Remove React Context Providers as a learning objective

Version 5.5 Release Notes

Data Types and Structures

A new book was added at the beginning of JavaScript that focuses on data types and structures (arrays and objects) without the noise of the DOM. Students run their JavaScript files in the terminal with Node.

Debugging

A new book was added that has students focusing heavily on understand and using their Dev Tools and the debugger to fix code and examine data flow as their logic executes.

Eliminate Context Providers

The instruction team came to consensus that the use of React Context Providers was noise since it was not needed for the complexity of the projects in the course, nor for the vast majority of student capstone projects. The existing Nashville Kennels project that taught providers has been moved to a tier 5 project. This allows advanced students to be exposed to the concept if the instruction team deems it appropriate.

The React course now just focuses on useState(), useEffect(), and useParams() hooks for getting and maintaining state. Students will have each component manage its own state instead of pulling it in from a provider component.

Near Elimination of Custom Events

Custom events were an attempt to get students to understand how to make decoupled components in a web application. The hope was that it would help them understand how state management worked in React with the useState() and useEffect() hooks.

It did not.

It did heavily distract them from practicing more fundamental concepts since so much cognitive effort was spent understanding the complex flow of events in the projects.

The only remaining custom event is the "stateChanged" event which prepares them for understanding that any time state changes in the application, the HTML (and eventually the JSX) has to be re-rendered.

Cohort 46 Updates

Latest changes to React chapters to eliminate useRef() hook.

Complete refactor to project-based experience

Isolated chapters and exercises eliminated. All work that students do are part of a larger project.