(2025-04-23) Notes on iteration

[mvanrongen]

Generic

• Data download link on the course website does not work
• Add slide numbers (I added them to the linked GSlides, so need to check if this is the correct copy)
• Needs more time for the expense calculator, particularly if people not using the computers in the room (where to download, how to run it)
• Fewer AI generated images
• Would be better to have exercises as a single, separate section for each chapter like we do in all of our courses (e.g. see [Data analysis in Python](https://cambiotraining.github.io/data-analysis-in-r-and-python/materials/da1-02-basic-objects-and-data-types.html) course)
• Good to have a brief recap at the end of the day
• Mentions "don't use important words" in variables. Give examples of this on the slides and/or during the demo
• With going through the data types, maybe make subheadings in the script (e.g. lists, dictionaries, tuples) so people know what to expect. Then add comments as you go through them around what they do. Make sure to mention that this links to Chapter 5.

Slides

• 10: too much text, split and/or use transitions
• 13: skipped very quickly - is it necessary?
• 15: need to explain what int, float, complex types are
• 16: add link to cheat sheet (Ch21 - are there generic cheat sheets like R has?)
• 22: might be better to have a decision tree style example, and then contrast this with what happens if both conditions (e.g. baker & butcher) are true

Course website

• Section 3.2: "Q3. What logic is involved? - Can yu create a flow chart reflecting what is done?" typo
• Section 5.2: After "The main composite data types in Python are:" put these in an {.callout-important} box.
• Section 5.3, but more generally: this has a code block with just simple triple backticks. It's actually Python code, so code it up as a Python block. That way the code formatting is consistent and clearer.
• Section 5.4: you're using .append. It'd be good to have a callout box explaining the . (as well as when you're demoing this), more generally regarding methods.
• Section 6.3: need to explain f in more detail, probably in a callout box
  • Maybe add an example for the expense_calculator.py script in the course materials, so it can function as a way to anchor Exercise 3
• Make cheat sheets appendices (Appendix is separate in Quarto)

[tavareshugo]

Some more feedback from my side.

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Delivery

• We need to make sure the live coding mostly follows the website materials - online materials may need to be expanded to ensure this is possible. It's useful both for future trainers, and to reduce anxiety in participants feeling that they have to type everything or loose it.
• Think about alternatives to Google Docs for sharing code during the live class - (e.g. a public Colab or etherpad)
• Review early use of live coding that require deleting code; perhaps we could consider commenting out lines, or using a notebook for the early part of the course.
• Decide on an optimal layout for VS Code for teaching and perhaps add this to some trainer notes. At the end, the "vertical" layout seemed the best. Also worth adding notes about key shortcuts for trainers, e.g. how to zoom in/out, how to hide/show the file panel, etc.

Materials/slides

• Clarify what a "script" is before using it the first time; add short explanation + expected steps (write, run, edit).

• Add explicit instruction on exiting a running program (Ctrl + C).

• Simplify examples where variables are reused ambiguously (e.g. expenses = read_file_expenses(filename, expenses) → same file name is used as input and output, which could be confusing for beginners).

• Add intuitive examples for interpreted vs compiled languages.

• Avoid using terms before defining them (e.g. "loops"); ensure all terminology is explicitly introduced.

• Improve explanation on when to use lists vs tuples vs dicts vs sets, with concrete examples to make it more relatable. Include "when not to use" for each.

• Add note that tuples are more memory-efficient than lists; consider showing this as a comparison table on the website.

• Reduce complexity of early exercises (e.g. expense calculator refactor after introducing functions is too advanced).

• OOP section: Use a single consistent example instead of switching contexts (dog, circle, animal); clarify OOP vs functional programming example (current version with the gaming characters wasn't very clear).

• Simplify images used throughout the slides (e.g. the dog image on OOP is too busy and distracts from the main points; a simple diagram with boxes might work better here - you can add a light touch visual, using simple icons or emojis for example).

• Need a better balance of exercise levels:

  • Level 1: direct application of concept or skills just covered; these should exist throughout (many sections currently start with level 2 exercises).
  • Level 2: combination of concepts or skills; these can appear throughout as well, but should ideally always be followed from level 1 exercises.
  • Level 3: optional and requiring higher-level understanding, e.g. using documentation outside the materials provided; these should be less common, possibly appearing only in later sections.

• Provide solutions for all exercises by default.