[Edu-sig] Graphical Programming and OOP

[Linda Grandell]

Jeffrey Elkner wrote:

>Couldn't help but add my 2 cents on this GUI and OOP topic:
>
>1. I use a procedural oriented approach first in my classes, and my
>students don't see classes and objects until the second half of the
>year.
>
>2. Using the livewires module, students write simple games and do GUI
>programming *without* any knowledge of OOP.
>  
>
Seems we are taking a somewhat same approach to teaching programming. I 
have already given a basic procedural oriented course to my students 
(using parts of the livewires sheets) and now it is then time to 
introduce both OOP and graphical programming.

>3. I introduce OOP by having them create simple but useful classes using only the command line.
>
>4. Only after they have written several classes do we go back to using
>our new programming paradigm for writing anything involving a GUI.
>
>Most students leave this experience with a fairly clear understanding of what a GUI is and what OOP is, and I don't think any of them confuse the two.
>  
>
This is one of the approaches I have thought of, the other one, as said, 
being using PyGame throughout the course. I am glad to hear that the 
former one works :)

The more I teach, the more I come to realize that programming might be 
one of the most challenging subjects for teachers. The main goal is to 
help the students develop a basic understanding for the concepts 
involved in programming, preferrably in a fun and enjoying manner. 
However, there seems to be so many ways one can go in achieving this 
goal, and finding the right one is anything but easy.. But then again, 
this might just as well be something very good, something that leads to 
many "best practices" instead of only one.