why did MIT drop scheme for python in intro to computing?

[Harold Ancell]

On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:28:53 -0000, gnuist006 at hotmail.com wrote:

>On Oct 8, 1:23 pm, b... at cs.berkeley.edu (Brian Harvey) wrote:

>> "Kjetil S. Matheussen" <k.s.matheus... at notam02.no> writes:

>> >I don't think your speculations makes very much sence.

>> Amen.

>> And, in any case, there's no need to speculate.
>> MIT has published, on their web site, pages and
>> pages of rationale for the new curriculum.

>> The most important point, imho, is that the
>> programming language was the /least/ important
>> aspect of the decision.  The most important
>> aspect was the move to an application-based
>> (rather than topic-based) organization of the
>> curriculum.  The details flow out of that big
>> shift of focus.

>[ much snipped. ]

>Does scheme have a gui library?

>I really dont follow the logic.

I really REALLY hope that not a single GUI is
constructed in 6.01-2; adding that to the load
would be stark raving mad (look and you'll agree).

As Brian points out, languages are a means to the
end of teaching stuff, and I wouldn't be surprised
if not a single GUI is constructed in the entire
required/restricted elective curriculum.  That's
just not to the point of an EECS education that
has to be squeezed into 4/5 years (most students
take the combined MEng path, where the MS degree
is terminal and leads straight to industry).

If any library was a consideration in choosing
Python, it was the robots one for 6.01.  Note also
that Hal helped design and teach 6.01, and fully
supports the new curriculum.

As a total LISP/Scheme fanatic who finds parts of
Python's syntax to be too hard for his brain (not
the indentation, that's weird but useful and cool,
much like S-expressions in LISP), I looked hard at
the beginning of 6.01 where they're only teaching
SICP.

For that purpose, Python is not "awful" (remember,
I believe LISP is the One True Way of Computing).
For that initial bit of SICP material, I do not
believe the students will be handicapped.

Beyond that initial bit of material, I have no
informed opinions.

				- Harold