Fundamentals of Programming (Teacher Pack)

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2 P a g e 2 Fundamentals of Programming (Teacher Pack) Table of Contents Table of Contents Objective of Course Course Type Length of Course Resources required Lesson Plan Lesson Number: 1 of Lesson Number: 2 of Lesson Number: 3 of Topic Introduction What is programming all about? There are lots of Programming Languages. Let s look at the most popular ones C, C++, C# and Objective C Java JavaScript PHP Python SQL Swift So which one should we learn first? Let's look at recent statistics Let s learn Python as it is the most popular language to learn first Important things to know about Python We will install Python V The Python IDLE interface The process of opening IDLE is different on each operating system Practical Application of the Technology Task 1: Basic arithmetic operators Python Basics - Values, expressions, variables/ statements Task 2: Creating variables Task 3: What if you forget the value of a variable?

3 P a g e 3 Task 4: What if you want to change the value of a variable? Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: Tips for creating Variable names! Watching out for errors Task 5: Name Error Example Task 6: Name Error Example two Task 7: Syntax Error The IDLE file editor Task 8: A basic programme How did we do that? Let's examine it line by line Functions Task 9: Using the rand(int) function Boolean Data Types, Comparison Operators and Conditions Task 10: Comparison operators and conditions result in a Boolean value Task 11: What if the two values are the same? Task 12: What if the two values are the same? (Take Two) Now try building more expressions in the IDLE using the Comparison operators in this table: Code Blocks Task 13: Practice making blocks of code Student Engagement with Topic Now we have practised the fundamentals of Python, we will programme a small game How did we do that? Let's examine it line by line Class Exercise Industry Exposure Prepare for a career in Networking Things you can do straight away! Delve in and see if you like it! What do the experts say? Course Conclusion Appendix I - References Appendix II Help with installing Python

4 P a g e 4 Objective of Course This course introduces the fundamental building blocks of programming and teaches you how to write basic programmes using the Python language. Course Type Elective Length of Course It is envisioned that this course should take three classes to complete. Resources required Internet access is required to run the student presentation. (Produced using Microsoft Sway). Projector and screen are required for display. Good quality audio/video is required to listen to/watch the embedded YouTube videos. Python Version 3.4 is required for this course. Please download onto teacher and student computers. Instructions are available here.

5 P a g e 5 1. Lesson Plan Lesson Number: 1 of 3 Lesson Objective: To cover the following: What is programming? Introduction to the most popular programming languages Overview of current statistics on most important languages to learn Overview of the Python Installation process Python fundamentals Lesson Content: All material provided in Taster Course teacher pack. Method of Delivery: Sway presentation Python Demonstrations In-class Activity: Watch all embedded YouTube videos Task 1: Basic arithmetic operators Equipment Required: PC or laptop, projector, audio/video display plugins Projected Duration: One 45-minute class Learning Outcomes: Overview of Computer Programming and introduction to a programming interface i.e. The Python IDLE environment.

6 P a g e 6 Lesson Number: 2 of 3 Lesson Objective: To learn about the following: Values, expressions and variables Programming errors Running a programme Functions Boolean data types, comparison operators and conditions Code blocks Lesson Content: All material provided in Taster Course teacher pack. Method of Delivery: Sway presentation: Python Demonstrations In-class Activity: Complete Task 2 13 Equipment Required: PC or laptop, projector, audio/video display plugins Projected Duration: One 45-minute class Learning Outcomes: Learn to Programme using Python. Understand the difference between the IDLE window and running a programme with the File Editor.

7 P a g e 7 Lesson Number: 3 of 3 Lesson Objective: To cover the following: Programme a small game Understand and manipulate the programme code Investigate careers in programming Investigate things students can do themselves to prepare for a career in programming Listen to what the experts have to say Lesson Content: All material provided in Taster Course teacher pack. Method of Delivery: Sway presentation Python Demonstrations In-class Activity: Create and manipulate a game in Python Watch all embedded YouTube videos Equipment Required: PC or laptop, projector, audio/video display plugins Projected Duration: One 45-minute class Learning Outcomes: Create and manipulate a game in Python. Understand what skills are required for a career in programming. Investigate careers in programming. Listen to what the experts have to say. 2. Topic Introduction

8 P a g e 8 Open the Fundamentals of Computer Programming presentation and display on projector screen: Navigate through the SWAY. What is programming all about? Computers are fantastic machines, and learning to programme them is not as hard as you might think! But they cannot work alone - you must give them instructions on what you want them to do... A computer programme is a set of step by step instructions that the computer can understand. Think about how you build a jigsaw, it is made up of many pieces and there is a unique and specific location for each piece. A jigsaw is made up of many pieces and there is a unique and specific location for each piece... To instruct a computer, you write a programme in a language the computer understands. So you need to learn a computer language. Similar to how you would communicate with someone from France - you need to learn their language in order to communicate with them. Unless you give computers the exact instructions, they will get confused and make mistakes. Telling a computer what you want it to do is sometimes hard because you have to explain things very logically and carefully. All programming instructions have to be exactly correct. Computers are very picky! If it does not like your instructions, a computer will throw back problems called bugs. But don't worry - even the best programmers create lots of bugs. Watch embedded video: Why are programming errors called bugs? (1:13m) There are lots of Programming Languages. Let s look at the most popular ones C, C++, C# and Objective C The languages C, C++, Objective C and C# (pronounced "C-Sharp") all sound as if they should all form part of the same programming family - well some do and do not... C

9 P a g e 9 In 1972, the programming language "C" was developed by a computer scientist called Dennis Ritchie. C quickly became very popular and has become the most used programming language ever made. The major reason for this, is that programmes written in C can run on all sorts of different operating systems (Cross-platform). C is used when you need to code something that runs quickly and does not use too much memory. For example: the code that lets your keyboard or monitor talk to the rest of your computer. C++ In the early 1980's, a Danish programmer called Bjarne Stroustrup developed "C++", also at Bell Laboratories. ++ is shorthand for adding 1 to a number in programming, so C++ means one better than C. This was birth of what is called object oriented programming (OOP). The basic idea of object oriented programming is that all of your code is arranged into logical bundles of data and actions, instead of being spread out in a confusing way! The purpose of C++ is to make writing programmes easier for the programmer. Objective C This was created by Brad Cox and Tom Love in 1983 but has become popular in recent years as it is used on the iphone, ipod Touch and the ipad. Objective-C is the main programming language used when writing software for Apple's Operating Systems. However, Objective-C was not invented by, nor is it exclusively owned by, Apple. It is an open standard and has also been used by Microsoft in the past. C# (pronounced "C-Sharp") C# was created by Microsoft in 2001 and is an object-oriented programming language that aims to combine the computing power of C++ but with easier programming methods. Since it was produced by Microsoft it powers a lot of Windows programmes also, but it is also used in web development. Watch embedded video: Why C# is called C Sharp (2:20m) Java Java is considered the perfect language for programmers to learn due to its simplicity and readability. It can be used for mobile-based apps and for creating desktop applications. It is one of the most widely used programming languages. Java has long-term compatibility, which makes sure older applications continue to work now and into the future. Java is used to power company websites like LinkedIn, Netflix and Amazon. Watch embedded video: What is Java? (1:13m)

10 P a g e 10 JavaScript JavaScript do not confuse it with Java is another one of the world s most popular and powerful programming languages, and is used to spice up web pages by making them interactive. It is the scripting language of the Web and is built into all major web browsers including Internet Explorer, FireFox and Safari. JavaScript can be used to add effects to web pages, display pop-up messages or to create games with basic functionality. It is also used to include animations on the web pages. Watch embedded video: JavaScript: Interactive Web (1:36m) PHP Created by Danish-Canadian programmer Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994, PHP is a very popular language since it is easy to use by people new to programming, but it also offers a lot of advanced features for the more experienced programmer. It is a well-known programming language and is a must for web developers. PHP is the actual foundation of many content management systems (backend of a website), most significantly WordPress. Watch embedded video: PHP tutorial part 1 (2:32m) Python Python is a powerful language that has quickly become the most popular language in education. It has recently knocked Java out of the top spot as the language of choice in introductory programming courses. It uses simple syntax, is easy-to-read since it closely resembles the English language. It s a great language for beginners, all the way up to professional programmers. Python is also used by many large companies such as Google, and powers sites such as Youtube and Reddit. Python was named after the Monty Python films! Watch embedded video: What is Python? (1:51m) SQL SQL (pronounced sequel ) is the language that ranks highest in terms of job opportunity, not only in Europe but also across the world. So having SQL knowledge makes you very employable! Database technologies such as SQL power big and small businesses, hospitals, banks and universities. Every computer and person with access to technology eventually touches something SQL. For instance, all Android phones and iphones have access to a SQL database called SQLite and many mobile apps developed by Google, Skype and DropBox use it directly. Watch embedded video: What is SQL? (5:12m)

11 P a g e 11 Swift In 2014, Apple decided to invent their own programming language. The result was Swift a new programming language for ios and OS X developers to create their apps. Swift is known to be similar to C++ and Objective-C. Companies including American Airlines and LinkedIn have been adopting Swift, and we should see this language rise in popularity in the coming years. Watch embedded video: Objective-C vs Swift (3m) So which one should we learn first? Let's look at recent statistics Discuss chart: Most popular language of choice in introductory programming courses. (Swift, 2015) Discuss chart: Most popular language in terms of jobs. (The 9 Most In-Demand Programming Languages of 2016, 2016)

12 P a g e 12 Let s learn Python as it is the most popular language to learn first. Python was created by a programmer called Guido van Rossum in the Netherlands around The website for all Python resources is Important things to know about Python It is an easy language - the coding is easy to read and understand. Python is free. It is cross-platform and runs on all computers. You can code in Python quicker than other languages. Python is object-oriented. Python files should have the extension.py. Python has had 3 versions so far. Python 1 the initial version was quickly replaced by Version 2 in 2000, which had many new features. Python 3 - a major upgrade - was released in It is very important to note that Version 3 was not backward compatible! (This means that Python 2 programmes will not run in Python 3). We will install Python V3.4.4 To be able to write code using the Python language, we will need to install software called the Python Interpreter. Watch embedded video: Installing Python (5:21m) Visit the following webpage for step-by-step instructions on installing Python: Click here>> (Hendrikx, 2014) or see Appendix II The Python IDLE interface IDLE stands for Interactive DeveLopment Environment. The development environment is like a word document or a notepad for writing Python programmes. In the industry, it is also referred to as the Interactive Shell.

13 P a g e 13 The process of opening IDLE is different on each operating system On Windows Click on the Windows (Start) button in bottom left corner Type IDLE Double click on IDLE to open the interface On Mac OS X Open Finder and click on Applications Double click on Python 3.4 to open the folder Then double click on IDLE to open the interface

14 P a g e Practical Application of the Technology Code lessons have been adapted from Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python By Al Sweigart (Creative Commons). (Sweigart, 2010) Students who enjoy the coding examples completed in this course can download further material from this website: Click here>> Task 1: Basic arithmetic operators Open the IDLE interface and use basic arithmetic operators to run expressions (sums) Sums can be completed in the IDLE interface (similar to a calculator). Type the following examples into IDLE. Hit return or enter to see the result. Python Basics - Values, expressions, variables/ statements What are values? In programming, values are Integers (whole numbers) such as 1, 2, 3, 4. They are also floats or floating numbers (fractions) such as 1.0, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5. Whether an integer or float, they are referred to as values. What are expressions? The sums we added into IDLE are called expressions. Expressions are made up of values connected by operators (arithmetic operators). When a computer solves the expression and gets the value 16, it has evaluated the expression (worked it out). Evaluating an expression reduces it to a single value, just like solving a maths problem reduces it a single number: the answer. Expressions can be of any length, but will always conclude with a single

15 P a g e 15 value. For example, the expression / 9-6 will result in 2.0 but IDLE will not show the steps. It will only give the single value or the answer! What are variables / statements? You can save the value an expression evaluates to so you can use it later by storing them in variables. Think of variables like an item which holds value (eyes = 2; nose = 1, pages = 100 and so on). Type the name for the variable, followed by the = key (called the assignment operator), and then the value to store in the variable. When you press ENTER you will not see anything in response. Python will store this statement for use later. Task 2: Creating variables Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: Type x=5 (return) y=6 (return) x+y Hit return or enter to see the result. What is x + y? The variable x has the value of 5. The variable "y" has the value of 6 so therefore = 11. The first time a variable is used in a statement, Python will create that variable. Task 3: What if you forget the value of a variable? In case you forget what value you assigned to a variable, you can check it by typing the variable name into the IDLE and pressing enter or return. Its value will appear. Type x (return) Type y (return) Here is the result:

16 P a g e 16 Task 4: What if you want to change the value of a variable? To change the value of a variable, all you have to do is to enter a different statement. Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: Type x (return) Type x=15 (return) Type x+y (return) Here is the result: We told Python that the value of "x" is no longer 5 but now 15. The expression "x + y" no longer adds up to 11 but to 21. Tips for creating Variable names! Giving variables descriptive names makes it easier. Variable names are case-sensitive. Case-sensitive means the same variable name in a different case is considered a different variable e.g. box, BOX, Box, and box are four different variables. Always use lowercase names just to be sure. It also makes your code more readable. Watching out for errors All programmers will make simple mistakes which will cause errors in code. Here are two basic errors which you may come across: 1) Name Errors Name errors will occur if you try to use a variable but have forgotten to assign a value to it. Mistyping a variable name also causes these. Task 5: Name Error Example Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: Type x+w (return) Here is the result: A name error results as we have not assigned a value to a variable called "w".

17 P a g e 17 Task 6: Name Error Example two Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: Type apples = 10 (return) Type oranges = 12 (return) Type bananas = 11 (return) Type aples+bananas (return) Here is the result: 2) Syntax Errors A syntax error will occur if you have made a mistake in writing your expression. Remember that expressions have values connected by operators and if a value for instance is missing, Python will get confused. A Syntax error just means that Python does not understand the instruction because you typed it incorrectly. Task 7: Syntax Error Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: Type apples + (return) Here is the result: A Syntax error will occur if you have made a mistake in writing your expression. The IDLE file editor Until now, we typed code into IDLE or the interactive shell. However, when you write programmes, you need to be able to type in a lot of code and run it all at once. For this reason, we need to open and use the File Editor Window. With the IDLE window open, click on the File menu at the top of the window. Then select New File. A blank window will appear This is where you will type and run your code The two windows look similar, but just remember that the interactive shell window will have the >>> prompt and the file editor window will not.

18 P a g e 18 Name and Save your files so you can access your programmes again (Ctrl + S). Remember that Python files will have.py extension. Task 8: A basic programme 1. Open a new file editor window. Save the file as first.py. 2. Type the following code into the window: #This programme welcome you to class and asks for your name. print('hello') print ('Welcome to your first Python Class!') print ('What is your name?') myname=input() print ('Great to meet you, ' +myname) 3. Save your programme again (Ctrl + S). It is best practice to save your code regularly. 4. To see the code functioning, click on Run > Run Module (or press F5). The programme will run in the interactive shell. 5. Respond to the question and hit return to see the results!

19 P a g e 19 How did we do that? Let's examine it line by line... Line 1 # This programme welcomes you to class and asks for your name says hello. This is a comment. Any text following a # sign is a comment. Comments are the programmer s notes about what the code does. It is common practice to place comments at the start of code (like a title). Comments do not display when programmes are executed or run. Lines 2, 3 and 4 print('hello') print('welcome to your first Python Class!') print('what is your name?') In these lines of the code, we are using what is called a print() function. A function calls an instruction that tells Python to run the code inside a function. The print() function takes the string (collection of words) you type between the round brackets as input and displays the text on screen. Line 5 myname = input() This is a statement with a variable called "Name" and the input() function. When input() is called, the programme waits for the user to enter text. The text string that the user enters becomes the value that the function call evaluates to. Line 6 print('great to meet you, ' + Name) The last line is another print() function. The expression 'Great to meet you, ' +myname in between the parentheses of print(). Functions So far, we have seen the print() and input() functions at work. But there are other inbuilt functions available in Python including the rand(int) function. The rand(int) function calls up a random integer between and including the two values you state. The difference between the rand(int) function and the others we have seen is that the import random statement is always used before the rand(int) function. This informs Python that the rand(int) function is located in the random module. While Python includes many built-in functions, some functions exist in separate programmes called modules. You can use these functions by importing their modules into your programmes with an import statement. Let's test it out... Task 9: Using the rand(int) function Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: Type import random (return)

20 P a g e 20 Type random.randint (1,10) (return) Here is the result: This function returns a random number from the sequence 1 to 10. Boolean Data Types, Comparison Operators and Conditions The Boolean Data Type The Boolean data type has only two values: True or False. These values must be typed with a capital "T" and "F". The rest of the value s name must be in lowercase. You will use Boolean values (called bools for short) with comparison operators to form conditions. Comparison Operators Comparison operators compare two values and evaluate to a True or False Boolean value. You ve already tested out the +, -, *, and / math operators. Like any operator, the comparison operators combine with values to form expressions. Conditions A condition is an expression that combines two values with a comparison operator (such as < or >) and evaluates to a Boolean value. A condition is just another name for an expression that evaluates to True or False. Task 10: Comparison operators and conditions result in a Boolean value Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: 0 > 5 (return) 0 < 5 (return) Here is the result: The condition 0 > 5 returns the Boolean value False because the number 0 is less than the number 5. The condition 0 < 5 returns the Boolean value True because the number 0 is less than the number 5.

21 P a g e 21 Task 11: What if the two values are the same? Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: 5 > 5 (return) Here is the result: The "=" Sign Normally in maths, we use the equal sign (=) to see if two values are equal, but in Python, it is used to store values in variables i.e. eyes = 2. In Python, use the comparison operator (==) to compare two values. Now try again: Task 12: What if the two values are the same? (Take Two) Open the IDLE interface and type in the following: 5==5 (return) Here is the result: Now try building more expressions in the IDLE using the Comparison operators in this table: Code Blocks In Python, the code is organised by using indentation or code blocks which make large pieces of code easier to read and understand. This is a requirement of the language. You can tell where a block begins and ends by looking at the number of spaces at the front of the lines. A block begins when a line s indentation increases (usually by four spaces). Any following line also indented by four spaces is part of the block. The block

22 P a g e 22 ends when there s a line of code with the same indentation before the block started. This means blocks can exist within other blocks. Use the colon (:) to let Python know you want to register a new block of code. Task 13: Practice making blocks of code 1. Open a new file editor window. Save the file as second.py. 2. Type the following code into the window: #This programme will ask you a quiz question. print( What is the Capital of France? ) answer=input() if answer== Paris : print( Correct ) else: print( That is the wrong answer! ) 3. Save your programme again (Ctrl + S). 4. To see the code functioning, click on Run > Run Module (or press F5). The programme will run in the interactive shell. 5. Respond to the question and hit return to see the results!

23 P a g e Student Engagement with Topic Now we have practised the fundamentals of Python, we will programme a small game Advice for Teachers The following piece of code is long and quite complicated. Why not this code to your students (copy and paste into a blank ) so they can get on with manipulating the code rather than lose valuable class time entering data. Try to guess a number between 1 and 20 in 5 attempts Open a new file editor window. Save the file as game.py. 2. Type the following code into the window (or copy/paste): # Guess a randomly generated number in 5 attempts. import random guessestaken = 0 print('hello! What is your name?') myname = input() number = random.randint(1, 20) print('hi there, ' + myname + ', I have chosen a number between 1 & 20') while guessestaken < 5: print('take a guess.') guess = input() guess = int(guess) guessestaken = guessestaken + 1 if guess < number: print('too low.') if guess > number: print('too high.') if guess == number: break if guess == number: guessestaken = str(guessestaken) print('great, ' + myname + '! You guessed the number in ' + guessestaken + ' guesses!') if guess!= number: number = str(number) print('out of attempts. The number I was thinking of was ' + number) 3. Save your programme again (Ctrl + S). 4. To see the code functioning, click on Run > Run Module (or press F5). The programme will run in the interactive shell. 5. Respond to the question and hit return to see the results!

24 P a g e 24 How did we do that? Let's examine it line by line... Line 1 # Guess a randomly generated number in 5 attempts. The first line is a comment. Python will ignore everything after the # sign. Line 2 import random This imports the module named random so that the programme can call random.randint(). This function will come up with a random number for the user to guess. Line 3 guessestaken = 0 This line creates a new variable named guessestaken. This will store the number of guesses the player has made. It is set at 0 as the player has not made any guesses yet. Lines 4 5 print('hello! What is your name?') myname = input() The first part calls the print() function. The second part lets the user type in their name and stores it in the myname variable. Lines 6 7 number = random.randint(1, 20) print('hi there, ' + myname + ', I am thinking of a number between 1 & 20.') Next we call a function named randint() which will return a random integer between (and including) the two integer arguments you pass to it. The next line calls the player by their name and tells them that the programme is thinking of a random number between The plus signs concatenate the three strings to evaluate down to one string. Lines 8 18 while guessestaken < 6: print('take a guess.') guess = input() guess = int(guess) guessestaken = guessestaken + 1 if guess < number: print('your guess is too low.') if guess > number: print('your guess is too high.') if guess == number: break In order to tell the programme what do with the 5 guesses a while statement and a Loop are used. Loops execute the code over and over again (up to 5 times/guesses). A while statement always has a : colon after the condition and Python expects a new block on the next line. The expression that follows the while keyword (the guessestaken < 6 part) contains two values (the value in the variable

25 P a g e 25 guessestaken, and the integer value 6) connected by an operator (the < less than sign). The < sign is a comparison operator. Comparison operators compare two values and evaluate to a True or False Boolean value. If True (which it does the first time, because the value of guessestaken is 0), execution will enter the while-block at the second line and keep going down. However, when it reaches the end of the while-block it will loop back up to the while statement again. Each time the execution goes through the loop is called an iteration. As long as the condition is True, the programme keeps executing the code inside the while-block repeatedly until the first time the condition is False. Think of the while statement as saying, while this condition is true, keep executing the code in the following block. Once the player has taken a guess, the number of guesses should be increased by one. On the first iteration of the loop, guessestaken has the value of 0. Python will take this value and add 1 to it evaluates to 1, which is stored as the new value of guessestaken. The execution of the if statement will run the code in the block if the if statement s condition evaluates to True. If the condition is False, then the code in the if-block is skipped. Using if statements, you can make the program only run certain code when you want it to. The if statement works almost the same as a while statement, too. But unlike the while-block, the execution doesn t jump back to the if statement at the end of the if-block. It just continues down to the next line. In other words, if statements don t loop A break statement tells the execution to jump immediately out of the while-block to the first line after the end of the while-block. The break statement doesn t bother rechecking the while loop s condition. The break statement is only found inside loops, such as in a while-block. If the player s guess isn t equal to the secret number, the execution reaches the bottom of the whileblock. This means the execution will loop back to the top and recheck the condition on guessestaken. When guessestaken has the number 6 stored in it, the while statement s condition (guessestaken < 6) is False, since 6 isn t less than 6. Because the while statement s condition is False, the execution moves to the first line after the while-block. The loop has ended. Lines if guess == number: guessestaken = str(guessestaken) print('good job, ' + myname + '! You guessed my number in ' + guessestaken + ' guesses!')

26 P a g e 26 if guess!= number: number = str(number) print('nope. The number I was thinking of was ' + number) The next line has no indentation, which means the while-block has ended. The execution left the while-block either because the while statement s condition was False (when the player runs out of guesses) or the break statement was executed (when the player guesses the number correctly). If statements again are used to generate whether the successful or unsuccessful response is sent to the player. Class Exercise Can you manipulate the code? Ask students to change the code in the relevant areas to guess a number between 1 and 10 in 3 attempts...

27 P a g e Industry Exposure Prepare for a career in Programming Things you can do straight away! Be a good communicator Take part in group projects at school. While programming has been perceived as being a loner's job, the opposite is actually the case! If you work for a company, you will be part of a development team and be expected to communicate and work well with others. Simple practices such as reading text out loud, publishing an article on the web or facing critiques can help you prepare for working in a team environment. Approach problems logically Compare programming to putting a jigsaw together: you need to work out how to connect one piece of your programme to another, and it is not always easy. Break it down and make it simpler. Learn to draw out your programmes into flowcharts. Simple things like making jigsaws and playing sudoku will also help! Be patient and set realistic goals If you are looking to eventually have a programming job full-time, lots of patience is a must because programmers are expected to spend a great deal of time working with code and trying to solve bugs in code. Learn to tackle problems in small pieces rather than entire chunks. Set achievable and realistic goals for yourself! Learn how a computer works It will help in the future, if you have a solid understanding of the workings of a computer. Knowledge of operating systems, network technologies and software can also help! There are lots of excellent free video tutorials and presentations available online to help. Watch embedded video: Inside your computer (4:12m) Complete online courses The internet is full of free courses in Programming languages and techniques. Watch out for our 'Follow on Resource Pack' for help.

28 P a g e 28 Delve in and see if you like it! I want to design Animations and Graphics for games, movies and web pages If you want to get into animation and design, you should learn major graphics programmes such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Animate. There are free alternatives such as Gimp and Pixlr. I want to develop Databases for large companies To work in this area, become familiar with the database technologies being used in the industry - Microsoft Access is good to start with but SQL is the most popular! I want to be a Software Developer and create games and apps If you want to be a software developer, gaining experience is a must create programmes in your free time. Learn one or more programming languages. Use open source programmes as they are a great way to learn a language. I want to be a Web Designer For basic web designing positions you should have a good understanding of HTML, the Internet and web servers. Try to develop your own page! Again use open source technologies when experimenting here. What do the experts say? Watch embedded video: What Most Schools Don't Teach (5:43m)

29 P a g e Course Conclusion Thank you for completing the Fundamentals of Computer Programming Taster Course and being part of the GYIT programme. All students who participate in the GYIT programme will also receive a Follow on Resource Pack. This will comprise a comprehensive list of free and open source websites and tutorials so students can continue on their programming journey. For further information on the GYIT programme, please visit our website: Click here>>

30 P a g e Appendix I - References Hendrikx, M. (2014, August 10). How to Install Python on Windows. Retrieved from How-to Geek: Sweigart, A. (2010). Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python. Albert\Sweigart. Swift, J. (2015, February 12). Most Popular Computer Languages Retrieved from I Programmer: The 9 Most In-Demand Programming Languages of (2016, January 27). Retrieved from Coding Dojo Blog:

31 P a g e Appendix II Help with installing Python Step 1: Go to Step 2: Select download version Python Step 3: Choose the x86 MSI installer Step 4: Click on Run to install the programme.

32 P a g e 32 Step 5: Click Next Step 6: Click Next Step 7: Python will install

33 Step 8: Click on Finish to complete P a g e 33