Stephen: Wonderful work you’ve done with Livecode and medical education. FYI, there’s a forum topic at; http://forums.livecode.com/viewforum.php?f=107 <http://forums.livecode.com/viewforum.php?f=107>
The forum addresses the topic of getting teachers involved. Your introductory book on livecode looks like just the ticket for new livecoders. By the way, I too have pondered the popularity that Hypercard was able to achieve and compared it to Livecode. Certainly, a subset of livecode and hypercard are pretty identical. So, why isn’t it easier to get excited about it? I have some thoughts. First, there are other, competing platforms. Once a person learns one platform, they get “locked in” and find no reason to learn another. There is also the forest and trees effect, which you mention. That is the fewer options and commands in Hypercard compared to the 2,000 in Livecode. Livecode looks more intimidating than Hypercard did. If you divide users between those experienced in programming, and those inexperienced in programming, there are going to be different challenges getting folks hooked. For those already familiar with other programming languages (I’m in that group), the syntax may look archaic and put folks off. It did me, at first. I was used to Fortran, Pascal, C, Lingo, etc, and the Hypercard syntax just seemed primitive compared to modern object-oriented syntax. BUT, when I looked at what Livecode was capable of, its future, and it’s features and lack of limitations that affected my goals, I became an avid user. For those who have no programming experience, I really don’t think the syntax will trigger the kind of resistance it did in me. For experienced programmers, it may require more of a hard sell. The widgets and powerful interface creation tools are very big, as far as I’m concerned. The open source version is wonderful too and removes an initial financial hurdle. As was in Hypercard, I believe that educators and their students are a ripe pool of possible new LiveCode users. Also, your beginners book is a resource that should be put out in front so potential new users can find it. Perhaps, in your book, there could also be a chapter that dangles the advanced applications that could be, and have been built, to inspire further study. Best, Bill William Prothero, Ph.D. University of California, Santa Barbara, Emeritus proth...@earthednet.org > On Feb 29, 2016, at 7:33 AM, stgoldb...@aol.com wrote: > > > > > What does LiveCode need to do to significantly increase its audience among > teachers and students of computer programming? > > > I taught medical students for 25 years at the University of Miami School of > Medicine. LiveCode has provided an opportunity to further improve medical > education. > > My students, as well as others around the USA, have appreciated these > efforts. I received the George Paff Award for Best Teacher 11 times at the > University of Miami School of Medicine. I also received an unprecedented > invitation to be the keynote speaker at the graduating class commencement of > the Washington University at St. Louis School of Medicine, one of the most > prestigious medical schools in the US. The reason for the invite was for > contributions to medical education, part of which included development of > educational software. > > I am president of the Medmaster medical publishing company and have used > LiveCode to create and distribute many educational programs, some of which > are available free for download at www.medmaster.net/freedownloads.html, > while others of a more complex nature are incorporated into Medmaster books > (I provide links below for the LiveCode readers of this forum): > > Atlas of Microbiology (free). I created this LiveCode program to accompany > Medmaster’s book, Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple, which is > the best-selling microbiology book in the US. It links to the internet for > pictures and descriptions of all microbial organisms and diseases. > > Atlas of Human Diseases (free). This LiveCode program encompasses over > 10,000 known diseases in the world, with links to pictures and text on the > Internet. It may well be the largest atlas of its kind, the equivalent of > many thousands of printed pages, encompassing the vast array human diseases, > hereditary and non-hereditary. It took only a few days of programming using > LiveCode once the disease list was put together. > > Neurologic Localization. This LiveCode program accompanies my book Clinical > Neuroanatomy Made Ridiculously, which for many years has been a best-seller > in the field. It provides the student with a thorough approach to the anatomy > of the nervous system and localization of neurologic diseases, along with a > complete lab course and quiz in neurologic localization. > > Heart Sounds & Images is a LiveCode program that accompanies Medmaster’s book > Clinical Cardiology Made Ridiculously Simple, which is presently the > best-selling Cardiology book in the US. It provides a tutorial of many > hundreds of examples of electrocardiograms, x-rays, angiograms, > echocardiograms, and heart sounds. > > Other LiveCode programs I have written include: > Differential Diagnosis (for Clinical Pathophysiology MRS) > Atlas of Dermatology > Atlas of Pathology (for Pathology MRS) > Atlas of Normal Radiology (for Clinical Anatomy MRS) > Atlas of Clinical Radiology (for Clinical Radiology MRS) > MedSearcher (search engines in medicine) > USMLE Step 1, Step 2, and NCLEX-RN Question Banks > > Everyone has their own forte. I am not an IT person, but rather a teacher. My > own strength is in understanding how to teach students learning a subject for > the first time, which is Medmaster’s mission and the reason for its success > through the years. Medical (and other) students are overwhelmed by the > information explosion, a problem that permeates education at every level. > Medmaster has dealt with the problem with books that are brief, clinically > relevant, and interesting. Most medical students in the US are familiar with > the Medmaster “Made Ridiculously Simple” series, of which LiveCode is a part. > > Given the extraordinary power of LiveCode, it seems strange that so few > people know about it, even after it has been around for many years. I went > into my local Apple store a short time ago and the people behind the genius > bar had not heard of it. Why not? Why aren’t many more programmers and > teachers using it, like they did when Apple’s HyperCard first came out? The > word-of-mouth is not great. I think there are two main reasons. LiveCode > needs better documentation and freedom from bugs: > > 1. Documentation. The HyperCard language had only about 150 words. LiveCode > has over 2000. It can be difficult for a programming newcomer to get started > learning LiveCode for lack of a basic “Getting Started” book. You find all > kinds of programming books in bookstores, but few if any about LiveCode > basics. One can’t just tell a potential user to open and study the massive, > however excellent, LiveCode dictionary. It’s too overwhelming. Nor is it > adequate to post non-linear lessons online that have multiple links. It is > too easy to get lost in them. The teacher and student need a small, clear, > practical linear book that focuses on the basics of LiveCode’s interface and > scripting. The LiveCode company wants to attract more new users. It has been > relatively easy for the old guard who grew up with HyperCard to switch to > LiveCode, which has a similar scripting language, but it is more difficult > for students and teachers who have not had this advantage. They need better > documentation at a basic level. > > 2. Bugs. While it is important to continue to extend LiveCode’s potential > into new realms, including mobile programming, the resolution of bugs in the > system does not appear to have kept pace with new developments in the > LiveCode language and interface. There is a confusing simultaneous > development of LC 6,7, and 8 along separate tracks. A new user wants a single > bug-free version. I still use LC 5.5.3, which I have found quite stable and > used for all the above programs. > > I have tried to do my part in creating a “Getting Started” Manual by writing > “LiveCode Lite: Computer Programming Made Ridiculously Simple.” It focuses on > the key principles of the LiveCode interface and scripting, with examples of > some 150 key words in the LiveCode language and how to use them, enough to > create a great variety of programs. The book, available as a free PDF > download, is accompanied by a downloadable tutorial for Macintosh and > Windows, showing examples of how these basic words are used. Such general > principles are important to learn first before entering more advanced realms, > including mobile programming. The book should be useful to teachers who want > to create educational programs, as well as to students who want to learn the > basics of computer programming. > > The book does not cover mobile programming. I am not experienced in that. > What would be helpful, though, is an extension of the book that explains: > > 1. Which key scripting words are new to mobile programming? > 2. Which key classic scripting words cannot be used in mobile programming, > but are more specific to development on Windows and Macintosh? > > I have read every LiveCode (and Revolution) manual and book, but I have not > seen one that discusses the latter two questions as topics in themselves. As > a result, even programmers who are already familiar with LiveCode for Windows > and Macintosh may have difficulty extending their abilities into the mobile > realm. It is insufficient to just refer readers to the LiveCode dictionary > for mobile words. There is too much there, and the focus needs to be on the > basics. > > In 36 years of publishing, I find that the main factor in a book’s popularity > is word-of-mouth rather than advertising. I think the same is true of > computer programs, including LiveCode. More so than advertising, what is key > is positive word-of-mouth about the program itself, along with good > documentation and the quality of being bug-free. > > At this point in my life (I am 73) I am not interested in making a profit on > LiveCode Lite, but simply offer it as a contribution to the field in > gratitude for a program that has made a difference and has great potential. > If any programmers, or LiveCode Ltd, are interested in extending this book > into the mobile realm, or modify the book further, I would be happy to donate > the book and help in any way I can. The legwork for the basics has already > been done. A more complete book could be presented as a standard bookstore > title used by teachers and students. As an aside, being president of > Medmaster, I have a relationship with the major scientific bookstores and > distributors. Medmaster could publish the book and insure that it is > incorporated by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other distributors. > > Stephen Goldberg, MD > Professor Emeritus, Univ of Miami Miller School of Medicine > President, Medmaster Inc. > www.medmaster.net > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > use-livecode mailing list > use-livecode@lists.runrev.com > Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription > preferences: > http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode _______________________________________________ use-livecode mailing list use-livecode@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode
