Plan React module restructure

[adamblanchard]

Context

There has been quite a bit of discussion surrounding the current react module on the planning doc. Read the comments here.

Description

React in itself does not need splitting up between courses, but some questions were raised in the proposal that we should consider before the next teams:

1. It is written for 5 weeks, but last time took 6. Do we reduce the scope or do we extend officially to 6 weeks?
2. This is a high complexity module. Is there a better way to scope it or restructure it? e.g. splitting into "react" and "nextjs" modules. What would be the learning goals of each?

Keep in mind our goal, to get people into a junior frontend job. What are the most important learning goals surrounding this module?

Outcome

• A documented plan of how we proceed with the React module.
• Shared for feedback in #curriculum-crew, and any other mentors you know who have experience teaching the react module.

[adamblanchard]

We're organising a meeting next week (with some mentors who've been heavily involved with react, previously) to solve the open questions above. Will share more after :)

[adamblanchard]

Few notes from the discussion:

Attendees: @markitosha, @chezzoba, Bjørn, @adamblanchard

1. 5 weeks:

• Some confusion: Had meal sharing app, had final session maybe set up to work on that, but there was a lot of confusion about what to do in that session.
• it's already quite high pressure,

2. react and nextjs scope

• Two teams have tried nextjs so far (in the latest react module). Feels like introducing react and nextjs at the same time.
• Nextjs is currently the recommended framework by react. It does simplify some major features (e.g. routing).
• Could we split react, nextjs, to teach independently.
• splitting it: We've already tried to introduce react first, that was the aim (react1). it's probably mostly the way we teach it that should change (rather than the learning goals in react1).

Most important parts of nextjs for teaching trainees?

• Many generic issues solved by nextjs under the hood
• Tradeoff is it is quite opinionated patterns
• New concepts/paradigm flexes some new dev muscles

Tdlr:

• Overall, no major changes needed for this first restructure iteration
• We should however evaluate how we can put a clear boundary between "conceptual/react" stuff into one module, and "nextjs/more opinionated stuff" into a second.
• There could be some changes to the teaching approach (ie. lesson plan?) to make some of the learning goals clearer (e.g. it's not about being an expert in nextjs, but learning why such a framework is valuable, what "opinionated" means vs react).

Next steps:
Read through the content in more detail, @markitosha to summarise in a proposal.

[markitosha]

Overall, I think we can accept this proposal with some noted (also added to the document).

Agreed on:

• Restucture itself: separate React and Next
• Fallback to Vite in React module -- Discussion
• We DO NOT introduce any state libraries -- Discussion
• We DO NOT introduce reducers -- Discussion Discussion
• We DO NOT introduce UI Libraries, only mention that they're exist, so they can research is they want to -- Discussion

Todo:

• Research and add more preparation materials -- Discussion
• Integrate MealSharing better with new structure: do it in React module, check that steps are coverting the lesson plan -- Discussion
• IF we introduce refs, we need to add good examples when they might be non-avoidable (fx timers) -- Discussion
• Add introction for any 1-click-deploy, fx Vercel -- Discussion
• Figure out an example with good example of server rendering -- Discussion

Up to a discussion:

• Which router to take with Vite? How we approach Routing now? -- Discussion
• Should we cover render props? -- Discussion
• Should we introduce refs? -- Discussion
• If we remove most of the content in week 4, we probably can move there everything we found as "not exactly fit with goal" for other weeks. Or use session for questions.

[te-online]

Add introction for any 1-click-deploy, fx Vercel -- Discussion

I have some time tomorrow evening and I can help with this one. Maybe I'll prepare a snippet of step-by-step that can be added to the lesson plan? Would that help?