PSI 2015 tutorials on How to teach IT? Human side of IT-education

Absract:

I am not too young to know everything (Oscar Wilde)

The main goal of this (semi ironically titled) session is to attract attention of colleagues to the problem of our imperfectness. As the first approximation, let us call it “nobody is perfect” problem. We cannot be perfect; we can be better. But who will teach us how?

In my opinion, the problem is global; which means here not just eternal, universal and fundamental, but also strictly personal and intimate for everyone. Nevertheless, in the framework of our discussion let us put it a bit more locally. Namely, as a core problem of education in general and IT-education in particular. Behind Babylon tower of uncertainties we face here, one thing is clear: the better we understand our restrictions, the better decisions we can make in the nearest future.

Stating that, I am planning to play the role of a sceptic towards modern attempts to ignore the mentioned problem in IT-learning. On the other hand, I will support “marathon against sprint”, suggesting to take a fresh look on classical concept of education as a cultural evolution of “homo sapiens” (i.e. our own formation as relatively sane human beings).

Further, I will try to submit some pros in favor of a roll back to such approach in teaching theory and practice of computer programming.  These are specific types of intellectual labor, deeply rooting in the past. Hence to understand more clearly similarities and distinctions between the past and the present we will need to pay greater attention to previous “evolution of pure reasoning” – i.e. formation of modern way of thinking, hiding off-stage of formation of behavior.

During the session, I will suggest colleagues to consider the following issues:

Introduction to “action-problem”. The flight of an arrow: preconditions and post conditions — a priori and a posteriori. My goal, possibilities and restrictions. Them and us. On inertia of thought, collision of stereotypes and professional fanaticism. Your and my problems.

Specific features of education. Teaching as a practical semantics. Information blow up – the right time to collect stones together. Specifying the imperfectness problem. “Three stakes of education”: attitudes towards labor (spending/economizing efforts), attitudes to others (cooperation/confrontation) and attitudes to yourself (self-rating — dignity and egomania).

What is “progress”? Individuals, things and abstract notions (and on the main question of philosophy, again). “Human factor” – imperfect humans, perfect machines and crisis of software development. What is wrong with historicism of education? Crisis of external control of behavior – “Big brother”, “Sweet mum” and other “walking dead” notions.

Problems as a progress engine. On origins of reasoning – “Ape and banana”. Safe and unsafe thinking. Funny mind games and not so funny crises – “Kennel and skyscraper”. Safe trials and errors — modelling and motivation by problem.

“Humble programmer” “Under spell of the Leibniz dream”. Music of spheres, Newton machine and Turing automata. On mathematical Platonism, descriptive information theories and evolution of software development.

Help by request in IT-teaching. Incremental semantics — motivation theories through practices. Example – «search of correct map coloring». Analyses and synthesis – on evolution of data type notion.

The enterprise with human face. “Easy for me” and “easier for us” — cautious thoughts on evolution of labor organization. From esthetics to ethics – Agile!

Conclusions. Regression laws and stone of Sisyphus. Global problems and “we here and now”.

BIO:

I am not too young to know everything (Oscar Wilde)

The main goal of this (semi ironically titled) session is to attract attention of colleagues to the problem of our imperfectness. As the first approximation, let us call it “nobody is perfect” problem. We cannot be perfect; we can be better. But who will teach us how?

In my opinion, the problem is global; which means here not just eternal, universal and fundamental, but also strictly personal and intimate for everyone. Nevertheless, in the framework of our discussion let us put it a bit more locally. Namely, as a core problem of education in general and IT-education in particular. Behind Babylon tower of uncertainties we face here, one thing is clear: the better we understand our restrictions, the better decisions we can make in the nearest future.

Stating that, I am planning to play the role of a sceptic towards modern attempts to ignore the mentioned problem in IT-learning. On the other hand, I will support “marathon against sprint”, suggesting to take a fresh look on classical concept of education as a cultural evolution of “homo sapiens” (i.e. our own formation as relatively sane human beings).

Further, I will try to submit some pros in favor of a roll back to such approach in teaching theory and practice of computer programming.  These are specific types of intellectual labor, deeply rooting in the past. Hence to understand more clearly similarities and distinctions between the past and the present we will need to pay greater attention to previous “evolution of pure reasoning” – i.e. formation of modern way of thinking, hiding off-stage of formation of behavior.

During the session, I will suggest colleagues to consider the following issues:

Introduction to “action-problem”. The flight of an arrow: preconditions and post conditions — a priori and a posteriori. My goal, possibilities and restrictions. Them and us. On inertia of thought, collision of stereotypes and professional fanaticism. Your and my problems.

Specific features of education. Teaching as a practical semantics. Information blow up – the right time to collect stones together. Specifying the imperfectness problem. “Three stakes of education”: attitudes towards labor (spending/economizing efforts), attitudes to others (cooperation/confrontation) and attitudes to yourself (self-rating — dignity and egomania).

What is “progress”? Individuals, things and abstract notions (and on the main question of philosophy, again). “Human factor” – imperfect humans, perfect machines and crisis of software development. What is wrong with historicism of education? Crisis of external control of behavior – “Big brother”, “Sweet mum” and other “walking dead” notions.

Problems as a progress engine. On origins of reasoning – “Ape and banana”. Safe and unsafe thinking. Funny mind games and not so funny crises – “Kennel and skyscraper”. Safe trials and errors — modelling and motivation by problem.

“Humble programmer” “Under spell of the Leibniz dream”. Music of spheres, Newton machine and Turing automata. On mathematical Platonism, descriptive information theories and evolution of software development.

Help by request in IT-teaching. Incremental semantics — motivation theories through practices. Example – «search of correct map coloring». Analyses and synthesis – on evolution of data type notion.

The enterprise with human face. “Easy for me” and “easier for us” — cautious thoughts on evolution of labor organization. From esthetics to ethics – Agile!

Conclusions. Regression laws and stone of Sisyphus. Global problems and “we here and now”.