I think this is a great idea! In this same vein: Machine Learning Flashcards by Chris Albon [1] [1]: https://machinelearningflashcards.com/
Those are cool! Thanks for the link
Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
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Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#72I'm writing this off-the-cuff so don't read too much into it if you don't want to. I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). I think it's a great way to remove some of the scaryness-factor that more serious tomes (like Cormen et al) are associated to. I don't think the niche is nearly reaching oversaturation. I think there is plen…
> I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). Julia deserves a ton of credit, but I think it's also important to remember whytheluckystiff's "Poignant Guide to Ruby" [1]. Going even farther back, Forrest M Mims' electronics books [2], which I remember being sold in Radio Shacks, get much of their fame and familiarity from being hand…
Also, "Starting Forth" by Leo Brodie is the earliest computer-related version of teaching with comics I can remember reading. It came out around 1981 and you can find an online version (including most of the original illustrations) here: https://www.forth.com/starting-forth/0-starting-forth/
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#73I don't see myself coloring the pages in; primarily as I wouldn't want to use up any resources. Granted, I'm a 30+ PhD student, so I might not be the targeted market. The only things I have of differing colors are dry erase markers. For a (much) younger audience, I could see the teacher buying this, but in that breath, they are always looking to not spend a lot (or any) money on supplies, so a $30-40 coloring book fo…
Thanks a lot for the input. It's super useful to hear a different perspective on the idea. I have no clue how much something like this should cost and will probably wait until it's closer to finished before deciding. I think your idea about providing colored examples is good and have heard it from a few people now so that's definitely worth looking into. Also I am red green colorblind so thanks for keeping people lik…
Not problem! In my first programming class years ago, I made an assignment about probability with colored cards; one of my students told me he had to cheat because he was colorblind and since then I've done my best to think about those aspects.
Plus a good friend of mine has written numerous books on educational materials for deaf child, so whenever I talk about CS education, she reminds me to keep these types of disabilities in mind whenever I design new material
> I think your idea about providing colored examples is good and have heard it from a few people now so that's definitely worth looking into
It's something I don't think we have a lot of in CS education currently; a current platform I'm building is solely to provide almost a dozen types of exercises (fill in the blank, explain the code, hell even typing exercises) to give students the practice (I feel) they miss out on.
Coming from a martial art background, any technique we learn, we get to drill more than once and we aren't expected to beat MMA fighters after 1 lesson. I view the brain like any other muscle, in that with practice, you get better. My job as an instructor is to make sure you stay motivated and don't learn the wrong way.
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#74I'm writing this off-the-cuff so don't read too much into it if you don't want to. I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). I think it's a great way to remove some of the scaryness-factor that more serious tomes (like Cormen et al) are associated to. I don't think the niche is nearly reaching oversaturation. I think there is plen…
> I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). Julia deserves a ton of credit, but I think it's also important to remember whytheluckystiff's "Poignant Guide to Ruby" [1]. Going even farther back, Forrest M Mims' electronics books [2], which I remember being sold in Radio Shacks, get much of their fame and familiarity from being hand…
There's also the SELinux Colouring Book by Dan Walsh and Mairin Duffy.
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#75Awesome idea and nice work. Personally I find these types of conceptual exercises very useful.
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). Julia deserves a ton of credit, but I think it's also important to remember whytheluckystiff's "Poignant Guide to Ruby" [1]. Going even farther back, Forrest M Mims' electronics books [2], which I remember being sold in Radio Shacks, get much of their fame and familiarity from being hand…
Forrest Mims III taught me electronics as a teenager. Also Larry Gonick really rounded out my rusty calculus knowledge with his "Cartoon Guide to Calculus" [0] This is just the product page, no stupid referral on the link. [0] https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Guide-Calculus/dp/0061689092
I was about to post Gonick's guide to physics. Fantastic series.
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#77awesome, it will make understanding data structure fun.
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#78I'm writing this off-the-cuff so don't read too much into it if you don't want to. I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). I think it's a great way to remove some of the scaryness-factor that more serious tomes (like Cormen et al) are associated to. I don't think the niche is nearly reaching oversaturation. I think there is plen…
Roger Kaufman's FORTRAN Coloring Book was published by MIT press in 1978.
Yes! Touted on the cover as the "1st & last edition".
There are two versions of page 111, with an apology (and an apology for the apology) if you thought the first was offensive.
There is also Illustrating Basic (1977) and Illustrating FORTRAN (1982) by Donald Alcock from Cambridge University Press. [edited to fix publishing dates]
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#79I'm writing this off-the-cuff so don't read too much into it if you don't want to. I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). I think it's a great way to remove some of the scaryness-factor that more serious tomes (like Cormen et al) are associated to. I don't think the niche is nearly reaching oversaturation. I think there is plen…
I recently started a web comic series on my personal site that covers all sorts of technical topics. I'm having a blast creating it and one my favorites so far is http://randomlyunique.com/plancky/2017/what-makes-a-clock-ti... I wished more content existed between "nova special" and "advanced textbook"
Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms
#80I love it and would buy one!
Especially using "comics" style as it was mentioned before. Not only colours on data structures help to understand the algorithm, but also those nice tips, lamps and stars here and there. You might call it childish, however as a student or a child I would rather read a book like that than a typical linux manual like book.
Here is what I would be looking for on top of this idea (which is awesome): - A full list of algorithms from "Introduction to Algorithms" by T. Cormen; - A colored mark on algorithms types depending on a problem, let's say search - green (the greener - the more efficient it is), graphs - blue and so on. The reason I would like to see it is that it is much easier to look for an algorithm if I know the color, so I just match the color going through pages;