import.javax.swing.*;
A newbie could stare at this for hours before finally asking for help, here, at the JavaRanch.com. Immediately, they would get the answer that there is a dot that is out of place.
import javax.swing.*;
Giving help such as this does not break the "Do your own homework" rule and it helps the student.
There was another question that I helped someone with that was. Why won't my code compile?!
public static void main(String[] arguments);
This is another one that can stump a new student, who thinks that you terminate each line with a semicolon. An online forum, such as the JavaRanch.com is a great place for the student to quickly get their typo corrected to be the following which will compile.
public static void main(String[] arguments) {, or given them hints and clues and trying to head them in the right direction, but they still don't get it.
We can all give them hints and try to send them into the right direction because we don't want to just right the code for them. It would be easy for us to do, but the students don't learn much this way. Sometimes, the student get more confused with several people answering the question, some answers being more right than others and some users using simple language and others using language that is correct but that the student doesn't understand.
What I propose is that for students who are totally lost, that we have a new forum called "Java Mentoring". Experienced Java programmers could be matched with students who are totally lost and need a lot of help, students who are clueless, even after you try to give them some clues.
I suggest that students apply for a mentor and that the JavaRanch matches a student to a mentor for interactive, one-one-one mentoring.
Text chat is more interactive than email.
Audio or audio-video chat is more interactive than text chat.
We could even us screen sharing to help if students and mentors can see each other's screens. Sometimes, new learners don't have the vocabulary or don't use words correctly. Our "lingua franca" would be the Java code and it would help if you could see their actual screen.
As a mentor, I want to quit doing peoples' homework and have a 'hands-off' approach that requires my students to have the advantage of learning with the 'hands-on' approach.
I want to talk them through doing their own homework. I may even do the exercise at the same time, but not just send them my solution (until they have their own solution), but, by doing the homework myself and keeping my solution to myself, I can talk the student through doing their own homework and make it be a true learning experience for them.
So, to the Trailmaster, the Sheriffs, and the Bartenders, I'm asking the question: "Can we create a new forum to match students are totally lost, with a capable mentor that won't do their homework, but with interactively guide them through doing their own homework?
Kaydell
[ March 09, 2008: Message edited by: Kaydell Leavitt ]
JavaBeginnersFaq
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that's why they call it the present." Eleanor Roosevelt
People get lost, but with a guide and one-on-one mentoring people who would otherwise fail, can succeed.
Kaydell
Originally posted by Kaydell Leavitt:. . .
When a conversation reaches that point, I tell the individual that they should seek help from their teacher/instructor/professor (if they are not in a structured class, the Cattle Drive is an option). The teacher is better positioned to give them the correct amount of direction as opposed to just giving answers away, since they know what's been covered in class and what the object of the lesson is.
What's more is the teacher needs the feedback so they can correctly judge the pace of the class.
The public nature of the discussions here mean that everyone benefits from questions asked. These forums are searchable so a great number of the people who receive help here are never seen. You lose that in a chatroom or email conversation. Additionally, there are more eyes on the question AND the answers given. If a wrong or outdated answer is given in one of the forums, it usually doesn't take long before someone more experienced chimes in with a more correct answer. In cases like this, the person asking the question, the person who gave the initial (but wrong) answer is helped, and anyone searching the forums will be able to read the whole conversation and benefit from it.
Most of us don't have the time to take on personal proteges.
If this is something you're interested in doing, you might consider posting to the Jobs Wanted or our Blatant Advertising forum.
As Marilyn mentioned our Cattle Ranch comes very close to this and, in my opinion is a better solution.
If you get a minute, you might want to look it over.
[ March 10, 2008: Message edited by: Ben Souther ]
Most of us don't have the time to take on personal proteges.
If this is something you're interested in doing, you might consider posting to the Jobs Wanted or our Blatant Advertising forum.
This is not Blatant Advertising or a Job Wanted. I'm retired and I want to help out students for free because it keeps me busy and I think that I can help students who get stumped.
This is a great forum. But I still think that there is a place to be more interactive, which I can do on my own. I just thought that other people might be willing to work one-on-one too, and that the JavaRanch.com could be the placed to "Get Connected".
When a conversation reaches that point, I tell the individual that they should seek help from their teacher/instructor/professor
My best student has selected to do his semester project to implement his desktop app in Swing. His instructor says that she doesn't know anything about Swing.
My worst student is stressing out because this is her last semester and if she fails Java, she won't graduate.
I think that we have to keep in mind that instructors have a high number of students and that the instructors *can't* give the students that need one-one-one attention, the attention that they need.
When I was a student, there was University Tutorial Services because some people need that one-on-one attention.
Kaydell
[ March 10, 2008: Message edited by: Kaydell Leavitt ]
2) I think that if you experience somebody thrashing and you really want something a bit more interactive, give them your personal contact info and say "let's chat".
