[Edu-sig] re: Computer science without all that "heavy math" stuff...?

[Kevin Ollivier]

This has also been my experience. Calculus made much more sense to me after
I learned to program. I think it is because programming forces you to learn
the concepts of abstraction, logic, sequencing, functions, etc. and at the
end of the day you use these techniques to create solutions to problems. It
wasn't until after I programmed for a while that I saw algebraic equations
as a way of modelling relationships - before I always would look at a
formula and think 'how did they come up with this?' Now I saw they were
just, in their own way, building a program to model mathematically a
real-world relationship and use that to predict or measure the effects of
change. It definitely helped me to appreciate their work more.

Math classes generally take the 'function cram' approach - which I would
consider akin to making one try to memorize the entire Python library API
rather than teaching how to program. Even the "problem solving" questions in
the book aren't very helpful - they often ask you to do things you would
never do in real life. "Calculate, using formula x, the distance of the
ambulance from you at 2, 5, and 8 seconds." Or, "You see a plank of wood
sitting against a wall. Now, you're extremely bored, happen to have a
measuring tape with you, and are curious about the exact angle that piece of
wood is stationed at. Find the angle where the wood connects to the ground."
These examples are brain teasers, but they don't give students an idea about
how they can use these things in real life. Not to mention, most teachers
avoid those questions because students have lots of problems with them. Of
course, school teaches a high-level of math to many people who may never
have to use it - thus how can you give relevant examples?

I honestly believe that abstract thinking is a skill in itself and needs to
be gained by anyone getting into programming or math as a career.  Anyways,
just thought I would throw in my two cents.

Kevin Ollivier

----- Original Message -----
From: <Arthur_Siegel@rsmi.com>
To: <edu-sig@python.org>
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 12:43 PM
Subject: [Edu-sig] re: Computer science without all that "heavy math"
stuff...?


> >I am actually taking the opposite approach. Having not been exposed to
much
> >math, I use Python and other programming languages to teach me math. It
> >provides some meaningful context, enabling me to see why mathematics is
> >important and can be useful. Every cheezy little script I can write (and
the
> >ones that fail, as well) teaches me more about computing and how it
works. I
> >actually find that some of the advanced theory I learned even in
Psychology
> >and Philosophy becomes tangibly useful when I sit down to code. The
obscure
> >theoretical material is important, even if not visibly so. And I mostly
> >program for simple pleasure.
>
> Sounds quite similar to my experience.
>
> My Python and math evangilism have become quite intertwined - as Python
> became for me a tool that has made math accessible in quite fresh and
> exciting ways.
>
> Quite strange how we have gotten math tucked into some corner.
> Perhaps it is my own make-up,  but I have come to see it as the finest
kind
> of exercise of the imagination.
>
> In my opinion,  it is tragic that math has become so isolated from the
Liberal
>
> Arts
> education. That much harder to sympathize with the plea to isolate it from
a
>  CS education.
>
> ART
>
>
>
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