[R] R GUI For Which User?

[Zed A. Shaw]

Frank,

Maybe you should read a bit more carefully.  I'll be designing it with a
professor and various other people using a user centered design model.  I'm
also a professional software developer, the "student" part of my life is
only a slight diversion at the time.

Also, if you've made this observation, then why don't you do some research
and produce some empirical evidence supporting your claim that being forced
to learn a difficult programming language improves a student's understanding
of statistics?  Until I see evidence to the contrary, I'm going to go with
the mountains of research in HCI and Education that says improved interfaces
DO help students learn.

Zed

On 7/10/02 7:19 PM, "Frank E Harrell Jr" <fharrell at virginia.edu> wrote:
> 
> With all due respect I feel that your opinions are somewhat naive.  I have
> been doing and teaching data analysis for many years and spend a lot of time
> watching students.  Students do not learn good habits by using GUIs and they
> certainly do not learn how to do reproducible research that way.  You are
> wrong in assuming that professors try to make something difficult and even
> more wrong in assuming that students should avoid difficulties.  I shudder to
> think what a GUI designed by a student for students will look like based on
> what you've said.
> 
> Frank Harrell

-- 
Zed A. Shaw


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