5 ms·

I think it's meaningless to say that anyone can eventually learn X. Even if it's true, it's not really relevant. Suppose you're a prospective CS student and yo

by acbabis 10y ago

I think it's meaningless to say that anyone can eventually learn X. Even if it's true, it's not really relevant. Suppose you're a prospective CS student and you ask your trusted friend/advisor/teacher if they think you have what it takes. Which is a more useful answer? 1) "Anyone can do it with enough guided practice" 2) "Yes, but based on your math grades you'll probably spend several times as much time studying as your peers"

Kalium 10y ago
That depends a very great deal on what goal you're trying to advance with a useful answer. The former works towards encouraging the student to keep trying. The latter might help guide the student towards a different area where they might excel with lower time costs. Different people may have different opinions on what constitutes "useful" in such a scenario.
- pbhjpbhj 10y ago
  1) is more of a hypothesis whilst 2) [modified to "if you manage then you'll spend longer ..."] is pretty well known as a well tested theory for educators.