[FRIAM] coding versus music

[Marcus Daniels]

Or computational thinking that has a machine-readable form to facilitate cognitive offload of certain mechanical aspects.

From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of Edward Angel
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 1:53 PM
To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <friam at redfish.com>
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] coding versus music

Going back to Dave’s original post, to me a big part of the issue is what is meant by “coding.” Unfortunately for manys in CS education, coding has come to refer only to the very last step in a complex process; namely, converting a final detailed set of instructions into computer code for a particular computer language. This is especially true of what as happened in the schools with programs that claim to teach coding and STEM. It’s why many of us prefer to use the term “computational thinking” when dealing with CS education.

If coding is just the final step (which could be replaced by a machine, if not now but soon) then it would be orthogonal to all these other skills.

Ed
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Ed Angel
Founding Director, Art, Research, Technology and Science Laboratory (ARTS Lab)
Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, University of New Mexico

1017 Sierra Pinon
Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-984-0136 (home)                         angel at cs.unm.edu<mailto:angel at cs.unm.edu>
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On Jan 27, 2021, at 10:41 AM, Prof David West <profwest at fastmail.fm<mailto:profwest at fastmail.fm>> wrote:

For a while now there has been a huge push to teach kids how to code. Ostensibly because it enhances skills like language, logic, and math; plus, "computer literacy" is essential in a world filled with computers.

A study at MIT suggests that coding skill is orthogonal to reading skill and has little, if any, influence on development of logic/math skills.

An article in the Journal of Neuroscience argues that if you want to increase the "skills and brainpower" of kids you should teach them music.

I came across this information peripherally and have not read the specific research reported on. I want the reports to be accurate representation of the research because it confirms long held biases against the value of "computational thinking" and computer science as a fundamental knowledge domain.

dave west
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