[mpw-staff] Fwd: Re: Thank you for coming to the workshop!

[Mel Chua]

The first of several responses from the Purdue folks describing their 
more detailed analysis of the workshop -- these are people who think 
about STEM education, pedagogy, etc. pretty much every day, and 
hopefully we'll get them to come back as TAs if we run one closer to (or 
at!) Purdue...

---

I'm really, really curious what this looked like from an "outside"
perspective -- I've been doing this sort of thing so long it seems
completely normal to me now, so I would love to hear how you'd
describe/analyze it.

> no prob, i learned a great deal! the most important information was
> the RELEVANCE of coding. I had never imagined that I could use it for
> things like, programming emails. As president and as an office
> assistant for WIEP, I have sent a ton of emails, if I could have
> programmed a standard for different types of emails that could have
> saved me a great deal of time. I reeeeeaally want to be able to do
> that. I found coding helpful to me as I need to run office-like
> things.I also want to using coding for artistic purposes. The demos
> that were shown at lunch were helpful and I would have like to have
> spent almost 2 hours going over demos, just to really expand my
> imagination of what is possible with python.

I was curious -- while it's still fresh in your minds -- how you would
analyze the experience and the design from an engineering education
perspective. (I think we have all taken CAP now, right?) What sorts of
things did this make you think of? Do you see any ways it might tie into
the research you want to do (either with programming as a tool, or one
of the techniques we used at this workshop as a way of teaching that
might be interesting to look at, etc)?

> Techniques - I enjoyed the self directed learning. You all gave us
> information, we followed the directions, and then asked for help if
> needed. I asked Nikitha a millliiioooon questions, but no one else at
> my table really. I wonder if I would have felt as comfortable if I
> did not know anyone there. I know you all were encouraging us to work
> with our neighbors and ask questions but for some reason I was
> hesitant to ask questions to anyone other than the leaders or
> nikitha, lol. I don't know why!

> How do programmers do it - I thought my eye were going to fall out of
> my face Saturday and I had a headache by 2:30pm. How do programmers
> work for lengthy periods of time?

> Location - I enjoyed that everyone running the workshop was very
> approachable, but the hotel venue was somewhat too formal for the
> personalities running the workshop. I understand that line-x fest was
> hosting, so that is why were there. I imagined a brighter room.
> Windows and white/or light colored walls. This could also just be my
> working preference. I think a more "fun" venue, like coffee shop (if
> you could rent out a room), or a museum or some art gallery. Just
> some funky space.

> Visual representation - Visual representation of the inception-like
> structure of files/programs, would be excellent. Or even doing a demo
> using the russian matrioska (the wood piece inside of a wood piece
> inside of another wood piece) as a visual example. for someone that
> is sensitive text overload (part of my learning disability), it would
> be very helpful. :)

> What worked well - the socializing, the working together, the
> independent learning, the website tools, the example problems, the
> enthusiasm from the community, the encouragement to join online
> communities and continue to learn coding languages. I'm not sure if
> I'm interested in learning anything other than python at the moment.
> I just want to know enough.

> Thanks again Mel! Remember, I gave a lot of suggestions because you
> asked me to use my critical ENE eye, but I still learned a great deal
> from the conference and enrolled in udacity to continue learning
> python. classes started today. :)