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From: klimas@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com
Newsgroups: comp.object
Subject: Re: Teaching an Object-Oriented Programming Course - Need Your Help
Message-ID: <1118.26ff8820@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>
Date: 25 Sep 90 21:38:56 GMT
References: <3090@unocss.unomaha.edu> <PCG.90Sep14142009@odin.cs.aber.ac.uk> <2279@runxtsa.runx.oz.au> <1108.26ff1f5a@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>
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As this topic seems to be getting some net bandwidth, I'd like to call
peoples attention to an article in Digitalk's newsletter called Scoop.
The article "Carleton University uses Smalltalk/V-286 as first programming
language" by John Pugh, Director, School of Computer Science, Carleton
University (Ottawa Canada). Some highlights....

Carleton has reengineered its computer science curriculum to use Smalltalk as
the introductory programming language for all Computer Science majors....

A concern with Smalltalk is the lack of good textbooks.  For some schools this
could be a problem.  Fortunately Carleton has a prominent research group in OOP
and therefore considerable Smalltalk experience is avaialable.  We were willing
to develop our own course materials although we are eagerly awaiting new books
on the horizon.....

Our experience with Smalltalk has been extremely positive... Students with
prior high school programming experience are no longer bored.  The
availablility of the class library has permitted assignments of a much more
realistic nature....

...the use of Smalltalk has allowed instructors to focus on more real-world
problem solving than on abstract computer science problems.


<As a personal asside, we have seen summer students from high school (allbeit
they're rather bright) develop Coad\Yourdon type case tools in Smalltalk in a 
few weeks!>