Timeline for Research into the use of symbol names, in programming, and how it affects learning
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jun 26, 2018 at 7:44 | comment | added | ctrl-alt-delor | @GypsySpellweaver I think we are in agreement. However I am not asking if I should re-write the libraries. I am asking if there is research on the effect (of using bad names, in a beginner class: first lesson of programming). This will tell us what to do: What libraries to choose, should we write a language/library for training/education. But I am not asking these questions here now. | |
| Jun 25, 2018 at 19:43 | comment | added | Gypsy Spellweaver | @ctrl-alt-delor Once the course (back to CS) has covered "best practice" for naming, and a library is used that does cause student confusion for lack of same, then it becomes a teaching moment to emphasise the "why" for using naming conventions as well as practice for sussing out what it's supposed to do despite the confusing name. Changing the past (rewriting a common library) is difficult to do. Teaching from past mistakes to create a better future is likely to be a more fruitful, and efficient, use of instructor energies. | |
| Jun 25, 2018 at 18:04 | comment | added | ctrl-alt-delor | @GypsySpellweaver So should we give them this bad copy every lesson, and tell them that this is best practice? Or some lessons, where we ask them to correct it? | |
| Jun 25, 2018 at 17:54 | comment | added | Gypsy Spellweaver | @ctrl-alt-delor If you were teaching those who would become copy editors, or that would have to deal professionally with updating/changing the work of others in that field, then yes you should. The experience and exposure will help them. | |
| Jun 25, 2018 at 17:13 | comment | added | ctrl-alt-delor | @GypsySpellweaver should we likewise, in literacy class, give examples of poor punctuation, spelling and grammar, because they will see it in the real world. | |
| May 15, 2018 at 13:21 | comment | added | Michel Billaud | @GyspySpellweaver moving to the left of the screen, if you are not lucky enough to have a real robotic turtle on the floor. It is a simulation only. | |
| May 15, 2018 at 10:45 | comment | added | ctrl-alt-delor | @GypsySpellweaver the students have no idea that a sprite on the screen can only go forward. What is constrainning it? Yes there is an incomplete metaphor. But we have to start at the beginning. I can see that a way around the problem, is to take them to the playground, and have them pretend to be a turtle. Have some instructions printed, that they can hold. As for words not mattering I have one thing to say to that: Correct horse battery staple. | |
| May 15, 2018 at 9:12 | comment | added | Gypsy Spellweaver | @MichelBillaud As I understand it, the turtle cannot move left, any more than a car can. That means "left" can only mean "turn" not "move". The *mental model", or metaphor, is incompletely developed if the choice of move or turn arises from the command "left". | |
| May 15, 2018 at 7:58 | comment | added | Michel Billaud |
The problem is, when you read turtle.left(30), you have 2 possible understandings : move it 30 units to the left, or change its direction (anti-clockwise). You have to remember which on is the correct interpretation, which causes an extra cognitive load (we already have to remember the left from the right :-)). So it has a negative impact. Could be avoided with better names.
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| May 15, 2018 at 0:08 | history | answered | Gypsy Spellweaver | CC BY-SA 4.0 |