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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Computational Thinking for Problem Solving by University of Pennsylvania

4.7
stars
1,356 ratings

About the Course

Computational thinking is the process of approaching a problem in a systematic manner and creating and expressing a solution such that it can be carried out by a computer. But you don't need to be a computer scientist to think like a computer scientist! In fact, we encourage students from any field of study to take this course. Many quantitative and data-centric problems can be solved using computational thinking and an understanding of computational thinking will give you a foundation for solving problems that have real-world, social impact. In this course, you will learn about the pillars of computational thinking, how computer scientists develop and analyze algorithms, and how solutions can be realized on a computer using the Python programming language. By the end of the course, you will be able to develop an algorithm and express it to the computer by writing a simple Python program. This course will introduce you to people from diverse professions who use computational thinking to solve problems. You will engage with a unique community of analytical thinkers and be encouraged to consider how you can make a positive social impact through computational thinking....

Top reviews

AK

Dec 13, 2022

I recommend this course to everyone who wants to learn about Computation Thinking in an effortless manner. I am delighted with this course. Thanks to UPenn and Coursera for giving me this opportunity.

J

Dec 18, 2018

Excellent course for beginners with enough depth, programming and computational theory to increase their computer science knowledge to a higher level. It builds a good foundation of how computers work

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76 - 100 of 456 Reviews for Computational Thinking for Problem Solving

By Megan H

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Sep 2, 2019

This is an excellent course for beginners. As a beginner, I appreciated the focus on fundamentals before tackling programming projects. The Python exercises were particularly helpful to me as a beginner: they illustrated the fundamentals and gave me great practice with computational thinking and debugging. I also appreciate the course's emphasis on real-life applications of computing.

By Siyu H

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Feb 13, 2019

The course offers me a taste of computer science. By studying the course, I can improve my problem solving skills by adopting a structured method. In addition, the course gave me experience of programming in python, a popular language at present. I highly recommend this course to people who are not familiar with programming and want to learn more knowledge in this field.

By Ethan L

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May 18, 2019

What a great introduction to Computer Science. I've been a programmer for a couple of years and know Python pretty well. This course was helpful for understanding the more fundamental concepts I experience every day, e.g. sorting lists. Most of Python logic is abstracted away from the user so it's great to take this course to see what's under the hood.

By Jonathan M

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Mar 24, 2020

I've taken multiple Coursera courses, and this one is *extremely* well-done and very, very professional. The production of videos is very high (even kind of artistic?), the assignments/prompts are applied to real-world scenarios (and are also used as a string throughout the entirety of the course), and the instruction is organized, concise, and clear.

By Christopher S

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Jul 19, 2021

Extremely useful foundation course for anyone considering Computer Science as a career. The learnings from this course are applicable for further studies and for real world computation problems. Thanks for taking the efforts to compile this course. This course motivated me to enrol in MCIT and looking forward to the courses in the masters degree.

By David C

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Feb 25, 2020

I think this is a great course to take if you are considering getting into the world of coding. It teaches you how to think and approach problems from a computer science point of view. The progression of the material is well thought out and they use plenty of common, everyday examples to demonstrate what you are learning. Definitely recommend!!

By olufemi a

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May 22, 2020

Great course! Very engaging - can't wait to take more computational courses. Very gentle introduction to high-level computational thinking. Ramps up a bit in difficulty by Week 4, and requires twice as much time as previous weeks (mostly on coding and debugging).

Jennifer Yen (TA) was very helpful with fixing a bug in my code. Thank you!

By Jonathan M

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Feb 25, 2020

This course was very informative. It starts off with more general strategies about problem-solving in general, and as the course develops, it becomes apparent how these relate to computing. Each segment builds upon the information presented in the previous so that at the end it makes sense why the solutions presented are what they are.

By Ibrahim E

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Nov 20, 2019

If there is one thing I learned from this course it is that learning how to code does not always mean thinking computationally. Practically speaking, this course has content that can be applicable from day one. If you are interested in knowing how the story began or understand programming from the roots, this is the place to start.

By Ingrid L

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Sep 21, 2020

This was an excellent course. I thoroughly enjoyed the real-world examples, and ample opportunities to practice and test each module. I learned a tremendous amount, and would recommend this course for anyone interested in logical thinking and problem solving; not just for science, but in many other areas of academics, and life!

By NGUYEN D V A

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Jun 4, 2022

Computational Thinking for Problem Solving, provided by Upenn, is one of the best courses I've taken on Coursera. Everything from lecture notes, presentations and exercises is well designed, especially lectures. Both of them are excellent in teaching. I hope that they will provide more similar courses like this in the future.

By Suren H A

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Jan 18, 2022

Great course. Very well structured and articulated which makes it easy for a beginner to grasp. I highly recommend doing this course first before getting into any beginner programming course as it teaches the thought process behind thinking computationally before you get into the weeds of a specific programming language.

By Eza S

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Dec 26, 2022

I enjoyed the course tremendously. The course helps one approach problems methodically. I highly recommend it for anyone who wishes to begin learning programming and/ or simply acquire basic skills in algorithm design, analysis and implementation. Material is presented in easy to follow and interesting ways.

By Peter S

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May 6, 2021

I was happy with this course. Lots of great content and challenges. For the Python programming part, which is week 4, I would have appreciated more study materials and guidance. Also, the course takes longer to complete than estimated. But, in any case thank you UPenn, it was fun, engaging and insightful.

By C D

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Nov 25, 2018

Excellent! Best computational thinking course and introduction to python that I've ever come across. I never imagined I would be able to grasp the concepts of Algorithmic complexity but was finally able to get it and so much more through this course. It covers all the essentials and is very well done.

By Caleb M

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Nov 26, 2021

This course is fantastic! I am taking these courses as a preperation to the Penn MCIT offered through Coursera and this course was a great introduction to the thought process behind writing algorithms. This course also teaches you valuable skills in python that can be applied in everyday scenarios.

By Anne

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Jul 5, 2021

This course noticeably expanded my approach to problem solving. I especially like how the courses uses real world problems, and then gives you the conceptual tools to be able to solve these problems on your own. The labs and peer reviews are a great addition to make sure you really know your stuff.

By Akash K B

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Sep 23, 2019

The teachings that i experience here is way too different from Indian online education system .

Coursera is more developed and skill enhancer to the one who is beginner and want to learn with minimum pressure in a different way.

Thanks to Coursera (Computational Thinking for problem solving).

By EDGAR V

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Oct 19, 2019

This was a great class to improve analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn a new logical way to see the world and to rewire my thinking process. Thank you for a compelling and engaging class. I look forward to keeping learning about computer science.

By Michael L

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Jan 18, 2019

An amazing course that teach the way of computational thinking behind our works of programming. It may not be the best and absolute way to analyze for every problems and difficulties, but at least it provide a way which how we use this sort of thinking to simplify and focus on the problems.

By Ed W

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Jan 13, 2020

Very well thought-out course. I have some experience with Python from other courses which definitely helped, but I found this course very interesting in 'stepping back & seeing the bigger picture' i.e. how to think about problems using algorithms. Highly recommended, I learnt lots.

By Sam B

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Mar 16, 2019

Great Introduction to thinking about how to think about and structure basic coding structures like loops. I've learned syntax several times, but never quite understood the practical meaning behind it. The flow charts in this course are awesome for developing a great understanding,

By Jeremy R

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Jan 4, 2021

Fantastic course! I'm not a CS major but I've been in the industry several years and still took a lot from this. The way the breakdown in "computational thinking" was described was fantastic and is certainly something I will carry forward in my future problem solving endeavors.

By Kate O

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May 29, 2020

Really useful course if you are learning to code or if understanding how the coding process works would help you in your job or study. Generally teaches good problem solving processes too. The presenters are engaging and the activities are interesting. Good job, Penn.

By J K

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Aug 21, 2022

Great introductory course to core computer science concepts! Helps you to understand how coding works. Heads up, some assignments will require a little bit of outside research as not all necessary info is explictly covered prior to each quiz. Google is your friend!