Why using CODIL is very different to programming a computer

So you have already learnt to program a computer and you know want to understand CODIL (Context Dependent Information Language) and how it works. I suspect that you have a problem because your have learnt to think in “computer programming” type mental box. – Let me explain.

In 1971, when high level computer programming languages were beginning to be used Gerald Weinberg wrote the book The Psychology of Computer Programming. He was interested in teaching a new language PL/1 and some of the students had already learnt the commercial programming language COBOL, and others the scientific programming language Fortran. In addition some had never programmed before. He found that if a student had learnt COBOL or Fortran they tended to use PL/1 as if it was a version to the language they knew and hence failed to make full use of the novel features of PL/1. Students who had no prior experience had no such inhibitions.     Read ON ...

What is so hard about research?

Jody Passanisi and Shara Peters have recently posted a guest blog on the Scientific American entitled What is so hard about research? which looks at the problems of getting students to think imaginatively about research and the available research tools, and commenting that they tend to look for quick and easy options rather than stop and think about the problem. In reply I have posted the following comment.