Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
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Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
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Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#2Scheme it's far easier to grasp. With SICP you basically rewrite a Scheme within a Scheme. And you teach Calculus to the interpreter to solve further problems.
Online SICP: http://sarabander.github.io/sicp/
Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#3[dead]
Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#4Scheme it's far easier to grasp. With SICP you basically rewrite a Scheme within a Scheme. And you teach Calculus to the interpreter to solve further problems. Online SICP: http://sarabander.github.io/sicp/
To do that with Scheme/SICP, you actually have to understand the CS principles behind it. Not as much with Python, which is likely why it became a more popular choice.
Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#5When I read this I just feel like Sussman is getting out of touch and maybe a little disillusioned. From the wording he seems annoyed about the change, isn't even sure why it was made "probably because there's some library for robots", has gone from someone who would have a complete understanding of complex systems to someone who sounds more like a frustrated beginner. "Doing basic science on libraries to see how they behave" instead of grabbing the source and looking at it - he is expressing the view of someone who wants to complete their ticket in Jira without too much effort and go home for the night rather than someone with an actual curiosity and enjoyment of what they are doing.
Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#6Scheme it's far easier to grasp. With SICP you basically rewrite a Scheme within a Scheme. And you teach Calculus to the interpreter to solve further problems. Online SICP: http://sarabander.github.io/sicp/
To do that with Scheme/SICP, you actually have to understand the CS principles behind it. Not as much with Python, which is likely why it became a more popular choice.
Shouldn't that be the point?
Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#7Considering the target students of MIT CS department, I'd argue that they could simple start from an interpreter class in Python.
Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#8Ga Tech used to teach Scheme as an intro to CS course. I vividly remember sitting in lecture and being struck w/ the implications of functional programming as the professor said you could pass functions into functions and modify them. It was as formative of a moment as my 2nd Grade teacher showing us a really complex looking (at the time) rainbow flower in LOGO (she had one of few color Mac classic), and showing us it was simply the work of drawing the path of one petal, then repeating same “work” after changing two values (starting angle and color).
Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#9Re: Why MIT switched from Scheme to Python (2009)
#10Decline.