Currently I teach Java courses (up to Data Structures) and I give the warning at the beginning of the semester. I don't use it as a scare tactic to be mean, but

Currently I teach Java courses (up to Data Structures) and I give the warning at the beginning of the semester. I don't use it as a scare tactic to be mean, but to help instill the sense of difficulty in the course. Programming is only hard because it is simultaneously a basic IT, foreign language, applied mathematics and logic class wrapped into one! Also, since its 100% cumulative, every class they miss can be a death sentence. How can you understand Inheritance if you missed the lecture on Objects (or Conditionals if you missed Variables)? I've specifically told my students not to use an IDE for the first month so they get an understanding of how command line operates. I think another issue is simply underestimating the time it takes to complete a simple assignment like implementing the distance formula. Taking an algorithm you understand and translating it correctly can be an exponential problem. I try to model my courses very similar to the MOOCs I've used for practice (edX, Codecademy, and Udacity) - I am a developer turned instructor, so I use these courses as guidelines as what to do. Also, I look at something like MIT's edX courses and think "if this is what they teach, why shouldn't try to model that?" The one thing I like about the courses are that they each uses a constant engagement tactic to ensure the user did learn what they heard. 5-7 minute video, then immediately a quiz or 'lecture exercise' designed to make sure you get the material (not just repeat a definition). Again looking at MIT's edX 6.00x course, you are given "Problem Sets" (homework) that is given a week to be completed. Each part builds to a grand finale. For example, the distance formula mentioned above is then used in my course to implement a crude version of collision detection (www.youtube.com/watch?v=W84QzXUxcL0). I use collision detection because one of the key demographics of CS courses are nerdy gamers (not an insult, I love Binding of Isaac, but that's one of the people that go into CS). One of the other things I try to do is follow the structure of my martial arts classes. In aikido, we start each class with "tai sabaki" (basic body movements). Since these are the core fundamentals of the art, practice makes permanent. I want to start adding basic keyboarding exercises of basic syntax to get them in the habit writing the words that look like english, but aren't.