Re: The Inform Designer's Manual


30 Dec 1995 03:13:54 GMT

Magnus Olsson (mol@marvin.df.lth.se) wrote:

> I don't think anybody would flame Mr. Anonymous for criticizing the
> Designer's Manual. He's being flamed not for what he says, but for the
> way he says it (the Usenet Equivalent of an abusive, anonymous phone
> call, only it's being broadcast all over the world).

Agreed.

> This is a method of teaching that's perhaps more suitable for Oxford
> than for Americanville High, but there's nothing "unfair" about it.
> And in the end, I think you learn a lot more from this kind of
> "exercises" than from the simplistic "differentiate these 400
> polynomials" kind.

I think that's a pretty accurate cultural observation. One that may
offend some Americans, but in my experience valid. (my experience being
that I've been through both the UK and Canadian school systems, and spent
a very brief period in an American school. Okay, so I'm plotting a curve
from a single point...)

However, this does cut both ways IMO. Whining about unfairness is a big
part of the North American schooling experience. But it also stems from
a resistance to elitism, which I think is pretty reasonable.

Oh, well. Teaching the student to teach him or herself works. Spoon-
feeding doesn't. But like most North Americans I lack self-discipline
when it comes to education, so I suppose it's pretty hypocritical of
me to agree...

- Neil K.

--
    Neil K. Guy  *  neilg@sfu.ca  *  tela@tela.bc.ca
        49N 16' 123W 7'  *  Vancouver, BC, Canada