Why do we need programming
Answers
we need programming to do programs ...it is a logicsl steps essential to get a similar output
At the beginning of a new unit we jump right into an activity - building a small arrangement of LEGO® blocks and then creating text instructions a classmate could follow to construct the same arrangement. Groups will then trade instructions to see if they were clear enough to allow reconstruction of the original arrangement. The wrap-up discussion is used to highlight the inherent ambiguities of human language and call out the need for the creation of a programming language which leaves no room for interpretation.
This is the first in a 3-lesson sequence in which we attempt to make connections between programming languages, the creative act of programming, and algorithms.
The main activity is a derivative of a classic strategy for beginning to learn about programming - writing precise instructions for another person to do just about anything- making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a simple line drawing, an arrangement of objects - is challenging. Human language is fraught with ambiguities and assumptions that machines (computers) simply cannot handle.
Thus, the first step we take is to establish the need for programming languages. Writing down a precise set of instructions to build a small lego structure, as we do in this lesson, is nearly impossible…unless you can agree on certain language constructs ahead of time, and how they will be interpreted. The main purpose of the lesson is to expose why programming languages are necessary, and how they come into being.
When you formalize language or commands that describe actions you are making a kind of code. This is also necessary for computers, which are simply machines that can perform a number of different tasks. In order to write instructions for them to do something you must agree on the “code” and each action must have a precise, unambiguous meaning. This is a programming language. Novices might think that a programming language looks like an archaic, impenetrable mass of abstract word groupings, but all programming languages are derived from the human need to concisely give instructions to a machine.