Python Object Basics: Functions, Recursion, and Objects (Coursera)

Offered by Codio,
Python Object Basics: Functions, Recursion, and Objects (Coursera)

Code and run your first python program in minutes without installing anything! This course is designed for learners with limited coding experience, providing a solid foundation of not just python, but core Computer Science topics that can be transferred to other languages. The modules in this course cover functions, recursion, objects, and mutability. Completion of the prior 2 courses in this specialization are recommended.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

To allow for a truly hands-on, self-paced learning experience, this course is video-free. Assignments contain short explanations with images and runnable code examples with suggested edits to explore code examples further, building a deeper understanding by doing. You'll benefit from instant feedback from a variety of assessment items along the way, gently progressing from quick understanding checks (multiple choice, fill in the blank, and un-scrambling code blocks) to small, approachable coding exercises that take minutes instead of hours.
What You Will Learn

  • Define and use custom functions to improve code readability
  • When and how to use recursion instead of iteration
  • Create and modify custom objects

Course 3 of 4 in the Programming in Python: A Hands-on Introduction Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
User-Defined Functions
Re-use pieces of code by wrapping them in functions. You can create functions that take in and/or return data.

WEEK 2
Recursion
Use recursion for special cases of iteration.

WEEK 3
Introduction to Objects
Learn about user-defined classes and how to use them to create objects.

WEEK 4
Mutability
Change the attributes associated with an object through methods.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Introdução ao Teste de Software (Coursera) Coursera
Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Introdução ao Teste de Software (Coursera)

A necessidade das empresas em produzir software com qualidade tem aumentado a demanda por profissionais com conhecimentos e habilidades em Teste de Software. Entretanto, existe uma escassez de mão-de-obra especializada nesta área. Considerando essa lacuna, o curso de Introdução ao Teste de Software foi planejado para servir como um guia para pessoas que necessitam de uma fonte de consulta e/ou aprendizado na área.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Algorithmic Thinking (Part 1) (Coursera) Coursera
Rice University

Algorithmic Thinking (Part 1) (Coursera)

Experienced Computer Scientists analyze and solve computational problems at a level of abstraction that is beyond that of any particular programming language. This two-part class is designed to train students in the mathematical concepts and process of "Algorithmic Thinking", allowing them to build simpler, more efficient solutions to computational problems.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
Programming Reactive Systems (Scala 2 version) (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Programming Reactive Systems (Scala 2 version) (Coursera)

Reactive programming is a set of techniques for implementing scalable, resilient and responsive systems as per the Reactive Manifesto. Such systems are based on asynchronous message-passing, and their basic building-blocks are event handlers. This course teaches how to implement reactive systems in Scala and Akka by using high-level abstractions, such as actors, asynchronous computations, and reactive streams.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introdução à Ciência da Computação com Python Parte 2 (Coursera) Coursera
Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Introdução à Ciência da Computação com Python Parte 2 (Coursera)

Bem vindo ao curso de Introdução à Ciência da Computação destinado aos alunos regulares da Universidade de São Paulo! Esta é a segunda parte do Curso, onde você vai continuar a aprender os principais conceitos introdutórios de Ciência da Computação e também aprenderá a desenvolver pequenos programas na linguagem Python.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Principles of Computing (Part 2) (Coursera) Coursera
Rice University

Principles of Computing (Part 2) (Coursera)

This two-part course introduces the basic mathematical and programming principles that underlie much of Computer Science. Understanding these principles is crucial to the process of creating efficient and well-structured solutions for computational problems. To get hands-on experience working with these concepts, we will use the Python programming language. The main focus of the class will be weekly mini-projects that build upon the mathematical and programming principles that are taught in the class.

Aug 10th 2026
4 Weeks
Functional Programming Principles in Scala (Scala 2 version) (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Functional Programming Principles in Scala (Scala 2 version) (Coursera)

Functional programming is becoming increasingly widespread in industry. This trend is driven by the adoption of Scala as the main programming language for many applications. Scala fuses functional and object-oriented programming in a practical package. It interoperates seamlessly with both Java and Javascript. Scala is the implementation language of many important frameworks, including Apache Spark, Kafka, and Akka. It provides the core infrastructure for sites such as Twitter, Tumblr and also Coursera.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Data Science in Stratified Healthcare and Precision Medicine (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Data Science in Stratified Healthcare and Precision Medicine (Coursera)

An increasing volume of data is becoming available in biomedicine and healthcare, from genomic data, to electronic patient records and data collected by wearable devices. Recent advances in data science are transforming the life sciences, leading to precision medicine and stratified healthcare. In this course, you will learn about some of the different types of data and computational methods involved in stratified healthcare and precision medicine.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction à la programmation orientée objet (en Java) (Coursera) Coursera
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Introduction à la programmation orientée objet (en Java) (Coursera)

Ce cours introduit la programmation orientée objet (encapsulation, abstration, héritage, polymorphisme) en l'illustrant en langage Java. Il présuppose connues les bases de la programmation (variables, types, boucles, fonctions, ...). Il est conçu comme la suite du cours « Initiation à la programmation (en Java) ».

Aug 16th 2026
5-12 Weeks
IBM z/OS Rexx Programming (Coursera) Coursera
IBM

IBM z/OS Rexx Programming (Coursera)

This course is designed to teach you the basic skills required to write programs using the REXX language in z/OS. The course covers the TSO extensions to REXX and interaction with other environments such as the MVS console, running REXX in batch jobs, and compiling REXX. A total of 11 hands-on labs on an IBM Z server (via remote Skytap access) are part of this course.

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introducción a Java (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Introducción a Java (Coursera)

Me llamo Elisa Viso y una de mis pasiones es la de programar y enseñar a programar. El lenguaje Java es uno de los que más me ha gustado en mis 45 años que llevo programando. Si bien te podrá parecer un poco complicado empezar a programar en Java, una vez que cubras los conceptos básicos verás qué rápido se avanza. Java, como todos los lenguajes de programación bien hechos, te dejan hacer cualquier cosa (algunas de ellas con más trabajo que en otros lenguajes y otras casi directamente de cómo piensas la solución al problema).

Aug 10th 2026
5-12 Weeks