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That's not ok at all. You can't toss someone who doesn't understand what a function is into large-scale application development (which is what I was doing first
by samdk 17y ago
That's not ok at all. You can't toss someone who doesn't understand what a function is into large-scale application development (which is what I was doing first semester sophomore year) and expect them to get anything out of it.
There's merit (a lot of merit) to the idea of pair programming as a way to learn programming. I just don't think the logistics of freshman/sophomores working together are realistic.
- fnid2 17y agoI'd argue that you should do just that. Throw them right into the middle of it. Dive right in! I think they'll get a lot out of it. As an intern after my freshman year, I had no idea what a database was, but I was thrown right into it and got a ton out of it. I have been observing how people learn and how things can be taught effectively. I noticed that the best teachers of a concept are those who have learned the concept most recently. If you've been programming for 20 years, it's hard to empathize with someone who has never coded before. But if you only started coding last year, it's easier to convey the thought processes required to learn the new information -- whatever field of knowledge it is in. A sophomore can explain the concept of the function to the freshman and in the process learn it better him or herself. It's a win-win.
- AndrewDucker 17y agoCourse you can! That's pretty much what we do with new starts where I work. Give them a mentor, get them stuck in, they pick up the basics very quickly and the complex stuff during the few months after that.