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We can SSH onto an Ubuntu server named HARVEY to test Linux versions mySQL, PERL, PHP, Python, Ruby and display our own web pages.
http://harvey2.binghamton.edu/
We also have access to an FTP site for software like Mathematica, Maple, and Matlab, and there is another page for access to a bunch of VMs that have certain software packages on them. Look at ssl.binghamton.edu.
You may find that that's all you can cover in a semester. If not, I think it's important to also cover the server-side. Start with jQuery AJAX calls against an already created RESTful API to teach the basic request-response HTTP model. Then have students implement the API (no database needed) in Node.js. If you still have time (I doubt it), introduce the concepts of databases with MongoDB [2].
Python and Ruby are great ecosystems, but if you still have to teach JS, I feel like it's a bit hard on beginners to juggle multiple languages. Also, I'm divided on the utility of teaching a huge framework like RoR/Django vs. a lighter framework like Sinatra, Flask, or Express.js (node).
[1] You want to minimize cognitive overhead, especially with 2/3 non-CS-majors. And since anyone learning CoffeeScript needs to know JS, you might as well start with JS.
[2] MongoDB is a lot quicker for hacks than SQL.
For me I can often see multiple (often hacky) approaches to getting something done, but looking through the docs, it seems that the Django developers have made the decisions for me, and they probably have more experience than me.
Looking back through my old code, I did a lot of things manually (reversing URLs) when I read a bit more in the docs, I see the Django developers have put something in to do that already. Usually a lot more cleanly than my solution.
I don't think web development is the hard thing to teach as much as problem solving well. I would have them build anything and everything with the caveat that no matter how good they were (or weren't) the quality of their code would suck looking back in 5 years and to start with bad code, and incrementally add concepts like switches, functions, etc., much like very young coders did at age 10-15 when building anything…
> I don't think web development is the hard thing to teach as much as problem solving well. True, but there's a lot to be said for having first-time programmers (and especially college students) do Web development. It's a familiar environment, which means that they'll know that they're doing something relevant and practical, rather than abstract. They'll be excited to see that they can create Web sites and applicatio…
Programming is simply clear step by step thinking to make something happen. Focusing too much on the syntax and strategies in the beginning can be a distraction from the raw and immediate feedback from your work.
I don't think web development is the hard thing to teach as much as problem solving well. I would have them build anything and everything with the caveat that no matter how good they were (or weren't) the quality of their code would suck looking back in 5 years and to start with bad code, and incrementally add concepts like switches, functions, etc., much like very young coders did at age 10-15 when building anything…
> I would have them build anything and everything with the caveat that no matter how good they were (or weren't) the quality of their code would suck looking back in 5 years Great point! I had a similar experience growing up, but I think a lot of people that want to learn quickly give up. What do you think we can do to keep people excited about it? I was talking to a few friends at UMich and they suggested we have th…
To that effect, I'd probably recommend at this time appery.io .. to make mobile web based apps, which also bring in data.
Appery introduces enough about building apps, as well as the data and logic flow in a browser that people can learn one language (javascript) to see what's possible and branch out from there.
What do you think? Feel free to get in touch.
Hi, I'm a non-CS major at BU on a throwaway account. Don't worry, you're not alone. We can SSH onto an Ubuntu server named HARVEY to test Linux versions mySQL, PERL, PHP, Python, Ruby and display our own web pages. http://harvey2.binghamton.edu/ We also have access to an FTP site for software like Mathematica, Maple, and Matlab, and there is another page for access to a bunch of VMs that have certain software package…
Solve problems that matter to them.
Get to useful, first. (Their definition, not yours.) Then dig and build further.
I've experienced too much pedagogy that takes weeks or months to get to anything that really interests the student.
There is also too much that is "plug and chug", where one never learns more than how to follow a list and assemble components, without understanding them nor the platform on which they run.
My preference would be to engage them with something of interest, and then let that interest motivate the journey further into the details and the context.
If this doesn't interest them, they are probably in the wrong class. (Even if they "need" this for their "career".)
P.S. It's much more motivating to teach someone who is interested in and excited by what they are accomplishing. I mention this with respect to keeping "a few other students" -- as well as yourself -- engaged in your project.
So... make it engaging for your audience, and thereby make it engaging for yourselves.
Good luck.