DC vs MC for novices

[Richard Gaskin]

Marielle Lange wrote:
>>Learning conceptual abstractions like the message path, using  
>>parameters, different types of variables, etc. can often be  
>>tremendously aided with conceptual illustrations, but it's not  
>>possible to address them at all with videos of the UI.
>
> I dunno if that's the right way to phrase the problem. You spend 10  
> minutes explaining a variable... I get bored. You tell me let's write  
> a program that does x and y and I will just beg you to explain me  
> what a variable is (this was the case when I was a 12 year old kid  
> learning basic... this is still the case now).

I think we're on the same page. We're both interested in teaching the 
LANGUAGE, and appear to be on the same page about the relative 
unimportance of focusing on teaching how to use the Rev IDE interface.


>>It's absolutely essential to establish a simple "confidence target"  
>>as soon after first-run as possible.  Even if the standalone does  
>>nothing at all of significance, the act of creating a standalone is  
>>inherently satisfying and tremendously motivating toward learning  
>>more.
>
> I agree that it's important to start with the basic hello world  
> (getting something done, that works just fine). Anybody is anxious  
> when exposed to a new environment and needs to be reassured that  
> things work as expected. But kids are not stupid and they get bored  
> easily. It is important to propose simple but stimulating projects to  
> follow up.

Again, GMTA. :)

While I have found that a "confidence target" is very valuable for a 
first-run learning experience, it should definitely be followed up with 
more interesting explorations.

The only significance of the "confidence target" project is to give them 
the overall lay of the land from end-to-end with the process, and to 
give them the confidence to complete those more interesting projects.

That said, I'll be the first to admit that my experience is limited to 
teaching xTalks to adults.  I have only the most pedestrian 
understanding of Piaget and others on cognitive differences between 
children and adults.  I enjoy the company of children, but usually wind 
up learning more from them than vice versa. :)

> My 2 cents. You could get the kids to play with a kind of mister  
> potato game (image manipulation), where in the first stage, the tool  
> palette is replaced with a mr potato elements palette. Each kids  
> construct its own mr potato (double click, move, delete) and save/ 
> compile the stack with the mr potato of their conception. Objects in  
> the tools palettes are exactly like the hat/body/legs of a mr potato,  
> it's easy to transfer. Then, you get the mr potato to speak something  
> (that is create a handler, with a very simple function say "hello").  
> Then, get the kid design a drop down menu, that will command the  
> placement of hat 1, 2, 3, or 4.  Another for the body, another for  
> the legs. Then, you get the kid add in the "body parts" palette gifs  
> stored on the hard disk. I bet that before the end of the lesson, the  
> kid would beg you to tell you how it can move mr potato. If you have  
> been busy at the other end of the classroom, you may even discover  
> that one kid has found out a way to come very close from doing so alone.

This reminds me of some of the articles I've read about KidSim and 
related systems (e.g., 
<http://www.acypher.com/Publications/CACM/KidSimCACM.html>).

But for all the promise those "iconic programming" systems once showed 
they seem to have lost popularity after the mid-90s, and today are a 
very rare breed.

As an optimist who's intrigued by iconic systems I like to believe that 
there is merit to the basic principle, and that all we need is to see a 
truly effective implementation.  Am I dreaming?


PS: Are you the same Marielle Lange who set up the Museum of Perception 
and Cognition?  Great stuff there.

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Media Corporation
  __________________________________________________
  Rev tools and more: http://www.fourthworld.com/rev