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I thought a class of entirely non-tech art students how to use the commandline to run their python code within an hour and that includes distractions like peopl
by atoav 2y ago
I thought a class of entirely non-tech art students how to use the commandline to run their python code within an hour and that includes distractions like people using multiple different operating systems and explai ing how paths work on each. Tech inclined students get the gist of the whole thing in less than 15 minutes.
The CLI is literally just: You write a command and a thing happens. That isn't a thing that people get hung up on. The main weirdness you need to tell them about is how to select/copy/paste and use the history. Throw in a lesson about how paths work. Sure the commands need to be remembered but for a start you basically just need pwd, cd and python/python3.
You are not doing your students a service if you try to teach them programming by shielding them from anything that could give them a feel for the systems they develope for.
- crooked-v 2y agoIf anything I think a pure CLI environment would be easier for a lot of people than the incomprehensible skeumorphism-less jumble of controls that a lot of GUIs have turned into. Everything is built in text and done one command at a time, so there's much less mystery compared to trying to figure out what's even a button or not.
- II2II 2y agoI suspect it depends upon the person. Plenty of people have difficulty remembering commands, and only the clever ones in that population will create a cheat sheet to help them along until they do remember them. On the other hand, they may have no trouble remembering where something is or what it looks like. That said, I do resent people who claim CLIs are harder because of that. What works for one person may not work for another.
- atoav 2y agoIdk. I am from a generation where my 12 year old peers would blindly type SMS on their Nokia number pads below the table. I think we massively underestimate what people are able to do – if motivated. Making sure they are motivated is our task. The CLI is awesome and not just for full on nerds.
- exe34 2y agoI don't understand the mentality myself, but some people just turn off their brain immediately if you say "command line", but somehow they see the arcane key combinations that you have to remember and do in the right sequence as more of an exciting challenge.
- atoav 2y agoWell, some people or *cough* hackers feel extra special when pointing out how crazy complicated it is. When I shown the CLI I make sure to switch white on dark text to dsrk on white text. First it is more readable that way on a projector, second people are less likely to switch their brains off. A bit like xkcds idea to make graphs look hand drawn to reach people better.
- exe34 2y agodo they? can you give an example?
- simonw 2y agoA lot of students arrive at university these days without understanding what files and folders are: https://www.theverge.com/22684730/students-file-folder-directory-structure-education-gen-z https://www.theverge.com/22684730/students-file-folder-direc...
- atoav 2y agoI am aware of that. I see it as my task to make sure they leave without that material gap in their knowledge. Somw of them might know more about files than they wish they would, e.g. the group whom I showed how to manually read broadcast wav file using a hex editor. Of course as an example to figure out where the actual data of an audio recording goes and what role metadata plays.