Re: [Help-gsl] teaching

[Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jordi Gutiérrez Hermoso <address@hidden>
Date: 26 Oct 2007 14:50
Subject: Re: [Help-gsl] teaching
To: Gideon Simpson <address@hidden>


On 26/10/2007, Gideon Simpson <address@hidden> wrote:
>  how much C programming did they know in advance?

A little. Not much. Due to my own prejudices, I have slowly been
trying for them to unlearn some awkward C practices (to hell with this
malloc crap) and make them do C++-style constructs instead.

> how much time did you feel you had to devote to programming issues?

One hour a week extra TA time plus office hours for the TA and the
instructor.  The office hours are naturally only used when coding
assignments are due. :-)

> while it's pretty easy to get GSL up and running on a linux/bsd/os x
> machine, from this message board, it sounds like it's something of a
> pain in the ass for windows people, in that first they have to get
> cygwin.  was this an issue?

No. I made them use Debian. I installed it and configured it for them
in the undergrad computing lab. They're loving Compiz Fusion and
slowly learning to love Emacs and Makefiles.

Many of them are bringing their laptops from home for me to install
Debian on them or taking Ubuntu CDs home to install in their home
desktop computers.

Who needs Windows anyways?

- Jordi G. H.