the best online course

[Rustom Mody]

On Sunday, July 10, 2016 at 10:36:39 PM UTC+5:30, Ethan Furman wrote:
> On 07/10/2016 12:18 AM, Bob Martin wrote:
> > in 762247 20160709 223746 Malik Rumi wrote:
> 
> >> I want one of those "knuckle down and learn" classes. But even more than th=
> >> at, I want a class with a real teacher who is available to answer questions=
> >> and explain things. I've done a lot of books and online video, but there's=
> >> usually no help. If I search around long enough, I can often find an answe=
> >> r, but this is just way too fragmented for me. Where can I find classes lik=
> >> e that - online - paid or free? Thanks.
> >
> > Having to work for your answer means you are more likely to remember it.
> 
> True, but like most things there is a balance -- searching for hours for 
> an answer is frustrating and discouraging, and the thing most likely 
> remembered is not the answer the pain in finding it.

Yes balance is key…
Bruno Buchberger formulated the “blackbox-whitebox principle” :

=======================================
Although math software systems, in particular those based on advance symbolic 
computation techniques, are now heavily considered for improving and supporting 
math teaching all over the world, there is still a lot of confusion about their 
appropriate use in math teaching. There seems to exist an unbridgeable 
disagreement between those who believe that these systems must not be used in 
teaching in order not to "spoil the abilities of the students" and those who 
believe that, with the availability of these systems, teaching the mathematical 
techniques covered by theses systems is not any more necessary and , rather we 
should confine ourselves to teach how to use of these systems.

For bridging this disagreement I introduced, in 1989, the "White-Box / 
Black-Box Principle" for the didactics of using symbolic computation systems in 
math teaching: I am advocating that, in the "white-box" phase of teaching a 
particular mathematical topic (i.e. the phase in which the topic is new to the 
students), the pertinent parts of the SC systems should not be used, while in 
the "black-box" phase (in which the students completely master the new topic), 
it is essential for modern teaching of math to use these systems. The principle 
is recursive because, what was "white-box" in a particular phase of teaching 
becomes "black-box" in a later stage and new topics become "white-box" that use earlier "black boxes" as building blocks. 
====================================================

This was formulated in 1989 for computer algebra systems
http://www.risc.jku.at/people/buchberger/white_box.html

Today it applies across the board to anything, any field…

Python is good for black-box – us the ‘batteries included’ without worrying too
much how they are made
Scheme, assembly language, Turing machines etc are at the other end of the
spectrum

People wanting to learn should (IMHO) experience both sides