Do YOU want to learn JRuby using Google Wave?

RL offers online courses in Ruby programming, Ruby Metaprogramming, Git & GitHub, FXRuby, Shoes, JRuby, Sinatra and Merb. Since 2005, over 15,000 participants spread across 140+ countries have learned Ruby and other Ruby related timely topics. This has been possible due to the extensive support provided by the mentors of these courses. RL strives hard to improve the methodology and course content based on the extensive and critical feedback we receive. Thanks to YOU, the Ruby community, people like Fabio Akita and companies like Locaweb who make this possible. Our Alumni are our best ambassadors.

But What is Google Wave?

Google Wave¹ is a new web-based collaboration tool that enables groups of people to edit and discuss documents simultaneously on the web. At first, Wave can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re trying to understand it as a type of tool you already know—such as email, a document collaboration tool, or instant messenger. Wave combines features from all three of those types of tools.

To really understand Google Wave, I would recommend Gina Trapani’s excellent online tutorial “The Complete Guide to Google Wave“.

Advantages of using Google Wave

A tool such as Google Wave enables the students to collaborate together in an online environment. Wave replaces the need for multiple services such as a Wiki to post work, Google Docs to collaborate on documents, email to communicate asynchronously, and instant messaging services to communicate synchronously. From personal experience with using technology with students I have learned that the simplest solution is the best. Using one tool instead of four is a great advancement.

Thus, you could have one master notebook, where you could verify all the information, highlight what will probably be the most important things to learn, and just improve the process of studying completely.

Another feature of Wave that would be useful for education purposes, is the play-back ability – “so instructors can see exactly who did what, and see the progression of ideas.”

What’s JRuby?

JRuby is a 100% pure-Java implementation of the Ruby programming language.

Recently, JRuby has been gaining more and more attention in the Java and Ruby communities. Java is a powerful platform and there are millions of lines of Java code being written each month, that the world will have to live with for a long time from now. By leveraging Java the platform with the power of the Ruby programming language, programmers will get the best from both worlds. You better not ignore JRuby any more!

This is what some experts have to say about JRuby.

Martin Fowler:

For Ruby Developers, JRuby offers a deployment platform that is well understood, particular in corporations. For a Java community, JRuby is important because it offers a chance to experience a powerful language and framework while still taking advantage of Java’s excellent libraries and the ability to work in both Ruby and Java.

Pat Eyler:

Pretty soon, JRuby will be our common gateway between the infrastructure world of quick Ruby scripting and the application world of large-scale Java apps.

Why Use Google Wave To Teach JRuby?

At RubyLearning.org, we have been teaching the Ruby programming language and related libraries, api’s and frameworks for the past three years, using traditional tools. With the advent of Google Wave, we wanted to try and understand ourselves the effectiveness of using Google Wave as a teaching tool.

Who’s It For?

• You need to know the basics of Java and Ruby programming languages.
• You need to have a Google Wave account to access the invite-only “RubyLearning JRuby Wave“.
• You should be able to use Google Wave effectively. If you are not comfortable with Google Wave, read the excellent free, online tutorial “The Complete Guide to Google Wave“.

What Will I Learn?

This is an introductory course on JRuby, wherein you will:

• learn to call Java classes from Ruby, and
• learn to call Ruby classes from Java.

On completion of this course you will be comfortable programming in JRuby.

When And Where Do I Start?

Impatient? Well before we start off with this course, I would appreciate your feedback (as comments to this blog post). Feedback could be on:

• Appropriateness of using Google Wave as a learning tool.
• Suggestions for the format of the course.
• How you could contribute to this learning experience.
• Any other suggestions.

When you make a comment, please leave your Google Wave address, so that I can invite you once the “RubyLearning JRuby Wave” is ready. If the response is encouraging, I shall make this a public wave.

Update (11th Nov.): The JRuby course has started and so far 90 participants have registered. You can join the course anytime you want. Just post your Google Wave address as a comment to this blog post.