Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
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From: jazzbeau@netcom.com (Steve Barnette)
Subject: Re: Using Smalltalk to teach intro cs courses
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Date: Sun, 23 Apr 1995 01:20:25 GMT
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Smalltalk is an excellent language for teaching OOP, BUT terrible 
language for intro class. Stick to pascal for intro, then C as second 
langauge to understand language/OS/hardware relationship and then 
Smalltalk for OOP. Smalltalk isolates you too much from the OS and 
hardware and you need to know about that level of details even if only to 
know you what to use a language like Smalltalk to avoid it.

Steve B.



Phil Shen (pls@cs.brown.edu) wrote:

: Hello!

: I am doing some research regarding the use of Smalltalk as the
: language to teach introductory undergraduate computer science courses.

: There are three courses, here at Brown University, that I would like
: to address. 
: 	Semester I 	cs15 	Intro to Programming and Concepts.
: 	Semester II	cs16 	Intro to Algorithms and Data Structures.
: 	Semester IV	cs32	Intro to Software Engineering.


: 	* Are there any strong opinions/pillars of thought that
: 	  support/discount the use of Smalltalk as an introductory language?
: 	
: 	* Are there any curriculums at other schools which primarily
: 	  focus on Smalltalk?

: I specifically want to focus my research on determining how the
: Smalltalk libraries could be effectively used to support the
: teaching of introductory undergraduate comp sci courses.  

: However, I welcome _ALL_ opinions about the subject.  

: Please email me or respond to the Newsgroup if you have any opinions.
: --
: ---------------
: Philip Shen			
: Brown University			44 Monroe Street
: Box 1005 				Shrewsbury, MA 01545
: Providence, RI 02910
: (401) 521-8916				"The right way is the only way."

-- 

_______________________________________________________________________________

FCS Systems Inc.                                             
jazzbeau@netcom.com

   A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.



