Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!cos!hqda-ai!yendor!gmg
From: gmg@yendor.UUCP (Gary Godfrey)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: What is CS? (Was re First languages)
Message-ID: <507@yendor.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 88 13:48:55 GMT
References: <3684@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <568@abcom.ATT.COM> <8538@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>
Organization: Applied Computing Technology, Reston, VA
Lines: 28
Summary: Types of thought

In article <8538@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU>, hugo@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Peter Su) writes:
> It was basically simple programming and data structures in Pascal. 
> 
> There are a few reasons why I didn't think it was appropriate.  The first
> is kind of irrelevant, but I think an interpreted language with simpler
> syntax, like LISP or SCHEME should be used in intro classes because
> then you can concentrate on progrmaming instead of the subtle nuances
> of Pascal parameter passing semantics.
> 
> But, aside from that issue, I think  a straight prgramming class is next
> to worthless for many Humanties and fine art students.

In my last English class, one of the major stumbling blocks for most of
the students was the documentation of the papers.  The whole process
is fairly simple - for a programmer.  Put the comma here, the quotes
there, and underline the title of books.  Simple.  Nothing compared to
trying to remember the nuances of a language like 'C' or Pascal.  But
some students had real problems with a bibilography; the type of
thinking involved was alien to them.  An intro to programming
would have probably helped a great deal.



-----
Watch me pull a habit out of my rat.

Gary Godfrey - ACT, Reston, VA			Phone:		(703)471-9433
UUCP: ..!{mimsy,sundc}!{prometheus,hqda-ai}!yendor!gmg