Philosophy

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Teaching (and Learning) Programming Is Difficult

This is a short manifesto on teaching and learning programming.

It is easy for both teacher and pupil to blame one another just like in any other discipline. However, the problem of teaching programming is especially arduous because specific factors:

The student has to learn to think and express more formally.
The teacher has to encourage the student to read and process hard text and not just rely solely on a more simplified transmission of knowledge.
The student has to be willing to be able to find resources for a topic and commit to learning them on his own as soon as he is able to.
With now the widespread usage of a large language model, the student has to maintain discipline to avoid this shortcut: while AI bootstraps immediate competency, complete understanding remains naive and self-potential capped.
Within the context of formal schooling, the student must manage his time well. This would also eliminate the desire to use shortcuts with AI to fake a course grade.
Programming connects various other disciplines and deep understanding requires the discipline to be more well-read and investment into fields such as mathematics and physics. (E.g. Donald Knuth’s The Art of Programming famously requires prior understanding in mathematics).

Teaching Kids Coding

Younger students usually come because of their parents’ interest in developing an extracurricular. Logistics aside, the students are here partly to have fun. Having fun is most commonly reflective of something silly happens or as a result of delayed gratification → they manage to create a complex project.

Teaching on vhmp.dev

Philosophy

Teaching (and Learning) Programming Is Difficult

Teaching Kids Coding