Re: The Last Word on Comments (was Re: Hungarian notation)

[lr-lang@csm.uwe.ac.uk (Bob Lang 3P21 x3172)]

In article <4p3dad$mia@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, fulton.52@osu.edu (Mike Fulton) writes:

> Why don't schools design projects/labs that build upon themselves.  Every one 
> of my projects could have been done without doing the preceding projects.  
> When we implemented Abstract Data Types (ADT), they gave us the .def files and 
> told use how to use the procedures.  Why not have us build those 
> implementation modules first.  Start with what the language gives you and then 
> extend it.  Create an ADT from the ground up.  Then have us use the ADT we 
> made to implement other ADT by layering them over our first ones.  
> [snipped to save space]

I would *dearly* love to teach programming as you suggest, but there are a
number of practical difficulties that prevent it...

1) Stupid modular schemes.  For no sound academic reason, many UK universities
have gone away from their traditional "course based" structure to a modular
structure.  In a modular scheme, work is divided into small chunks (modules)
each of which lasts one or two semesters (semesters are another dreadful
idea).  This apparently gives the student lots of freedom to pick and choose
modules.  At the end of the three or four years, the profile of modules taken
and the grades achieved go to give the student the final classification of
degree.  The problem here is that work described must of necessity be split
across several modules, spanning a period of time.  But only those students
who successfully passed the first module can go on to the second, and only
those who successfully passed the second can go on to the third, etc.
Students are prevented from joining in the middle - even those who have moved
across from similar courses at other universities.  This is very restrictive
and goes against the whole idea of modular schemes.  (Modules are great in
Modula-2, but not a good idea academically)

2) Can't "progress" to another language.  We teach Modula-2 as a first
language as it gives a basic grounding, whilst still allowing serious
applications.  But many students like the idea of learning a number of
different languages during their university time.  More time spent doing
Modula-2 means less time doing C, C++, Ada, etc.  Now I'm a great fan of
Mod-2, but I know there are more C/C++ jobs outside my ivory tower than there
are Mod-2 jobs.

3) You can't teach everything.  When I came in to university teaching from
industry, I was quite shocked by how *little* we seemed to teach the students.
Thirty weeks of term-time each year seems a lot, but it's surprising how
quickly it goes.  Students can only accept information so fast, and any
attempt to speed up soon leaves them behind, so you have to back track (losing
more time).  UK universities are under severe financial constraints which
means that they literally cannot afford to have a huge drop out rate.  That
means that the best we can do is spend three or four years giving students the
basic info they need to survive out there, and the academic tools to pick up
the rest as they go along.  BTW, the amount we teach now greatly exceeds the
amount I learned at university 20 years ago - some in industry would say it
still isn't enough.


Regards

Bob
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