I really like the lessons. I did the 2011 online offering of Software Carpentry, where we watched video / read text lessons and did exercises. I still refer back to the lessons when I want to refresh myself on a concept.
Since then, I have recommended to multiple people that they simply read and work through the Software Carpentry lessons. Unfortunately, none of them have reported back to me, so I don't know if any of them tried the lessons or how they felt them. Terri On Wed, Sep 28, 2016 at 9:34 PM, Daniel Chen <[email protected]> wrote: > I wrote a blog post [1] a while back to give people because I wanted to > give them instructions for installation and how to go through the swc/dc > material. > I wholeheartedly agree, the lessons are great starting places to lean a > new topic. > I've constantly referenced them when I have to write a new MAKEFILE. I > mostly worry about people who do not have the opportunity to attend a > workshop and getting started on the lessons on their own. I have no data > on this (or any idea what the data would look like). > > Do your graduate students get stuck on getting things installed? > One concern of mine are people who want to learn X don't actually do it > because they can't even get X installed/working... > Other than saving a snapshot of a workshop template to get installation > instructions, > would moving installation instructions to the lessons be a good idea? > > > [1] http://chendaniely.github.io/tutorials/2015/05/05/ > getting-started-with-data-science/ > > > - Dan > > On Wed, Sep 28, 2016 at 12:54 PM, Kate Hertweck <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Thanks for starting this conversation. In my opinion, our lessons have >> three main purposes: >> 1. remind instructors what to teach (before/during a workshop) >> 2. remind students what they've learned (following a workshop) >> 3. help folks who haven't attended a workshop learn some basics >> >> I think our lessons work pretty well as stand-alone learn-yourself >> materials. In fact, I use them as a starting point for graduate students, >> undergraduates, and even high school students get their feet wet with >> computational work. The most success I've had is with the R for >> reproducible science lessons, as well as the unix-shell lesson. Is working >> through the lessons alone as effective as attending a workshop? Certainly >> not. Usually, though, with a few one-on-one meetings with the student, I >> can fill in the gaps by showing them how I operate as a scientist with >> these tools, and then they're at least equipped to take code I've written >> and modify it to suit their own project needs. I've had students work with >> me and find success with our materials over those they've tried from other >> sources. >> >> This is certainly anecdotal information, but something I think often >> about as I'm faced with infrequent availability of workshops but a need to >> teach limited numbers of students how to code. I'm hoping to build critical >> mass within another year or so to start holding regular workshops at my >> institution, but I need at least a few helpers first! >> >> >> On Wed, Sep 28, 2016 at 10:52 AM, Daniel Chen <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi everyone: >>> >>> When people ask me about learning R/Python I tend to point them to the >>> Software/Data carpentry lesson pages. I think the lessons are great, and >>> I've used them myself to learn about concepts. >>> I'm also biased in my answer because I use the SWC/DC material when I >>> teach. >>> >>> It occurred to me the other day, that for students who attend a >>> workshop, they might understand the material better because they've seen it >>> before taught at a workshop. The lessons that we have essentially serve as >>> a reminder to the workshop they attended. Hopefully, any big questions >>> were asked in the workshop so they can continue with the lesson material on >>> their own. >>> >>> However, what about people who stumble over our lessons without >>> attending a workshop? >>> Do we know how effective the lessons are for people who have not >>> attended a workshop before? >>> I imagine the lesson would be just as good, if not better than most of >>> the material out there. >>> >>> Then again, I am extremely biased... >>> >>> >>> - Dan >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Discuss mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Kate L. Hertweck, Ph.D. >> Assistant Professor, Department of Biology >> The University of Texas at Tyler >> 3900 University Blvd., Tyler, TX 75799 >> Email: [email protected] >> Office: HPR 109, 903.565.5882 >> https://www.uttyler.edu/biology/ >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss >
_______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss
