Re: Netbeans in education

Hi Remco,
well, I think it would be really cool if we could somehow write up a
different configurations for NetBeans.  Could you let me know your
thoughts.  How about writing up configuration for

A.  Java Beginners
B.  Experienced

Also, I've been in touch with the Czech Technical University and
together with our developers we've been working on the minimum
configuration for NetBeans so I might send you that one two if you're
interested.

G.

Remco Groeneweg wrote:
> 
> I'm a student in my fifth year (I hope to start my masters thesis soon).
> As a parttime job, I help at some first and second year lab assignments
> for computer science. I'm an assistent for the first three programming
> (in Java) courses for Computer Science.
> 
> I want to stress that I'm talking about those students who are just
> entering university and taking their first programming courses. As they
> have to get familiar with a lot of new concepts already, the usual IDE
> is an overkill with a lot of functionality they don't need. I'm not
> questioning the use of IDEs, I'm questioning the usability of the
> current standard IDEs.
> 
> Another reason for a 'NetBeans lite' is a practical one: University
> computers usually aren't the latest state-of-the-art ones. Netbeans in
> its current full version doesn't run very smoothly on it. A suggestion:
> make a paper available which explains step-by-step which modules usually
> can be switched off in a first-year educational environment. I'll be
> happy to cooperate!
> 
> regards,
> 
> Remco
> 
> George Dvorak wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I agree with Blasius, also would like to add, that also the advantage
> > with NetBeans, since it's like a little lego set, it's also cool for
> > the students to write modules to plug in to NetBeans, and also to hack
> > the NetBeans Platform and play with it and understand a more
> > complicating code.
> >
> > Also, I would like to ask Remco, are you a student or a professor?
> >
> > George
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Blasius Lofi Dewanto wrote:
> >
> >>I think this is the real power of NetBeans.
> >>NetBeans is implemented as a real
> >>component-oriented IDE. So you can just
> >>de-install the components you don't want
> >>your students to use and re-package it.
> >>After all this is the advantage of using
> >>an open source Java-IDE.
> >>
> >>It's important to let freshmen students using
> >>javac on the command prompt (not only by clicking
> >>the compile icon) to understand the process
> >>itself. This is for sure. But after a while they also
> >>should enjoy the fun of assembling a Java GUI with
> >>drag&drop capability of NetBeans. The only
> >>disadvantage of NetBeans is that you don't
> >>have a true "two-ways-views" between the GUI code
> >>and the GUI designer. This two-ways-views could help
> >>them to understand the coding of GUI in Java a lot.
> >>
> >>Depending on the subject you are teaching, going back
> >>to the notepad is not a solution. I think, the students
> >>nowadays don't have to experience the "old" time as
> >>I had to work with notepad and command prompt at
> >>my first year. They have to continue searching
> >>for some new ideas and expand their knowledge.
> >>They should not look back at the ancient time of
> >>programming...
> >>
> >>Best regards,
> >>--
> >>---------------------------------------------------
> >>Blasius Lofi Dewanto
> >>---------------------------------------------------
> >>OpenUSS (Open University Support System)
> >>http://openuss.sourceforge.net
> >>---------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>
> >>>If Netbeans wants to become more widely used in education, it's not a
> >>>matter of what it needs, it's more a matter of what it doesn't need. The
> >>>  standard release right now is very much feature driven, with students
> >>>new to Java 'drowning' in IDE functionality.
> >>>At my university, the tendency now is to get rid of the IDEs again
> >>>(after having used VisualCafe for 4 years in first year computer science
> >>>education), returning back to Notepad.
> >>>A freshman student who has to become familiar with the basics of
> >>>programming really doesn't need JSP support, CVS support, etc.  I think
> >>>the release of a lite version of NetBeans with only the basic modules
> >>>included will be a good step in the right direction.
> >>>
> >>_________________________________________________________
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> >>