>Programming theory is a LOT more important than any of the practice - and
>using well designed languages helps enforce that students learn how to apply
>the theory properly.
I agree with this wholeheartedly.
>The language used is just a matter of syntax, but you want to minimize
>students developing bad habits. Well designed languages help prevent this.
However, I disagree that the difference between languages is purely a
matter of syntax. There's a huge difference in the semantics and the
programming mechanisms available between, say, C and Python or Ruby.
By the way, I agree with your argument, just not with that statement :-).
>Given this is for a short-term paid course, you *really* want to pick a well
>designed language which will discourage bad practices - you don't have
>enough time to ward students from the wrong path.
I say, pull out Knuth, teach them all MIX, and for the rest of their
programming lives, they'll say to themselves "Well, at least I don't have
to write that pseudo assembler crap anymore!", plus they'll have been
taught a lot of the important stuff :-).
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