- set up a web page with some minimal and familiar interactions.
- with the adult student, visit that webpage and let them use it.
- then bring up the browser's web dev tools and show them some ways they can modify the content and behaviour.
- to wrap up maybe go to a website they use regularly, and bust out the web dev tools and do some minor modifications.
Why I think this approach would be good:
- people are familiar with web pages, so it provides them with some context of programming and how it effects the 'real world'. (Different to just programming something that would seem highly abstract, such a command line app)
- letting them see the web dev tools after having interacted with the page would hopefully enforce the idea that they are going behind the scenes/seeing the insides of something they use. The idea that code and programming 'powers' things they use.
- modifying the code, should give the student that they can manipulate and change what they are interacting with on the screen. Again, conveying the power of programming, and perhaps a taste of what its about.
- final thing is to modify something/peek behind the curtain of something they like and use often. Hopefully to convey the idea that fundamentals of programming apply to the big brand websites as much as the toy website they have been playing with.
I'd be interested in hearing feedback on the above approach!