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I'm so happy to hear that! I graduated from Monash Clayton a few years ago when the Java train was in full effect and the focus on Java was a big source of fru
by bicubic 12y ago
I'm so happy to hear that!
I graduated from Monash Clayton a few years ago when the Java train was in full effect and the focus on Java was a big source of frustration for me. I distinctly remember an algorithms & data structures assignment about Markov chains which had to be done in Java. I spent a good 40 minutes writing what was effectively boilerplate to load the provided files into a meaningful representation and then just snapped and did the entire assignment in Python in maybe 15 minutes. Its crazy how much Java gets in your way for small projects.
Even though it was made clear that Python submissions won't be accepted, my tutor was very understanding and gave me full marks after I stepped him through the code. If that tutor was you, I owe you.
- candeira 12y agoNo, it wasn't me, though I did let anybody in my FIT2004 tutorials (the second data structures and algorithms course, for those who didn't go to Monash) do their work in Python. I only had one taker.
- jhowell 12y agoRegarding "small projects," how useful are they in motivating learners to continue the learning the language? Having robust tooling introduces overhead initially (and to be honest, seemingly eternally), but also makes the impractical possible.
- jrochkind1 12y agoThe goals of a first year CS class probably don't include motivating learners to continue learning any particular language; they may include motivating the learners to continue learning CS and/or programming in general. My first year CS data structures class was in scheme, as used to be popular. I enjoyed the class a lot, leanred a lot, and also found it very challenging. I think scheme was perfect for it. But I had no particular desire to continue with scheme afterwords, which is fine. (Not because I have anything against scheme, but on to other things).