CDW - Programming {LESSON}

Programming

As mentioned in previous modules, technology has been an inevitable part of your everyday life. Because of that, it has been essential to build those 21st century skills. Learning how to code has become a need to know skill as well. Coding enables you to express creativity through another language, the language of the future.

Think about the quote by Bill Gates.

A quote by Bill Gates (Co-Founder of Microsoft)

Knowing how to code or at least the basics of coding is now an important skill. In this lesson, you will develop an understanding of block-based and text-based programming. 

Helping Others Learn to Code Video

Before you jump into the different programming languages, take a moment to view a short video on Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg on helping others learn to code.

"Mark Zuckerberg on helping others learn to code." YouTube, uploaded by Code.org, 13 March  2013, https://youtu.be/wVn1TqUfZjc Links to an external site.. Used according to Terms of Use.

Intro to Programming Languages

Before you jump into understanding the differences in types of programming, let's understand the basis of the types of programming languages. Programming languages are either high or low level languages. Computer programming languages are classified on the basis of the readability of the language, program execution speed, and level of abstraction.

The higher level programming  languages:

  • More human readable.
  • Java, C++, Python (high degree of abstraction and cover up the complexity of low level programming languages.
  • Lower execution speed.

The lower level programming languages:

  • Machine readable in binary.
  • Least abstraction.
  • More difficult to read and write.
  • Program execution speed faster.

Block-Based Programming

Block-based programming environments are increasingly becoming the way in which programming is introduced. Scratch, Code.org’s AppLab, micro:bit, and even Lego Mindstorms are just a few examples of the programming environments that use this type.

Block-based programming is a graphical approach to programming that uses a programming command as a puzzle piece metaphor to visually convey information about the programming commands available to the user and how they can be used. The defining feature is that commands are presented as blocks and in order to assemble a program, the user drags blocks onto where the program is written and snaps the blocks together.

Getting Started with Scratch Video

Take a look at the Getting Started with Scratch video, it shows a popular environment Scratch to explore how blocks are used for programming.

"Getting Started with Scratch." YouTube, uploaded by Scratch Team, 19 July 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssoRNCtmhVM Links to an external site.. Used according to Terms of Use.

Text-Based Programming

Text-based programming is as the name suggests. Text-based programming is using keyboard characters (text) following a certain syntax (rules that define the combinations of symbols that are considered to be correctly structured statements or expressions). Like a sequence of characters.

A few examples of text-based programming include: C, C++, Python, JavaScript, and HTML. Although they all may  have differences in how syntax is formed, they all serve the same purpose of creating programs.

Below you will take a quick look at a platform used to create music while writing code, EarSketch.

"Sample Tutorial." YouTube, uploaded by EarSketch - Code with Music, 8 July 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHzb0e7gBgA Links to an external site.. Used according to Terms of Use.

Further Knowledge Deep Dive

To dive deeper and build on your programming knowledge, take a look at a video on Programming Basics, more specifically how coding control structures are used to create programs below.

"Programming Basics: Statements & Functions: Crash Course Computer Science #12." YouTube, uploaded by Crash Course, 17 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l26oaHV7D40 Links to an external site.. Used according to Terms of Use.

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