Hopefully this scientific study with hard numbers conveys what I was saying in my earlier mail about Python being a better choice for learning vocational programming.
This is the summary of a talk accepted for PyCon 2009. http://us.pycon.org/2009/conference/talks/ Python for CS1 Not Harmful to CS Majors (and good for everyone) Dr. Bill Punch (Michigan State University) bio; Dr. Richard J Enbody (Michigan State University) 30min Intermediate education At Michigan State Computer Science Dept. we have recently converted our CS1 course (200 students/semester, about 60% non-CS majors) to Python, previously taught in C++. Follow on courses for CS majors (CS2, etc.) still use and teach C/C++. Right around the conversion point, we had two groups of students taking the C++ CS2 course: those that took CS1 in Python and those that took CS1 in C++. We examined the performance of those two groups of students in the CS2-C++ course (covering the same topics as previously), looking for any significant differences as measured by t-test with respect to: final exam grade, overall programming project scores and final course grade. No significant differences between CS1-Python and CS1-C++ were found. Further, multiple regression analysis showed that only GPA was a good predictor of the three outcomes. Neither CS-1 Python nor CS1-C++ was a predictor. Our conclusion is that a CS1-Python course was as good a preparation for a CS2-C++ course as was a CS1-C++ course. Furthermore, CS1-Python was a far better terminal course for non-majors than CS1-C++, and both majors and non-majors were could address a wider range of practical STEM problem than previously. We have written a CS1-Python book for others who wish to teach a Python-CS1 course that emphasizes teaching Python to CS1 students with a theme of data manipulation. +PG On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 10:07 PM, Roshan Mathews <rmath...@gmail.com> wrote: > > On Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 2:56 AM, Sridhar Ratnakumar > <sridhar.ra...@gmail.com> wrote: > > On Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 7:46 AM, Roshan Mathews <rmath...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> The 'knowing the rules' vs. 'being proficient' argument is > >> also made in SICP > >> <http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/full-text/book/book-Z-H-11.html#%_sec_1.2> > >> ... another good read, (Indian version of the dead trees version > >> available from University Press.) > > > > Are you referring to this argument? > > > Yes. KG was making a similar point about golf, I think. > > > > > Speaking of SICP, > > http://eli.thegreenplace.net/2008/04/18/sicp-conclusion/ (must have > > been quite a feeling of achievement!) > > > Indeed. http://eli.thegreenplace.net/2008/06/06/signed-copy-of-sicp/ :) > > ~Roshan > _______________________________________________ > BangPypers mailing list > BangPypers@python.org > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/bangpypers _______________________________________________ BangPypers mailing list BangPypers@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/bangpypers
