Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#1

Post by tryingtoteach » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:23 PM UTC

Throwaway for various reasons.

My girlfriend is trying to learn to code. She has been doing various online courses for several months now and she is still an extreme beginner.

She wants to learn, and she is stubborn as hell, but things just aren't clicking for her. This is the case with a lot of things for her, not just coding. She learns by memorizing, not understanding.

I have tried to sit down with her and help her through the courses on Brilliant but she systematically focuses on answers rather than understanding.

I've also tried to teach her myself, which worked best so far but, though I have 15 years of experience programming, that doesn't make me a good teacher. She also needs something she can do in her own time.

She's extremely perseverant and doesn't want to give up. I don't know how to handle the situation. I want to encourage her but I don't know how to help her. She has to learn how to assimilate and understand before she can even work through a CS program.

Any advice?

Re: Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#2

Post by RocketSyntax » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:28 PM UTC

Start with HTML. Seeing things on the page helps reinforce the material.

Re: Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#3

Post by rayray07 » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:32 PM UTC

Teach her math. Set problems and ask her to calculate the answers, which requires understanding.

Re: Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#4

Post by aphextim » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:35 PM UTC

You seem to have hit the nail on the head.

>She wants to learn, and she is stubborn as hell, but things just aren't clicking for her. This is the case with a lot of things for her, not just coding. She learns by memorizing, not understanding.

>I have tried to sit down with her and help her through the courses on Brilliant but she systematically focuses on answers rather than understanding.

My advice would be to try to find a topic she does fully understand and not just memorized the answers/talking points. Once you have this established try to figure out why that one thing clicked vs other things she learns.

Is it personal passion for wanting to learn how to code or monetary reasons. Ask what is the 'end goal' of learning to code? Better career and finances? Different environment than she currently works? To satisfy a personal curiosity in knowing how things work?

Anecdotally I find myself learning with her method for short term things I need to know for a short personal gain. I may need to learn something one time on a unique project. I'll figure it out get the job done and move on without fully grasping what was done because I just cared about the results and think that this issue will never come back again.

Go to another subject where I truly care about understanding the why not just the results and I will actually want to learn because once it 'clicks' and you start to grasp the underlying processes going on and how everything is connected, you get hit with that 'accomplished' feeling of reward that I personally only get after being stuck on something for a while and then finally grasping it.

Don't know if this rant will help you but good luck!

Re: Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#5

Post by moksly » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:40 PM UTC

Try getting her to do the CS50 intro course by Harvardx on Edx.org, it teaches computer science by making you actually figure out how to solve problems. It’s one of the most creativity sparking/pushing online courses I’ve seen.

It’s not easy, but it’s self paced and the environment they supply students with is extremely great.

Re: Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#6

Post by blacksqr » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 5:47 PM UTC

rayray07 wrote: post #3

Teach her math. Set problems and ask her to calculate the answers, which requires understanding.

I've often thought that introductory programming courses should start out with lessons in binary math.

It would help students understand exactly what is the ultimate point of all the code they're writing, as well as introducing the discipline of algorithmic problem solving.

Re: Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#7

Post by WheelsAtLarge » Tue, Jul 23, 2019, 6:02 PM UTC

The great part is that she's persistent. Try the learning language scratch. Once she understands the basics of programing logic she can then move on to a more practical language. After that look for progtaming courses for kids. Adult courses get over complicated so just focus on the basics. Most of all make sure she understands before moving on so you are looking for small wins. Patience is the key.

It might be easy for you but it's hard for her.

Re: Ask HN: How do I teach coding to someone who can't learn?

#8

Post by 1nd160 » Wed, Jul 24, 2019, 2:01 AM UTC

moksly wrote: post #5

Try getting her to do the CS50 intro course by Harvardx on Edx.org, it teaches computer science by making you actually figure out how to solve problems. It’s one of the most creativity sparking/pushing online courses I’ve seen. It’s not easy, but it’s self paced and the environment they supply students with is extremely great.

Really good advice actually. They teaches basic ideas first before give you any programming tasks, that's really good. Also, they starting programming from Scratch app, which also helps beginners a lot. Didn't know they still running courses btw.