alice-teacher Python vs. Alice

[Arana Fireheart]

Karen,

	 I teach Alice AND Python in the Intro to CS at my college. I find that Alice is a great introduction to programming concepts without the drudgery of syntax. It is also fun enough to keep the students engaged and working on their assignments. I move from there into Python (a language I wish I could use more and more) to start introducing the typing, syntax and 'compilation' model  using PyQT for GUI implementation (CS2 class).

	Our Data structures and CS3 course using Java are taught by another faculty member. So we use all three 'languages'. Alice doesn't require any graphics concepts (aside from which way is up, down, left, right, in and out! ;-). That is one of the reasons I chose it. It enables students to get right to the problem solving and programming  while bypassing the syntax part altogether.

	I transition through Python, because it provides a 'gentler' version of syntax, but enforces indentation and gets students used to typing and 'compiling' code. Since it is weakly typed it doesn't really address variable definition at all, which is another reason I like using it for an intro course. It allow me to 'stage' the introduction of concepts without keeping them from writing code until we get through that material.

	I don't think that your college students will see Alice as 'remedial' it is real programming, without the real headaches! You can get as complex as you would like and cover all of the topics a CS1 course needs to cover and more. If there are other questions you would like to ask, let me know. I'd be glad to help you out...

Arana Fireheart
Professor Computer Science


On Dec 29, 2010, at 12:00 PM, alice-teachers-request at lists.andrew.cmu.edu wrote:

> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:45:06 -0500
> From: Karen Alkoby <karen.alkoby at gallaudet.edu>
> Subject: alice-teacher Python vs. Alice
> To: alice-teachers at lists.andrew.cmu.edu
> Message-ID:
> 	<AANLkTimyJmK6+KbjMOuZEHtzMbVPWmstyhzZ3-DO39+j at mail.gmail.com>
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> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I am exploring Alice and think it may a smooth transition to Java for
> students. However, I am a little bit concerned about having too much graphic
> concept in Alice. I am a new faculty and am teaching Java programming
> courses. The committee wants to use Python as the first programming course.
> I felt that learning Python would not help students to become better
> students in Java courses. Students become frustrated when they face rigorous
> programming language like in Java. Which textbook and tutorial materials are
> the best and prepare students for Java? I hope there are some materials that
> do not require too much 3D graphical concepts. They are all deaf and hard of
> hearing students. Of course, it is a fairly challenging in recruiting and
> retaining them.
> 
> I need some advice from someone who had some experiences in teaching Python,
> but they switched to Alice at the higher education institution for a better
> reason. Is there an advantage of learning Alice rather than Python in the
> CS1 course? I look forward to hear from your feedbacks or/and suggestions
> soon.  I could see this is great for high school students but I am not sure
> about for college students (at least 20 years old for most of my students).
> Will they become bored with Alice as if it is designed for younger students?
> 
> 
> Have a wonderful and safe holiday.
> 
> Thanks, Karen
> 
> 
> -- 
> Dr. Karen Alkoby, Ph.D.
> Dept. of Business -  Information Technology
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