Question:

Coding exercises have context, instructions, hints, code comments, and a success message all in addition to the code. I feel like I’m writing the same things over and over again. Why are there so many seemingly redundant sections in a DataCamp exercise?

Answer:

Every part of a DataCamp exercise is intended to help the student get to the solution. Each section aims to provide a different level of help, which allows an individual course to be accessible and at the appropriate level of difficulty for multiple learners. For example, more advanced learners are likely familiar with the structure of the code and may be taking a course to learn about a specific package. These advanced learners frequently use the code comments to complete the exercise and only consult the instructions or context when they feel particularly challenged. 

Conversely, our more beginner students may need a bit more context surrounding the code and consult the assignment text before proceeding to the instructions. Hints provide a further layer of guidance. Our general rule that hints should get students about 50% of the way to the solution. Lastly, the success message provides not only praise but insights about the data that help develop the students' data fluency.
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