rest (they had better start a career in politics or marketing or so).
Sorry, maybe I did not make it clear enough:
I do have the same opinion: If somebody does not develop a deep interest, she/he never will be a good programmer, but:
My students are studying mechanical engineering. Programming is just one subject for them. But the regulations say they must do it. Trying different methods, by the time I found, that they achieve much better results (read: put more effort into it) when they are confronted with interesting challenges. By the way, there are other jobs as well: program a lift for a four storage building (model on the desk), measure the speed of a rotating disk using korrelation on two signals from optical sensors and the like. As soon as something is "moving" they like it.
Again, the task of teachers is to lead pupils into this wondeful new world, i.c. programming and exact thinking, and bring young people to spiritual maturity, rather than trying to "amuse" them with an interesting application.
I cannot see that I should not look for an interesting application. Programming - in my opinion - is not just intelluctual fun, what it is, but it longs for applications. So why not find an interesting one?
And - if you do not strongly believe *yourself* that programming as a discipline (science/craftmanship/art) can be interesting, you will never be able to bring your students to real enthousiams for what you are teaching.
Sincerely,
Adriaan van Os
Sorry, again a remark: Only very few of those who study mech. eng. will develop this enthusiasm (which I claim for myself) but it helps if they see that it can result in more than a few coloured pictures on a screen!
Mathias Uhle