Confusion Sources

This page is for collecting things in the curriculum that folks found confusing but that do not have an immediate fix.

• we use the term "parens" and "paren" without explaining them; consider not using this jargon
• it is easy to misplace the cursor and become confused as to why you get just 25 instead of a circle
  • consider using Shift-Ctrl-Enter before Ctrl-Enter
  • consider checking the result of the evaluation against what the tutorial expects
• (doc layer) accidentally introduces unexplained & in [& shapes] - perhaps it should be explained?
• "your code goes here" block confusing to some
• intro to functions (2nd & 3rd code blocks) doesn't reliably work
  • this is critical to people continuing (& continuing to understand!)
  • probably needs a diagram to explain arguments & function position w/r/t parens
  • we also simply need to phrase it multiple ways, both right there and circling back later
• apply is tossed in way too casually for the intended audience
  • diagram could help
  • link to separate module (alongside, i dunno, juxt/comp/partial? eval?)
• general thought: consider a separate, streamlined intro with links to subsections that expand on concepts that people find difficult
  • this would be more material for those who need it, but a quick path for those who already know things
  • meet as many as possible where they are