Re: revolts against Scheme, etc.

[Jerzy Karczmarczuk <karczma@info.unicaen.fr>]

Matthias Felleisen wrote:


>    Has anyone taught a course where BOTH Scheme and C (or C++) is taught?
> 
>    Will Fitzgerald
> 
> We did this for a brief time in the mid/early 90s.

...

>  1. The more C++ they had seen, the more they preferred Scheme.
> 
>  2. Girls preferred Scheme over C++ by a ratio of 4:1.

=================
Here, on DEUG (First two years of the scientific pole at our
university, before splitting int math, info, physics, etc.) after
some years of dispute, finally both, Scheme and C/C++ (formerly
Pascal) are taught, but not necessarily for the same people, future
physicists rather C, future mathematicians/computermen: Scheme.

A few learned both.

I confirm <<cum grano salis>> the numbers given by MF, 
but unfortunately I have seen also:

1. The more Scheme they see, if this trespass some tolerance level,
   the more they are vulnerable to C/C++ propaganda (of the kind:
   Scheme is useless, you MUST learn C).
2. Girls are rarely fascinated by programming languages in general.
   They don't really care which language they use, provided the
   exercises are sufficiently interesting. Scheme is in favour, but
   mainly because "my" girls don't like syntactic complexities of
   C.


Jerzy Karczmarczuk
Caen, France.