Targetting teachers

[Richard Gaskin]

Richmond wrote:

 > On 23.08.2016 22:09, Richard Gaskin wrote:
 >
 >> Today's audience has very different needs from when that article was
 >> written in 1999.  And with HyperCard designed as an authoring tool
 >> while LiveCode is designed as a development tool, the opportunities
 >> for using LiveCode to teach CS in K-12 require a different approach.
 >
 > I'm not entirely convinced about that as one can, if one wants, use
 > *Hypercard* as a development tool (just so long as one can find a
 > market of people who are deploying a bunch of Performas), and one
 > can equally well use *Livecode* as an authroring tool.
 >
 > In fact I think that *Livecode* has made a slight mistake in not
 > pointing out that it is perfectly possible to use Livecode as an
 > authoring tool, as by not doing that I believe it has cut itself off
 > from a section of the educational market.

I collect multitools.  I have one in my car, one on my keychain, one in 
my backpack, and two in my bicycle's panier.  Even though they have many 
tools in common, each has a different use-case focus.  The one I use on 
my bike would not be the best choice for hiking, and vice versa.

HyperCard was used for many things, even as a database despite Atkinson 
himself trying to remind everyone that it wasn't a database. :)

LiveCode is even more flexible, able to cover that ground and more.

But HyperCard had smaller boundaries, limits that were useful in their 
way, liberating by providing guidance for the newcomer.

Its User Levels are a good example: they make good sense in an authoring 
tool, and have never been part of LiveCode.  I think the teams behind 
both tools made the right choice there, different because the tool's 
focus is different.

Personally, I like how Bill Appleton summed up the differences between 
HyperCard and SuperCard, fitting here where we might replace "SuperCard" 
with "LiveCode":

   HyperCard is a multimedia authoring environment.  SuperCard is
   a tool you can use to build multimedia authoring environments.


 > A standalone that delivers 15 minutes of immersive experience to a
 > demotivated pupil will always prove a winner.

Agreed, though it's worth noting that HyperCard rose to popularity long 
before it later added the ability to produce standalones.

Curious:  what distinguishes "immersive"?


 >> Much of the courseware that was delivered on CD-ROM back in the day
 >> is now delivered over the Web with Moodle.  And there are many other
 >> difference besides.
 >
 > Yup: and you should here the filthy words issuing from my local
 > University's English department (where my wife is a Professor and I
 > am a visiting lecturer) when anyone has to do something with Moodle.

I haven't used Moodle myself so I have no opinion about it.  But it 
seems very popular.

For comparison, LiveCode.com's Alexa ranking is very healthy at 139,248, 
but Moodle astounds with a ranking of 9,085.

They must be doing something right.  What might we learn from their 
successes to make LiveCode as easy a choice for educators?


 >> In the UK, LiveCode is already part of the core curriculum for grade
 >> school Computer Science.
 >
 > That's for children to learn programming with: that is not targetting
 > teachers with Livecode as authorware.

I believe the teachers are a part of that classroom experience, though 
you're right, flipped learning is gaining in many EDU settings.


 > I wonder exactly what you mean by "the UK" because Scotland has its
 > own, distinct, education system that is different from that used in
 > England and Wales.

I meant nothing all that deep: Scotland is within the UK, and I don't 
know the specific boundaries of LC's use within the UK.


 >> As we've explore ways we might achieve this among the educators in
 >> the States, one factor became clear:  nothing happens in US EDU
 >> unless it meets the Common Core standards.
 >>
 >> One of the projects in the EDU Outreach team in the forums
 >> identified this need early on, for the formation of what we hope
 >> will become a teacher's guide to LC.
 >
 > I see a need for 2 things:
 >
 > 1. A book for teachers on how they can leverage Livecode to author
 > stuff for classroom content delivery and reinforcement relatively
 > quickly. i.e. *Livecode as Authorware.*

"Authorware" is a US trademark owned by Adobe.  But assuming a more 
general term can be found, yes, with some good tools and templates to 
provide a focus on delivering courseware LiveCode can be an excellent 
foundation for a great many EDU needs.


 > 2. A book for teachers of IT to assist them in teaching young
 > children how to perform elementary programming tasks with Livecode.
 > i.e. *Livecode as an entry-level Programming Environment.

Agreed there as well.  One of the goals of the EDU Outreach projects is 
that everything be delivered under GPL or GPL-compatible license.  So if 
there's anything that project produces that might be useful, we'll have 
licensing that actively encourages sharing and re-purposing.

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  LiveCode Community Liaison
  richard at livecode.org