This two-part course is designed to help students with very little or no computing background learn the basics of building simple interactive applications. Our language of choice, Python, is an easy-to learn, high-level computer language that is used in many of the computational courses offered on Coursera. To make learning Python easy, we have developed a new browser-based programming environment that makes developing interactive applications in Python simple.
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These applications will involve windows whose contents are graphical and respond to buttons, the keyboard and the mouse.
In part 1 of this course, we will introduce the basic elements of programming (such as expressions, conditionals, and functions) and then use these elements to create simple interactive applications such as a digital stopwatch. Part 1 of this class will culminate in building a version of the classic arcade game "Pong".
Course 1 of 7 in the Fundamentals of Computing Specialization.
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Statements, expressions, variables
Understand the structure of this class, explore Python as a calculator
WEEK 2
Functions, logic, conditionals
Learn the basic constructs of Python programming, create a program that plays a variant of Rock-Paper-Scissors
WEEK 3
Event-driven programming, local/global variables
Learn the basics of event-driven programming, understand difference between local and global variables, create an interactive program that plays a simple guessing game
WEEK 4
Canvas, drawing, timers
Create a canvas in Python, learn how to draw on the canvas, create a digital stopwatch
WEEK 5
Lists, keyboard input, the basics of modeling motion
Learn the basics of lists in Python, model moving objects in Python, recreate the classic arcade game "Pong"
