Languages definitely share the blame though - the language stipulates the amount of information you have to provide, not just for the compiler, but for other people. If everything is optional, so much more discipline is required to write comprehensible code.
Is there any verifiable or falsifiable authority you will accept about effective teaching styles?
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As said, I'm not a teacher. To me, this discussion is about what to teach, not how to teach it.
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The model I try to use (that makes the most sense to me) is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_proximal_development … It basically says you progressively go from what people can do w/ guidance to helping them do it w/o guidance. Your suggestions front-load too much.
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A related learning model I use is https://terrytao.wordpress.com/career-advice/there%E2%80%99s-more-to-mathematics-than-rigour-and-proofs/ … Which basically describes a fuzzy beginner model, moving to a rigorous intermediate model, moving to enough sophistication to be able to inform the beginner model.
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I think where we differ is you view languages like Ruby or JS as being simpler because they're apparently easier to get started with - but they are in fact far more complex than the stricter languages, and it takes much, much longer to learn all their hidden details.
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I haven't used the term "simple" or "complex". I am talking about onboarding new developers, and the likely long-term effects on programmer habits (a topic you brought up).
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I know, my point is I'm not convinced that hiding complexity under more complexity is a really helpful way to get people onboard - I think it would be better to teach the fundamentals of a simpler language rather than skipping them with an easy language.
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Of course, this is based on my own experience, which was that most things didn't make sense to me unless someone offered a real explanation. I've always had a hard time with "you don't need to know that yet", which is why I never grasped chemistry ;-)
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I guess maybe I grew up in a different time, when computers were actually simple enough that you could learn every instruction and register etc. - I know that's not feasible for most people anymore, but I don't think languages have changed quite as drastically?
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