__/ [ John A. Bailo ] on Monday 14 August 2006 15:32 \__
> [H]omer wrote:
>
>
>> My first few weeks at Uni, we didn't even go anywhere *near* the
>> computer lab. We were taught to understand the *principles* of
>> "problem solving" - i.e. breaking down tasks into abstractions, using
>> syntax diagrams and plain English.
>
> My first "computer" course was in numerical analysis and data processing.
>
> The professor never taught a line of code.
>
> He examined algorithms and taught us the limits of math in a digital
> environment. He used pseudocode to illustrate the principles, of say,
> sorting.
>
> We had to do programming tasks every week, but it was up to us to choose
> the language, and the hardware for implementation.
>
>> <snip rest />
Your professor was a smart pedagogue. Programming is syntax-depedent.
Concepts and skills cling to one's mind for understanding of a paradigm, as
well as improving problem-solving skills. See the foundation of one of the
fathers of Computer Science.
http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~uno/books.html
>From practical exercise to 'art'. One-to-one sessions that we had as
undergraduates involve nothing but classic lateral thinking riddles. It was
strange. But, in the long term, these seem more valuable than memorisation
of keywords and API's.
There's a slogan that goes with the game Othello: a minute to learn, a
lifetime to master.
Best wishes,
Roy
--
Roy S. Schestowitz | Anonymous posters are more frequently disregarded
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