New programming course

[Mrocza]

Loops are introduced in a moment when the player has to simultaneously keep track of the relations between multiple game elements [...]

And that's the honest truth. These other game elements just as you pointed out are introduced earlier but the player still has to keep them in mind and simultaniously learn something new. That's evaluation (check of player's knowlage) mixed with introduction (learning something new). A scheme of this sort is totally legit and it is in fact widely used pretty much everywhere. In other words it's the introduction of something new on a foundation of what we know.
It is efficient but it leads to a problem... A student may get stuck. Fail in one stage renders progress much harder. If a person taking the curse didn't quite catch the principle of the production line they would have a hard time later. For a real teacher in a real class it's a minor inconvinence. They can at any time just jump to what is missing, fill the gap and proceed with what's on the agenda. For a computer program facing a student on it's own it becomes a bigger issue.

repeat() is bad. From a programmer's perspective it is. But when building a course from scratch one needs to forget about being a programmer and be a teacher. From a teacher's perspective repeat() is usefull. That is why it was included in CeeBot in the first place. That's why they put it in Logo.

I'm not saying all what you have written thus far should be scrapped. For goodness no!
The thing is that we're not teaching a class where students are the same age/level. We're throwing a product into the mass. Mass composed of different people with diferent knowlage, interests, demands. I'll dare to say that a single course is not enough.

Why not giving a player choice over what they wish to learn.

- Before you write your first program we need to actually get some bot to write a program for.
*A group of shooters is shown. They seem to be getting ready for a fight against the eighth passenger of Nostromo*
- Look at those! These sure look awesome. I guess it's the elite of the bot community. Though it is in fact really hard to program those. Would you like to start here or shall we look for something easier?
Two buttons: "Bring on the big guns!", "Let's actually find something easier."
*A grabber brings a spare battery to that group of shooters*
- How about this guy? There's nothing more usefull than an efficient program for the workhorse - the spine of the industry.
Two buttons: "Well okay, let's do this.", "I wouldn't mind something easier."
*A second grabber rolls in. This time carrying a box of TNT.*
- Good call... good call. I wouldn't like to get near that thing.
*In the background there's a bot painting road lines*
- Do you see that bot in the back? I guess it's harmless enough. What can we mess up with just a brush and a bucket of paint? Perfect! We'll definetly start with that.
A button: "Let's start from the basics then."