CP4E was Re: Deitel and Deitel Book...

[Ramkumar Kashyap]

My original intent for starting the thread was because I truly believe 
in CP4E.  In my freshman year, we were a total of 38 students in the EE 
major. When I graduated four years later, there were 12 of us, no women. 
 I don't believe that programming concepts are more difficult/harder to 
understand and grasp than any engineering curriculum or for that matter 
physics/mathematics.  

Somebody in this thread raised the point that the logic involved in 
programming in not intuitive.  I agree with that. The point I want to 
make is that there are programs like Hooked-on-Phonics, and other 
remedial language programs that are quite effective in raising the 
literacy levels among adults.  

Another point (this is purely from observation and others with children 
may want to corroborrate) is that children tend to learn faster and 
retain longer with repetition.  I don't know if there are any people on 
CLP who are also conversant with the human brain and can shed light on 
the formation of new neural pathways etc.

I should also confess that I have an ulterior motive in this discussion, 
which is to teach my kid to program, (which is still a few years away).

regards,

Ramkumar

Geoff Gerrietts wrote:

>Quoting Geoff Gerrietts (geoff at gerrietts.net):
>
>>What is it about internet discussion forums that makes everyone
>>struggle to find grounds to argue rather than make an effort to
>>understand?
>>
>
>I was probably being unfair here. Read here frustration at feeling
>like the point's been missed for the lint-picking.
>
>>Again, this is begging the question, and after two pointless arguments
>>niggling over the semantics of "smarter", I'm starting to get a little
>>annoyed. I can define smarter as "having a higher IQ", as "best
>>educated", or as "most able to solve a given problem" and all of them
>>work pretty well. Right now I'm talking about ability to ingest raw
>>information and retain it. It's clear I should have been a little more
>>explicit; I guess terms like "smarter" are just begging for people to
>>fight.
>>
>
>And here at least I admit it's my fault, if a little late in the
>issue.
>
>I've tried to recast this discussion away from the specifics of my
>first article and toward the issues, lest they get lost. I just want
>to apologize in advance for letting my frustrations show, lest I give
>insult where none was intended or deserved.
>
>I'd rather the thread be intellectually provacative than
>provocational, if we can manage it; pedagogy is of interest to me.
>
>Thanks,
>--G.
>

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