Is challenges as lessons the right way?

Question

If one posts a new challange in Q&A he will be asked to create a lesson for it. But the latest publicated challenge is a few time old. I doubt if this approach from SL is a good one.

edit: This is no critic to SL in the sense it works too slow! It is a question for the benefit. So I changed the title.

Answer 1

@Oma Falk
The benefit is a collection of challenges so that users can take a look into it if they don't know what to code without the need to filter the Q&A for challenges. It also solves the problem of duplicates of Q&A challenges.
But I agree that you are right in terms of the increased workload. Maybe a subsection would solve this problem. Instead of putting the whole workload onto sololearn the lesson submissions could be made in a subsection where users can review them and suggest changes. This would solve some problems: the workload would be less for sololearn because the duplicates get filtered and the submitted lessons would already be reviewed by engaged users.

@swapnil IMO the challenges should be split up into skill levels (maybe easy/medium/advanced)

@cipher I don't think oma falk's intention was to disencourage users from submitting lessons, but to start a discussion about how to improve the current state. The challenge section is a good idea, but has room for improvements. I don't see any problems in discussing it in the community before sending a feedback with thought-out ideas.

Answer 2

Although I like the challenge assignments section but I want to add a point : Most of the assignments there are very easy and have simple approach. At the time when lots of assignments were being approved, I submitted 10 and only 2 were approved. Those 2 were the easiest of the 10.

This makes me wonder if I should submit simple and easy challenges only there.
Note : I didn't mean to criticize that system.

Answer 3

@Swapnil
I think easier assignments got approved early because most of the people have idea about them already[like there is specific name for them.. ex: armstong number,fibonacci series,happy numbers etc] , but if you create a new challenge by yourself then SL team will obviously take time to understand it & arrange it properly
//might thats the reason to take time i approving assignments

Answer 4

@Marta thanks for your detailed thoughts.
I think, SL has an idea of its app. But since it is open, there is a development coming from user. one of those are that challanges from users. SL picks up some ideas and gives it a structure. This way it is always a dialog between SL and those who use it.
This factor is one, which makes SL unique.
Maybe there will be a best of challenges finding its way to lessons but q&a challenges too, maybe the SL way will be the one way.

Answer 5

Where do you see that the latest published/approved challenge is a few weeks old?

Patience is a virtue in either case. The devs go through a lot of submissions due to the community being so large & active.

Answer 6

I see, because I check for new challenges.

The devs work hard, i know. With taking Challenges to lessons, there is even more work for them. But where is the use for SL?
Tagging a question with [challenge] did the job.

Answer 7

@Oma Falk - a better approach would've been to use the feedback feature provided to you within the menu in the top-right corner of your default screen. That way, you would likely get a reputable response as well as avoid situations similar to the current one, where users are mislead. The extent of how "critical" a person's views are is determined by each individual's interpretation of the content. So, that is where the fault resides. "What is meant" does not matter. "How it's interpreted" is what matters.

So, please submit all challenges via the lesson-factory. The latest published challenge is not, in fact, 3+ weeks old.

Thanks.

Answer 8

@Akash, Ahri the point is the use: That solution gives more work to SL. But i see no benefit.
Maybe my question was not perfect since you see it as critically SL works too slow.
That is not my point.

Answer 9

I’ll join as I’m concerned with what’s happening with the challenges these days. I see these messages in every latest challenge asking to submit it via some factory, but (a) I don’t understand where this requirement comes from, (b) myself I don’t see any factory because I’m an IOS user, and (c) I don’t actually see why challenges in Q&A could be of any harm.

Generally I think it’s a great idea to have some basic set of challenges ready-to-jump-in somewhere in learning section. But should they be the only challenges allowed?

SoloLearn is so great because of users co-operation and peer-to-peer learning. User challenges are pretty much like a normal kids game - somebody says “look what a nice game I know - would you like to play with me?” Somebody would join because he likes the challenge, somebody would join because likes the challenger, somebody would pass by, but this will remain a peer-to-peer play, without a mentor saying “ok now I tell you what to do next”. I even don’t mind duplicate challenges - because anyway studying is mostly about learning something that everybody had known before you. So every next student who uncovered the beauty of decimal to binary conversion might well be willing to share this with his peers by offering them a challenge, right now, without asking for a permission from a mentor - why not? What is important - in these “micro” challenges you will always have an owner interested to support discussion with every participant, while in centralised challenges I’m afraid the author will soon find reviewing all the answers too heavy a task...

All over, I would vote for both possibilities - both factoried and day-to-day Q&A challenges ❤️

Answer 10

So it's now safe to say that this thread's description is inaccurate. @Oma Falk - Please don't discourage SoloLearners from submitting challenges via the lesson-factory by using false information.

Answer 11

@Jonathan yes SL was intended to be. Actually it has become a place where beginners meet runaways since it is worth for both.

Answer 12

It's only 10 days the last coding challenge was published (even less I have just seen the when he submitted the assignment).

Answer 13

Your question title is misleading. Honestly, that's the same idea I had when I asked about Challenge of the Day. But I realized that they probably want to formally bind the challenges to the app itself. The Challenge Section is a fruit of user contributions in the q&a.

Answer 14

@CipherFox what makes you so afraid about this discussion?

I asked several times for benefits of this way. Up to now the answer is "you discourage user...."
But no benefit.
Lets take the worst case: It was no good idea. What will happen? Nothing. Try and sucess and sometimes error is a good thing.

Lets take good case: you - as moderator - can show up the benefits.
It will go the way of what you want: challenges to lessons.

Your answers dont convince me. Provide facts please. I am open.

Answer 15

@Jonathan ok thanks. I accept

Answer 16

@Swapnil Srivastava
Well, just like Hatsy pointed out before, Sololearn is for beginners. So the assignments will be that way.

Answer 17

I'm not sure what you mean by "afraid". I've provided nothing other than facts. I believe there must be a misunderstanding on someone's end. I'm also having a difficult time understanding the majority of your last response, so I'll simply redirect you to mine.

Have a good day!

Answer 18

I agree with @CipherFox , the community is vast spread. There will be thousands of lessons to review for the Dev team. It will be take time.
Moreover, have patience and faith in SoloLearn Dev team.

Answer 19

@cipher again an answer without naming a benifit.

Answer 20

I think the challenges are a great idea because programming is all about solving a challenge. I personally learned a lot more with the challenges than with the Sololearn courses.