4 ms·

The solution is trivial. Have students write the algorithms in pseudocode in class by hand, on paper.

by xwdv 3y ago

alpaca128 3y ago
No, thanks. The coding exams I've been in were either handwritten, or in a text field which loses focus every time you pess Tab. Both were a miserable experience and absolutely pointless. How about this: test actual understanding instead of desperately making trivial tasks needlessly challenging.
- paulddraper 3y ago
  I think the point was that some students might substitute ChatGPT understanding for their own.
- gpm 3y ago
  I had exams in university that involved writing short pieces of (usually pseudo code, one exam asked us to write C) code on paper. Pre-gpt or anything like that. Done just because all our exams were on paper to simplify logistics. It was fine. It tested actual understanding of the problems at hand. No one should be asking someone to write long pieces of code by hand, but a dozen lines of code to implement a simple algorithm is fine.
- xwdv 3y ago
  Or how about: stop spoiling students and make them pick up a pencil and write down some damn code. I took tests by hand all my life and even in college I think most computer science tests that weren’t “implement this big project” were all done by hand. Professors didn’t give a fuck about fancy test software: bring pencil, bring paper, here’s a test, good luck. Your hand isn’t going to cramp up writing double linked list or binary heap functions. Plus you’re going to have to do this anyway for whiteboard interviews to get your first job. If a CS student can’t do this by hand, then just get out of the field. We do not need more intellectually weak engineers, especially as the amount of money one earns in tech seems to increasingly attract money hungry brogrammers that write shitty code. And I’m sure ChatGPT will empower an entire generation of slackers who think software engineering is just writing the right prompts in plain English.
  - alpaca128 3y ago
    > Plus you’re going to have to do this anyway for whiteboard interviews to get your first job. Or they could improve interviews so they test more than memorization. > If a CS student can’t do this by hand, then just get out of the field. Why? Should construction job applicants also dig holes using old shovels to prove they aren't weaklings depending on modern machinery? Completely pointless. > We do not need more intellectually weak engineers But that implies current "intellectually weak" engineers were good enough for handwritten whiteboard interviews, so what's your point again?

The solution is trivial. Have students write the algorithms in pseudocode in class by hand, on paper.

by xwdv 3y ago

The solution is trivial. Have students write the algorithms in pseudocode in class by hand, on paper.

No, thanks. The coding exams I've been in were either handwritten, or in a text field which loses focus every time you pess Tab. Both were a miserable experience and absolutely pointless. How about this: test actual understanding instead of desperately making trivial tasks needlessly challenging.

paulddraper 3y ago
I think the point was that some students might substitute ChatGPT understanding for their own.
gpm 3y ago
I had exams in university that involved writing short pieces of (usually pseudo code, one exam asked us to write C) code on paper. Pre-gpt or anything like that. Done just because all our exams were on paper to simplify logistics. It was fine. It tested actual understanding of the problems at hand. No one should be asking someone to write long pieces of code by hand, but a dozen lines of code to implement a simple algorithm is fine.
xwdv 3y ago
Or how about: stop spoiling students and make them pick up a pencil and write down some damn code. I took tests by hand all my life and even in college I think most computer science tests that weren’t “implement this big project” were all done by hand. Professors didn’t give a fuck about fancy test software: bring pencil, bring paper, here’s a test, good luck. Your hand isn’t going to cramp up writing double linked list or binary heap functions. Plus you’re going to have to do this anyway for whiteboard interviews to get your first job. If a CS student can’t do this by hand, then just get out of the field. We do not need more intellectually weak engineers, especially as the amount of money one earns in tech seems to increasingly attract money hungry brogrammers that write shitty code. And I’m sure ChatGPT will empower an entire generation of slackers who think software engineering is just writing the right prompts in plain English.
- alpaca128 3y ago
  > Plus you’re going to have to do this anyway for whiteboard interviews to get your first job. Or they could improve interviews so they test more than memorization. > If a CS student can’t do this by hand, then just get out of the field. Why? Should construction job applicants also dig holes using old shovels to prove they aren't weaklings depending on modern machinery? Completely pointless. > We do not need more intellectually weak engineers But that implies current "intellectually weak" engineers were good enough for handwritten whiteboard interviews, so what's your point again?