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This is a brilliant platform! Didn't realize the company was YC-backed. Curious to know if there has been any interest from junior or high schools to adapt to
by otoburb 12y ago
This is a brilliant platform! Didn't realize the company was YC-backed.
Curious to know if there has been any interest from junior or high schools to adapt to a classroom curriculum? Current CodeCombat business model seems to be connecting employers with budding Javascript programmers, but the educational angle may be a possible recurring revenue stream to explore.
- eterm 12y agoHere's one reason why it's not a brilliant platform, check the URL after clicking log in: http://codecombat.com/play/ladder/gold-rush?email=ohdear@example.org&password=goddam http://codecombat.com/play/ladder/gold-rush?email=ohdear@exa... edit: Seems to only happen after clicking log in on the main page right side bar rather than the header one.
- nwinter 12y agoCan you email nick@codecombat.com to help us reproduce this? It sounds like a form is getting submitted somehow, which shouldn't happen. I haven't been able to reproduce in Firefox, Chrome, or Safari yet. Sorry about this–we take security seriously.
- eterm 12y agoThanks, I've dropped you an email with the steps to reproduce. Somehow I had landed on a particular ladder page and it looks like it may have an older style log in modal.
- segmondy 12y agoNo, it might be insecure, but that doesn't mean that it's not brilliant. The platform is not designed for security. It's designed to play a game while coding, and it does that.
- nwinter 12y agoWe do have a lot of students and teachers using it, but we haven't built a long-enough beginner campaign to provide much of a curriculum yet. That's something we'll be focusing on starting in early fall as US schools start swinging again. Our mission is to become the way that pretty much everyone learns to program.
- patja 12y agoI teach programming classes at my kid's K-8 school. I was looking for fun ways to teach Javascript and took a long hard look at Code Combat but ultimately had to reject it. It might be a good option for an elective course or after school program, but I was teaching a class that 100% of students were required to take. The focus on killing and violence simply would not fly for all students or in the context of a required curriculum. I am guessing maybe 75% of the students would love it, but the remainder would be marginalized and I am sure I would get some parent complaints.
- robbiep 12y agoWow, has education really become that pc?
- mopedDreams 12y agoI don't think the issue is political correctness... I think it is more about creating an inclusive, gender-neutral curriculum that doesn't marginalise girls. I agree that this game looks amazing, but would not be engaging to 100% of students, in the same way that a football game wouldn't be. As for complaints, I think it's important to respect some parents' wishes for their kids not to play games that include killing. Although most parents wouldn't complain.
- moonchrome 12y agoSo you're saying it's not about PC and then arguing how it violates political correctness and therefore shouldn't be used ? Something that would get 75% of your students involved sounds like a huge win compared to standard curriculum programs, as soon as a class is required it's going to involve people that have 0 interest in it from start.
- mopedDreams 12y agoI didn't say it violates PC, I said it isn't inclusive. And aiming for 75% engagement is an awful teaching strategy. I do however agree that a required class does pose an engagement challenge. Computer Science will be a compulsory subject for UK school kids from September.