Want to make a game that ends when you "catch" an object by clicking on it? Or maybe you get points based on how close you came? You'll do that in this class!
This course is part of the Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization
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About this Course
Skills you will gain
Offered by

University of California San Diego
UC San Diego is an academic powerhouse and economic engine, recognized as one of the top 10 public universities by U.S. News and World Report. Innovation is central to who we are and what we do. Here, students learn that knowledge isn't just acquired in the classroom—life is their laboratory.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Course Orientation
Meet Dr. Simon and fellow learners in this class! Find out what you’ll be doing and learning.
Conditional Loops
In this module we will learn about conditional loops and how they vary from fixed loops. We'll examine different examples of both loop types and look at some common challenges that you may come across. Finally you'll create your own conditional loop program and have the opportunity to create an assignment and conduct peer reviews.
More Conditional Loops
Now that you've gotten an introduction to conditional loops, we will further explore them and their variations. We will look at why some programs require conditional loops and discuss suggestions that will help students trace each program. Finally we'll learn about a variation on the repeat until loop, called the do-while loop.
If statements
In this module we'll get an introduction to conditionals, which are also known as if-else statements. First we'll examine some examples of if-else conditionals that exist in our everyday life. Next you will take a look at videos of completed programs and recreate the code. We'll end with some debugging tips and have you create your own if-else program assignment.
More If statements
Now that you have a basic understanding of conditionals, we look at some more complicated cases. You'll watch a video of how a teacher introduces the topic to her class and learn about conditionals with more than 2 scenarios. You'll also look at programs with two independent conditionals and learn how this varies from else-if statements. Finally, you'll analyze some misconceptions and challenges you initially had when learning about conditionals and create resources to help others learn about conditionals.
About the Computational Thinking & Block Programming in K-12 Education Specialization
In the 21st century, computational thinking is a skill critical for all the world's citizens. Computing and technology is impacting all our lives and everyone needs to know how to formulate problems and express their solutions such that a computer can carry it out.

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