Teaching Real-World Programming
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In most programming classes, students write programs in a single language (e.g., Java, Python) and its standard library; they might use a well-documented third-party library for, say, graphics. Students fill in skeleton code templates provided by instructors or, at most, write a few chunks of code "from scratch." Specifications and interfaces are clearly defined, and assignments are graded using automated test suites to verify conformance to specs. What I just described is necessary for introducing beginners to basic programming and software engineering concepts. But it bears little resemblance to the sorts of programming that these students must later do in the real world.
What secrets of programming did they forget to teach you in school?
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In most programming classes, students write programs in a single language (e.g., Java, Python) and its standard library; they might use a well-documented third-party library for, say, graphics. Students fill in skeleton code templates provided by instructors or, at most, write a few chunks of code "from scratch." Specifications and interfaces are clearly defined, and assignments are graded using automated test suites to verify conformance to specs. What I just described is necessary for introducing beginners to basic programming and software engineering concepts. But it bears little resemblance to the sorts of programming that these students must later do in the real world.
What secrets of programming did they forget to teach you in school?
As a part time college professor, some of these points in the article does give me some ideas for future classes. All of the points are good, especially #3 and #6...
"I've seen more information on a frickin' sticky note!" - Dave Kreskowiak
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In most programming classes, students write programs in a single language (e.g., Java, Python) and its standard library; they might use a well-documented third-party library for, say, graphics. Students fill in skeleton code templates provided by instructors or, at most, write a few chunks of code "from scratch." Specifications and interfaces are clearly defined, and assignments are graded using automated test suites to verify conformance to specs. What I just described is necessary for introducing beginners to basic programming and software engineering concepts. But it bears little resemblance to the sorts of programming that these students must later do in the real world.
What secrets of programming did they forget to teach you in school?
How to function when you're not allowed to smash one of your cow-orkers keyboard into his hands until you've broken all three of them to stop him from injecting nothing but non-functional technical debt into your codebase.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt
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How to function when you're not allowed to smash one of your cow-orkers keyboard into his hands until you've broken all three of them to stop him from injecting nothing but non-functional technical debt into your codebase.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt
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In most programming classes, students write programs in a single language (e.g., Java, Python) and its standard library; they might use a well-documented third-party library for, say, graphics. Students fill in skeleton code templates provided by instructors or, at most, write a few chunks of code "from scratch." Specifications and interfaces are clearly defined, and assignments are graded using automated test suites to verify conformance to specs. What I just described is necessary for introducing beginners to basic programming and software engineering concepts. But it bears little resemblance to the sorts of programming that these students must later do in the real world.
What secrets of programming did they forget to teach you in school?
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In most programming classes, students write programs in a single language (e.g., Java, Python) and its standard library; they might use a well-documented third-party library for, say, graphics. Students fill in skeleton code templates provided by instructors or, at most, write a few chunks of code "from scratch." Specifications and interfaces are clearly defined, and assignments are graded using automated test suites to verify conformance to specs. What I just described is necessary for introducing beginners to basic programming and software engineering concepts. But it bears little resemblance to the sorts of programming that these students must later do in the real world.
What secrets of programming did they forget to teach you in school?