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barbagroup / JITcode-MechE

Online learning modules to learn computing in a problem-based context within Mechanical Engineering
MIT License
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Add a few comments on how to use cells #2

Closed ahmadia closed 10 years ago

ahmadia commented 10 years ago

Per: https://github.com/barbagroup/JITcode-MechE/issues/1#issuecomment-35622334

Early in the notebook, we should probably have a blank cell. The user types something, executes the cell, and sees a result. We then have them change the cell to get a different result as a first exercise.

labarba commented 10 years ago

I don't see the point of this. Take another look at "Lesson 0," now updated with instructions to download Python or work in the cloud on Wakari. I think the guided instruction that this lesson provides is pretty elementary. In a lab situation, students could experiment with a new, empty notebook separately.

ahmadia commented 10 years ago

My experience so far in teaching the notebook is that students need an orientation to the way the cells work in order for them to follow along with exercises. If you want to assume that they already have this experience, that's fine, but I'm trying to treat the early modules as an introduction to everything that is not basic web browser skills.

labarba commented 10 years ago

I don't want to assume they have a previous experience with how cells work, but I do think that orientation that you talk about is already provided by playing around with the few code cells in Lesson 0—or perhaps I'm saying that I prefer that orientation to be provided by playing around with the content provided, rather than a blank cell.

ahmadia commented 10 years ago

Let's table this discussion for now. If anything, the comments on how to use the cells belong in Lesson 0.