When I was learning how to use a debugger, most of my "uhhh what?" moments were discovering the next line the debugger would jump to when I clicked "step into", "step out", "step over" etc.
I remember thinking, "this can probably be visualized as a little graph in a frame in the corner."
Now that I'm far more comfortable, I doubt I'd use one. But I think visual tools are a brilliant idea for spanning the gap between beginner and expert. At some point you just stop using tools and you disable them in your editor.
Bonus anecdote: I vividly remember making a leap at around 9 or 10 years old from the LEGO Mindstorms visual programmer to writing nonsense AppleScripts and having one of those emotional floods of epiphany about my power over my computer.
I remember thinking, "this can probably be visualized as a little graph in a frame in the corner."
Now that I'm far more comfortable, I doubt I'd use one. But I think visual tools are a brilliant idea for spanning the gap between beginner and expert. At some point you just stop using tools and you disable them in your editor.
Bonus anecdote: I vividly remember making a leap at around 9 or 10 years old from the LEGO Mindstorms visual programmer to writing nonsense AppleScripts and having one of those emotional floods of epiphany about my power over my computer.