[Edu-sig] Difficulties in the Python-to-Java transition?

[Radenski, Atanas]

I am among those who advocate and actually use Python in introductory CS1-type of courses, and who use Java in more advanced CS-2 type of courses (at Chapman University, California). I have witnessed concerns of some instructors in other institutions that their students find the transition from Python to Java *difficult*. The smoothness of the Python-to-Java transition seems an important issue to me. The purpose of this message is to report my experience with the Python-to-Java transition, and to possibly learn more of other instructors' experiences.
 
In the spring semester of 2006, an end-of-semester survey polled my students of their perception of Python, Java, and the transition from Python to Java. The surveyed students are from a CS2-Java class who has been preceded by a CS1-Python class. The survey shows that the transition from Python to Java has been smooth, and that students do like both Python and Java. Students credit highly Python as a language that has prepared them to manage and succeed with Java.

Here are the principal results of my Spring 2006 end-of-semester survey. Allowed responses vary from 1 (strongly DISAGREE) to 5 (strongly AGREE). Average responses on a 1 to 5 scale are given below in brackets.

(Q1) Your transition from Python to Java has been smooth.    [ 4.0 ]
(Q2) Your preliminary study of Python has helped you learn Java.    [ 4.2 ]
(Q3) You like Python    [ 4.0 ]
(Q4) You like Java    [ 4.0 ]

Survey results are published at http://studypack.com (main menu, left lower part of the home page).

After two years of experience with this type of courses, my impression is that initially a few CS2-Java students feel they like Python better than Java. This bias disappears in the second half of the CS2-Java course. Students learn to appreciate and enjoy both languages. 
 
I conclusion, I have not faced difficulties in the Python-to-Java transition. Of course, different instructors may have different experiences. I would like to continue learning of other instructors' experiences with the transition from Python to compiled languages, such as Java.

Respectfully,
 
Atanas Radenski     
mailto:radenski at chapman.edu      http://www.chapman.edu/~radenski/

There are wavelengths that people cannot see, there are sounds that people cannot hear, and may be computers have thought that people cannot think -- Richard Hamming