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Re: Simulations



I actually use one 2-hour lab period to teach enough TrueBasic for use in
the project I described earlier. I discovered over the years that this was
easier than helping to debug C and Pascal programs (in fact I would take the
Pascal programs intact, remove the front ends, add a TrueBasic front end,
and usually they would run). The point being that TrueBasic (DOS VERSION)
is so simple (but powerful) that within two hours I can have students
writing simple animation programs. The physics get's programmed in straight
forward algebraic style. One must teach the basic graphics and how to input
data, but WITH a background of SPREADSHEET work (done earlier in the
semester), students have little trouble picking up the necessary programming
skills almost immediately.

The more experienced programmers in the class can then be more sophisticated
(such as setting up input and calculational loops to accommodate more than 3
charges), but the novices can do the project quite well with this minimal
instruction. I'm in total agreement with Ludwik about using a SIMPLE
computer language. Computer science (math) courses that have gone to C++ to
teach the fundamentals of computer language are really out of line IMO.

-----Original Message-----
From: LUDWIK KOWALSKI Date: Tuesday, January 13, 1998 1:22 PM
Subject: Re: Simulations


Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 12:36:14 -0500
From: John Gastineau
Subject: Re: Simulations

..... It's true that writing simulations is the best way to profit from
their use, but I worry that we then leave out the vast majority of
physics
students. Most students take only two semesters of physics, and have
little
programming skill. Bringing them up to the skill level needed to program
a
simulation would take away from time for other, possibly more important
work. There is much to be gained from interacting with simulations
without
programming. .....

Leigh and John G agree that programming is a very effective way of learning
physics through simulations.

How nice would it be if we could assume that all students know how to
program in one language, for example, in True Basic. They would learn it
in the elementary school and use it in all subsequent courses. The backward
compatibility of the language would be protected by legal means and all
platforms would have it.

I learned how to use a pencil and I do not have to learn it again, unless
my right hand is amputated. One common-denomination language is needed in
this age of rapid innovations. In my opinion it is silly to impose C++ or
Java on all students. First languages, such as Fortran and Basic, seem to
be much more suitable for quick math and scince programming than object
oriented ones.
Ludwik Kowalski