2010/10/29 Marc Paré <m...@marcpare.com>: > Le 2010-10-28 17:45, RGB ES a écrit : >> >> The only reason to see tab stops and other formatting codes is if you >> need to *interact* with them: if you have a good set of paragraph >> styles the ability to "see" tab stops and other formatting codes is >> useless. So, all the concepts presented in this thread seems to be >> geared towards direct formatting. >> If that's the case, I'm against it. >> While direct formatting *seems* to be good on two page school reports, >> it is a nightmare when you need to create complex and well structured >> documents. >> Writer have a good tradition of tools that helps the build of complex >> documents (styles, styles and more styles!). >> What I would like to see instead of more direct formatting tools, is a >> redesign of the way styles are defined to easy the learning curve of >> new users. >> Relying on styles is Writer's trademark. I think we need to give even >> more power to this trademark instead of going the route of MSWord. >> Just my 2 ¢ >> > > Yes, but from an instructional point of view in the classroom, the treatment > of tabs in this manner would be welcomed. It would clearly illustrate the > use of tabs to the majority of students who find it confusing. > > Marc
If you only teach your students to use direct formatting, they will only use direct formatting afterwards: If you want to teach them how to properly use Writer, you need to teach them the correct use of styles since the beginning. I know, it is not easy, but it is more difficult to correct bad habits afterwards... BTW, tabs inside paragraph styles makes a lot more sense than tabs as formatting characters: when you know your paragraph style have, say, two tab stops at this and that position, it is not a surprise if the cursor jump "there" when you hit the tab key... after all, *you* set that position. But tab stops as direct formatting are IMO more difficult to explain because the same key will behave differently depending on where the cursor is: maybe the confusion comes from there. After all, *tab stops as direct formatting must be avoided on properly formatted documents* so why to spend time showing that problematic use? Because of "didactics"? I admit I'd never teach sorftware to a classroom (even if I maintain several guides and a book about Writer on Spanish), but I have more than 15 year of experience teaching physics and mathematics to all levels, from kids to university students, and my experience is that explaining difficult concepts "the easy way" with flashing "didactic resources" is always a bad practice: going "to the point" is more difficult, to the teacher non less than to the students, but it always gives better results on the long run. -- Unsubscribe instructions: Email to discuss+h...@documentfoundation.org Posting guidelines: http://netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html Archive: http://www.documentfoundation.org/lists/discuss/ *** All posts to this list are publicly archived ***
