Comments on: I have lost my faith in humanity. http://noahsmark.com/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/ [witty tagline] Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:10:52 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Paul Solt http://noahsmark.com/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-308 Paul Solt Thu, 02 Nov 2006 14:07:18 +0000 http://noahsmark.com/index.php/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/#comment-308 Is the problem also a result of RIT accepting too many Computer Science majors who aren't prepared to problem solve? Or are the students too lazy to think for themselves? Is the problem also a result of RIT accepting too many Computer Science majors who aren’t prepared to problem solve? Or are the students too lazy to think for themselves?

]]> By: noah http://noahsmark.com/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-153 noah Wed, 11 Oct 2006 05:04:35 +0000 http://noahsmark.com/index.php/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/#comment-153 Very much true, Paul. When we asked Sidney to change it, we meant we wanted a different project, but not a vastly more difficult project. Of course, "difficult" to Sidney and "difficult" to the rest of humanity are different beasts. I also agree on the two C++ courses. Originally, they did have two - CS4 and SE. The SE department changed this without informing the CS department, and the CS department was left up in the air about it. I understand that learning a new language poses difficulties, and learning the new paradigms of C++ is equally difficult. I'm not entirely convinced that the problem is that of the courses or the content, though. I've watched a steady decline in first project grades in the past 3 years, while at the same time watching Sean spend more and more class time explaining the project. During this time, the project didn't get any harder. I don't know that it is statistically meaningful, but it does scare me. Very much true, Paul. When we asked Sidney to change it, we meant we wanted a different project, but not a vastly more difficult project. Of course, “difficult” to Sidney and “difficult” to the rest of humanity are different beasts.

I also agree on the two C++ courses. Originally, they did have two – CS4 and SE. The SE department changed this without informing the CS department, and the CS department was left up in the air about it. I understand that learning a new language poses difficulties, and learning the new paradigms of C++ is equally difficult.

I’m not entirely convinced that the problem is that of the courses or the content, though. I’ve watched a steady decline in first project grades in the past 3 years, while at the same time watching Sean spend more and more class time explaining the project. During this time, the project didn’t get any harder. I don’t know that it is statistically meaningful, but it does scare me.

]]> By: Paul Solt http://noahsmark.com/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-151 Paul Solt Wed, 11 Oct 2006 03:42:12 +0000 http://noahsmark.com/index.php/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/#comment-151 I think it's time to ease up a bit, or have 2 C++ programming courses so that you don't hit them so hard with the big CS4 project. We're expecting a lot out of them and I think theres problems with switching from java to C++ and there are problems with the conceptual solutions that you're asking them to produce. Granted your almost giving them the psuedo-code, however it doesn't mean anything if they can't understand it. I think it’s time to ease up a bit, or have 2 C++ programming courses so that you don’t hit them so hard with the big CS4 project.

We’re expecting a lot out of them and I think theres problems with switching from java to C++ and there are problems with the conceptual solutions that you’re asking them to produce. Granted your almost giving them the psuedo-code, however it doesn’t mean anything if they can’t understand it.

]]> By: Harezga http://noahsmark.com/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Harezga Thu, 05 Oct 2006 03:11:06 +0000 http://noahsmark.com/index.php/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/#comment-84 Noah, I am sorry that we did this to you. Noah, I am sorry that we did this to you.

]]> By: Dumont http://noahsmark.com/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Dumont Wed, 04 Oct 2006 04:59:03 +0000 http://noahsmark.com/index.php/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/#comment-77 After grading CS4 for 5 weeks I'm already doubting the effectiveness of our CS program. I had a CS3 student ask me why his constructor couldn't return data and I've had more questions that the students should already know the answers to than I could ever imagine. Its going to be a long rest of my RIT career as a grader...... After grading CS4 for 5 weeks I’m already doubting the effectiveness of our CS program. I had a CS3 student ask me why his constructor couldn’t return data and I’ve had more questions that the students should already know the answers to than I could ever imagine. Its going to be a long rest of my RIT career as a grader……

]]> By: Gatacoma http://noahsmark.com/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Gatacoma Wed, 04 Oct 2006 02:45:07 +0000 http://noahsmark.com/index.php/2006/10/02/i-have-lost-my-faith-in-humanity/#comment-76 An old saying I know goes: "When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout" Might help, might not. An old saying I know goes: “When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout”

Might help, might not.

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