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Starcoder Uses a Multiplayer Game to Teach Programming (Video # 1)
Starcoder, says the project's Kickstarter page, "is a multiplayer online space action game that teaches kids coding as they play." Their page also points out that it's easier to learn as a group than it is to learn alone. The Starcoder Kickstarter project has collected $3221 at this writing, out of a $4000 goal, and they have until June 17 to come up with the rest. So please take a look at Starcoder, see how it works and why it is unquestionably a more interesting way to learn programming basics than the traditional "highly theoretical and (frankly) boring manner."
Starcoder starts with Blockly. Then, as students advance to higher game levels, moves to JavaScript. Yes, there are levels. Also competitive play, since Starcoder is a massively multiplayer online game. In fact, a big reason for the Kickstarter project is to expand server capability so that kids can play from home, not just in school or during after-school computer classes. One more thing to note: The Win2Learn team behind Starcoders is composed of professional educators and designers. They've been working on STEM education for a while. Want to see some of the thinking behind Starcoder? They have some video clips on Vimeo that not only show you how the game was developed, but give you a good look at how it's played. Does it sound good? Do you want more kids to have access to an ever-improving Starcoder? Then you know what to do. (Note: This is video 1 of 2. The second one will run tomorrow. The transcript covers both videos, plus some material we were forced to edit out of the videos due to length restrictions.)
Starcoder starts with Blockly. Then, as students advance to higher game levels, moves to JavaScript. Yes, there are levels. Also competitive play, since Starcoder is a massively multiplayer online game. In fact, a big reason for the Kickstarter project is to expand server capability so that kids can play from home, not just in school or during after-school computer classes. One more thing to note: The Win2Learn team behind Starcoders is composed of professional educators and designers. They've been working on STEM education for a while. Want to see some of the thinking behind Starcoder? They have some video clips on Vimeo that not only show you how the game was developed, but give you a good look at how it's played. Does it sound good? Do you want more kids to have access to an ever-improving Starcoder? Then you know what to do. (Note: This is video 1 of 2. The second one will run tomorrow. The transcript covers both videos, plus some material we were forced to edit out of the videos due to length restrictions.)
I'd like to "take a look at Starcoder" but I'm not seeing any links to an online demo, or the source code, etc.
Do not want videos. Please stop.
Rocky's Boots was great at teaching logic.
I kind of wonder how some of the early games we played as kids stack up against educational software today. I remember doing alegbra, fractions, logic, etc... back on a PCJr probably around age 7 and having fun with it.
Cue in 1/3 of slashdot complaining that *JavaScript* is the wrong language to start with, cripples the mind, doesn't offer enough opportunities, isn't present enoug in corporation, or in github, or isn't hype enough, etc. ....
With everybody instead try to convince that they should better start with Python / Perl / Ruby / Java / Scala / Haskell / Erlang / various shell scripts / SQL / PHP / Objective-C / LISP / C / C++ / Rust / Go / C# / Assembler / BrainFuck
Curiously none of the complaining slashdoters will suggest VisualBasic or Cobol.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
I don't think that word means what you think it means.
This sounds like the prequel to Sword Art Online.
Played Robot Wars on my Apple ][+ when I was a wee lad in the early 80's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Interview Technique #1 - Don't let the interviewee sit in a swivel chair. It is both distracting and nauseating to the viewer.
'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables
Code Combat (http://codecombat.com/) is a really cool interactive way to learn programming. Got a good intro to JS there. There's a bunch of other sites already out there, what does StarCoder offer that they do not?
This seems to be based on the concept that groups are wiser than individuals. There's a lot of this thinking going around. Among touchy-feely people there is a tendency to think that groups are smarter than individuals. They are wrong.
Individuals have inspired every worthwhile advance in every discipline through history. The clones, followers, me-too's, don't accomplish anything. If you hope to do anything worthwhile with your life, leave the crowd and do some independent thinking. These games will not help your children in that direction.
And yes, videos are a waste of time- thoughtful text imparts information better.
...omphaloskepsis often...
are you saying that typing isn't an actual skill? mastering 10 finger technique isn't a skill? it sure is.
thing is, it's no longer so valuable of a skill that it would get you a job automatically like in the early '80s.
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
You're tossing the baby out with the bath water.
Videos, when done & used correctly can _augment_ teaching. Yeah, the reality is that most of the time they are 10x times longer then they need to be but sometimes a visual presentation really is the best way.
The problem is most people don't want to spend the time reading text.
"Spend the time" ? I find it much quicker to find and pull out the information I need from a big block of text than trying to pull the information out of a video.
Tutorials are the worst, since you usually only need them for less than 10% of their content, searching through text is much quicker for finding said content than searching through a video.
I agree with sentiment "Videos suck"