4 ms·

From my own university experience . . . admittedly, many years ago . . . for me, the assignments were a distraction from learning. Regardless, it's not the prof

From my own university experience . . . admittedly, many years ago . . . for me, the assignments were a distraction from learning. Regardless, it's not the professor's job to force students to learn; it's the student's job to learn if they want to.

eviks 1y ago
That's a separate issue, but then the solution is not to have assignments at all to avoid distraction, not have them without grading. The other dichotomy is also strange, especially since the only person with an actual job is the professor - it is in fact his direct responsibility to structure the course, including incentives, to achieve the best learning.
HDThoreaun 1y ago
The assignments just teach different things. Arguably the most important things, because they are what is most required to succeed at a job. The theory matters at work too, but actually writing code that works tends to be what matters most.
ykonstant 1y ago
> for me, the assignments were a distraction from learning. How? I can vaguely see it if the assignments were truly out of step with the material, but I cannot understand how relevant assignments are a distraction. In mathematics, and in all CS courses I have taught, assignments are at the core of what you are learning, and the best feedback (to yourself and your teacher) that you have a working knowledge of the material.
- goodcanadian 1y ago
  If I already understood the material, assignments became busywork that took time away from learning other things. I was not there for grades; I was there to learn. For this reason, I rarely did the assignments and I willingly took the hit to my grade. It is important to understand that not everybody learns in the same way. I have no problem with assignments as a method of learning. I have a problem with being "forced" to do them when I don't find them terribly helpful.

eviks 1y ago

That's a separate issue, but then the solution is not to have assignments at all to avoid distraction, not have them without grading. The other dichotomy is also strange, especially since the only person with an actual job is the professor - it is in fact his direct responsibility to structure the course, including incentives, to achieve the best learning.

HDThoreaun 1y ago

The assignments just teach different things. Arguably the most important things, because they are what is most required to succeed at a job. The theory matters at work too, but actually writing code that works tends to be what matters most.

ykonstant 1y ago

> for me, the assignments were a distraction from learning. How? I can vaguely see it if the assignments were truly out of step with the material, but I cannot understand how relevant assignments are a distraction. In mathematics, and in all CS courses I have taught, assignments are at the core of what you are learning, and the best feedback (to yourself and your teacher) that you have a working knowledge of the material.

goodcanadian 1y ago
If I already understood the material, assignments became busywork that took time away from learning other things. I was not there for grades; I was there to learn. For this reason, I rarely did the assignments and I willingly took the hit to my grade. It is important to understand that not everybody learns in the same way. I have no problem with assignments as a method of learning. I have a problem with being "forced" to do them when I don't find them terribly helpful.