Introduction to Computing using Python

In this computer science course, you will learn about foundational computing principles, such as how to write and read computer code and how to run and debug code.

You will learn about programming concepts in Python and how they demonstrate computing principles and domain applications that use programming concepts and computing principles in real applications.

The course will also cover:

• procedural programming
• control structures
• data structures
• advanced topics in algorithms and object-oriented programming

This course builds on a custom textbook written for the class and online course delivery and provides ample interaction and formative evaluation. The course teaches both the theory and implementation of core computing concepts in a highly interactive, multi-modal manner.

Unit 1: Computing
In this unit, we'll cover the basics of computing: what it means to write computer code, how to read computer code, and what it means to run and debug code.

Unit 2: Procedural Programming
In this unit, we'll cover the basic paradigm of programming, procedural programming. In procedural programming, series of commands are executed in order. Here, we'll discuss variables, logical operators, and mathematical operators.

Unit 3: Control Structures
In this unit, we'll cover control structures, which are lines of code that control when other lines of code run. We'll cover conditionals, loops, functions, and error handling.

Unit 4: Data Structures
In this unit, we'll cover how data is structure to be operated upon by a computer. Specifically, we'll focus on structures that bring together multiple different pieces of data, like strings, lists, dictionaries, and file input and output.

Unit 5: Advanced Topics
In this unit, we'll preview the next topics in computing: object-oriented programming and computer algorithms.