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From: gudeman@arizona.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: How to teach computers
Message-ID: <1496@megaron.arizona.edu>
Date: Fri, 6-Feb-87 13:58:39 EST
Article-I.D.: megaron.1496
Posted: Fri Feb  6 13:58:39 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Feb-87 03:45:57 EST
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson
Lines: 54


>...  I remember the very first project that I was given in my first
>computer class: Write down the instructions for tying your shoes (no
>pictures).
>...
>The correct answer is done in about a page and a half...

I remember a similar assignment before I knew anything about computers,
we were supposed to write down the instructions for making a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich.  There was something was wrong with the
project, but I didn't know what it was.  In trying to find out what
was wrong, I asked such questions as "What sort of machinery does the
computer have to work with?", "If I write 'arm' will the computer know
what that is?", "Do I have to specify angles and distances of motion
or does the computer know where everything is?", "Where is everything
at the start?".  The teacher became very irritated with me (I was the
only one asking questions) and told me to just do the assignment like
everyone else.  Of course I was an ignorant high-schooler at the time,
now that I have an M.S. in Computer Science, I would *still* ask the
exact same questions.

The problem is that the project is grossly under-specified.  No
instruction set is given.  I suppose there is some justification for
such assignments, in that it gets people to think about instruction
sets, but it does not tell you anything about who will be good
programmers.  As far as the "correct answer", there isn't one, it all
depends on what instruction set the person chooses.


Note to teachers of beginning programming:

I have to modestly claim (from my present perspective as a computer
scientist) that my high-school self understood the problem better than
my teacher did (she was a business teacher, not CSc).  I decided that
I might as well choose the most convenient instruction set there was,
though not in those words.  My first solution was "Make a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich." -- a perfectly valid solution -- but
decided that the teacher would not approve.  So I eventually turned in
something like

	1) Open jelly and peanut butter
	2) put bread on table
	3) put peanut butter on bread
	4) put jelly on bread

I got one of the worst grades in the class because I understood the
problem.  Not being a grade-oriented student, this didn't particularly
bother me, but I hate to think of all the grief this causes other
people in first programming classes.
					David Gudeman

gudeman@arizona.edu			Department of Computer Science
ihnp4!arizona!gudeman			The University of Arizona
602-621-2858				Tucson, AZ 85721