Gerard, It may be that it is easier for instructors to be enthusiastic about one kind or another? If that is true, then lesson structure is a tool that can be used to create material about which more or different instructors can be enthusiastic; and that is a worthy goal, no?
-- bennet On Mon, Nov 14, 2016 at 4:01 AM, Gerard Capes <[email protected]> wrote: > This sounds very much like the discussion of whole-language vs phonetics > approach to teaching children to read, which forms part of the instructor > training. The summary for that example is that it doesn't matter - you just > need to be enthusiastic. > > On 13/11/16 12:48, Waldman, Simon wrote: > > Again, this is anecdotal and only my own very limited experience: But I > think that top-down is *far* superior for people new to programming, but > bottom-up may be appreciated by people who already know (an)other > language(s) and simply want to know how familiar things work in this one. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Discuss [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Pat Schloss > Sent: 11 November 2016 20:25 > To: Peter Teuben > Cc: Software Carpentry Discussion > Subject: Re: [Discuss] top down vs. bottom up teaching python? > > I’ve done both with teaching R. I don’t have any data, but I far prefer the > top-down approach. > > My version of top-down is to give them code that works to make a standard > plot. That lets them make something tangible in the first 5 minutes. I then > have them look at the code and ask how they would change colors, plotting > symbols, etc. Then I ask them how they would make a new plot using a > different column from the data file. I then wash, rinse, repeat building in > new > programming concepts to do different analyses and methods of visualizing > data. I far prefer this approach over building up from “Hello World” because > they get going immediately and because that’s how many of us learned to > program. At least for me, I learned by taking code that someone else > generated to do a task and hacked at it to suit my needs. Whenever I find a > new package, I take their vignette and hack at it to learn how the functions > work. > > It seems like most programming books are bottom-up while more domain- > specific materials are top-down. I agree that it would be very interesting > to > hear other opinions and whether there are any data supporting one strategy > or another… > > Pat > > > On Nov 11, 2016, at 3:07 PM, Peter Teuben <[email protected]> wrote: > > > forgive me if this is something covered before but I'd like to contrast two > > opposite ways of teaching a language > > What i mean is to teach something like python, you can go through the > > rigorous language elements (which can be pretty boring) and build up your > skills to the level that you can program. This I would call a bottom up > style. > > The other approach is you pick a problem in the field of your students (in > > my case astronomy, so my example may not work for biology students), and > disect it and teach them the language elements as you go. I would call this > top down. > > Has this approach been tried and has it been found at least equally good? > > Of course the huge drawback is that it only applies to a small group of > students. I'm curious to try this. > > - peter > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss > > ________________________________ > > Founded in 1821, Heriot-Watt is a leader in ideas and solutions. With > campuses and students across the entire globe we span the world, delivering > innovation and educational excellence in business, engineering, design and > the physical, social and life sciences. > > The contents of this e-mail (including any attachments) are confidential. If > you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, any disclosure, copying, > distribution or use of its contents is strictly prohibited, and you should > please notify the sender immediately and then delete it (including any > attachments) from your system. > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss > > > -- > Gerard Capes > Research Applications, IT Services, University Of Manchester > 0161 306 2509 > > Ten tips for writing excellent emails > > _______________________________________________ > Discuss mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss _______________________________________________ Discuss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.software-carpentry.org/listinfo/discuss
