101–110 of 124 posts
The interesting podcast "They Create Worlds" recently had an episode on this topic, it's worth a listen: https://tcwpodcast.podbean.com/e/computer-game-basics/ Growing up I had a Commodore 64 and for some reason came into possession of another of David Ahl's books ("More Computer Games" I think it was called). It contained Eliza as one of the listings and it was a program that fascinated me so much I ended up creatin…
Googling for it doesn't help, all I get are references to the 80s, or the TRS 80, or some such.
Does anyone remember this book, or where I can find it?
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Funny enough, this is my PhD research. Granted, I do agree that the examples should be more meaningful; however, offering students worked examples as typing examples to better train them on syntax errors is the general feel.
> Funny enough, this is my PhD research. Really, you type in codes/programs from paper printouts for your PhD? I knew that some programming communities in academia still clung to old habits and way of doing things, but not like that !
The platform is currently deployed at NC State as an optional exercise for some of the classes and while there is no explicit "those students did better" (yet I hope...), I do have promising information like regular completers earn high final grades in the course and even potentially as an intervention tool for lower performing students. In that context, students that regularly performed lower on midterms scored higher on the final and earned a higher final grade than students that just "looked at the exercises" (it is optional). My current hypothesis on that data is that poor performing exercise completer's realized they needed additional practice, which helped boost their skills.
My comment history goes in better detail, but I describe it akin to drilling in other technical skills like cooking, music, dance, martial arts, etc.
I think this as an activity is one of the methods that causes much of the "prior experience" seen in some higher performing CS students. They learned about syntax errors and tweaking code while making these BASIC games, or in modern contexts like modding Minecraft.
Moving forward, my research then goes into optimal exercise sequencing for learning CS. If you are compiling more syntax errors during a traditional coding exercise, maybe do a few typing exercises or output prediction exercises before trying to code.
[1] https://research.csc.ncsu.edu/arglab/projects/exercises.html
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> Funny enough, this is my PhD research. Really, you type in codes/programs from paper printouts for your PhD? I knew that some programming communities in academia still clung to old habits and way of doing things, but not like that !
No, I developed a platform that converts code formatted from TinyMCE into a PNG which is then an exercise for students. Students in turn retype out the program. The activity requires zero high level thinking, but presents a worked example of a CS concept. Since novices struggle initially with syntax errors, the exercise serves as a scaffolded process of practicing typing syntax without also trying to problem solve [1…
There was an earlier version of this book -- less slick -- that you could buy from DEC. I had gotten a copy from my uncle. At my public library we had a teletypewriter, with an attached paper tape punch and reader, and a phone-cradle modem, with which you could connect to the the PDP-8 at the local high school. Between this book https://www.amazon.com/Illustrating-Basic-Simple-Programming... and "BASIC Computer Games…
Many of my very first "lessons" in programming were from taking programs in that book and then translating them to BASIC as found on the VIC-20 and, a little later, the C-64.
I still often do that (just after "Hello World") when I'm first learning a new programming language... though these days it looks much more like just getting the requirements from the book than any sort of actual direct code level conversion.
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Back then, you didn't have a choice. Most microcomputer BASICs did not have any other kind of "infinite" looping construct beyond a GOTO. FOR-NEXT was about the only other option. There wasn't a WHILE or a DO-UNTIL construct in those BASICs, with the exception of (IIRC) or the BASIC used in the MSX systems (which didn't see much action outside of Japan) and in BBC BASIC (it was probably the best BASIC out there along…
I think he was referencing a famous Dijkstra letter "GOTO Statement Considered Harmful".
Here is the 80s Disney book "Disney's Computer Fun" that taught me Basic programming: https://jbretro.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/retro-book-disneys-... You did not need even a computer for the first exercises. Too bad that the kids have to begin with JavaScript today.
I made silly little programs with a friend, and we had grand plans for a Harry Potter themed MMO. Naturally, we started with a loading screen on a timer, (because that's what comes first, right?!) and got no further.
Dawww. I had this book when it came out and used to type the programs into my Commodore PET by hand! Boy does this bring back memories.
I really think there's something magical about beginners typing in whole projects by hand (instead of the modern copy-paste). It really helped me when I was getting started with programming. To me, it feels like typing each character manually cements the knowledge in there much deeper than 'oh, I think I understand what I'm copy/pasting.' Maybe that's a shallow truism by now, but I still see people struggling to lear…
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That's a smart take. Even today when I'm learning something new I try to do as much physical typing as possible from the example because I feel like I learn it better.
The other day I had the thought of "all memory is muscle memory" - it's not literally true, but memorizing in an associated form builds up so many cues that it's worth applying to any study: do warm-ups and repetitions, speak, move, and think in sync.
Here is the 80s Disney book "Disney's Computer Fun" that taught me Basic programming: https://jbretro.wordpress.com/2015/02/09/retro-book-disneys-... You did not need even a computer for the first exercises. Too bad that the kids have to begin with JavaScript today.
Do they? I had a childhood with Basic when JS and Python would've been available to me, basically because I didn't know better. I made silly little programs with a friend, and we had grand plans for a Harry Potter themed MMO. Naturally, we started with a loading screen on a timer, (because that's what comes first, right?!) and got no further.