This two-part course is designed to help students with very little or no computing background learn the basics of building simple interactive applications. Our language of choice, Python, is an easy-to learn, high-level computer language that is used in many of the computational courses offered on Coursera. To make learning Python easy, we have developed a new browser-based programming environment that makes developing interactive applications in Python simple. These applications will involve windows whose contents are graphical and respond to buttons, the keyboard and the mouse.
This course is part of the Fundamentals of Computing Specialization
Offered By
Fundamentals of Computing SpecializationRice UniversityAbout this Course
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Learner Career Outcomes
34%
started a new career after completing these courses
39%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
21%
got a pay increase or promotion
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 1 of 7 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Approx. 23 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Korean, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Skills you will gain
Programming PrinciplesPython Syntax And SemanticsComputer ProgrammingPython Programming
Learner Career Outcomes
34%
started a new career after completing these courses
39%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
21%
got a pay increase or promotion
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 1 of 7 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Approx. 23 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Portuguese (Brazilian), Korean, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
Rice University
Rice University is consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in the U.S. and the top 100 in the world. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
4 hours to complete
Week 0 - Statements, expressions, variables
Understand the structure of this class, explore Python as a calculator
4 hours to complete
6 videos (Total 71 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes
6 videos
Introduction14m
CodeSkulptor11m
Arithmetic Expressions13m
Variables11m
Saving in CodeSkulptor9m
Mini-project Video10m
4 readings
Practice Exercises for Expressions (optional)10m
Practice Exercises for Variables and Assignments (optional)10m
Mini-project Description10m
Code Clinic Tips10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 020m
5 hours to complete
Week 1 - Functions, logic, conditionals
Learn the basic constructs of Python programming, create a program that plays a variant of Rock-Paper-Scissors
5 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 98 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes
7 videos
Functions15m
Visualizing Functions12m
More Operations17m
Logic and Comparisons10m
Conditionals10m
Programming Tips - 116m
Mini-project Video15m
5 readings
Practice Exercises for Functions (optional)10m
Practice Exercises for Logic and Conditionals (optional)10m
Mini-project Description10m
Practice Mini-project: Mystical Octosphere (optional)10m
Code Clinic Tips10m
1 practice exercise
Quiz 120m
5 hours to complete
Week 2 - Event-driven programming, local/global variables
Learn the basics of event-driven programming, understand difference between local and global variables, create an interactive program that plays a simple guessing game
5 hours to complete
8 videos (Total 83 min), 5 readings, 3 quizzes
8 videos
Local vs. Global Variables11m
SimpleGUI11m
Buttons10m
Input Fields9m
Visualizing Events5m
Programming Tips - 213m
Mini-project Video6m
5 readings
Practice Exercises for Interactive Applications (optional)10m
Practice Exercises for Button and Input Fields (optional)10m
Mini-project Description10m
Practice Mini-project: Magical Octosphere Reloaded (optional)10m
Code Clinic Tips10m
2 practice exercises
Quiz 2a20m
Quiz 2b20m
4 hours to complete
Week 3 - Canvas, drawing, timers
Create a canvas in Python, learn how to draw on the canvas, create a digital stopwatch
4 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 71 min), 4 readings, 3 quizzes
7 videos
String Processing11m
Interactive Drawing12m
Timers9m
Visualizing Drawing and Timers6m
Programming Tips - 37m
Mini-project Video9m
4 readings
Practice Exercises for Drawing (optional)10m
Practice Exercises for Timers (optional)10m
Mini-project Description10m
Code Clinic Tips10m
2 practice exercises
Quiz 3a20m
Quiz 3b18m
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM AN INTRODUCTION TO INTERACTIVE PROGRAMMING IN PYTHON (PART 1)
by HJSep 18, 2017
The course is well structured but goes very (too?) fast... I spent so much more hours than indicated to do the practice exercises and the mini projects. Difficult to manage if you have a full time job
by GVApr 24, 2020
it is really a good, and interesting course offered by coursers. the teaching staff and the proffers exp land in a detailed and understandable way and made the course essay to understand and workout.
by CDJul 12, 2017
It was nice beginner course for the new programming to learn programming and practice the concepts with most intuitive way, the way is to build a game and that interests anyone who takes this course.
by VMJul 9, 2018
Great start course! The learning curve gets a bit steep for people with no prior knowledge after the first few weeks, but the teachers keep the class interesting and the exercises are great practice.
About the Fundamentals of Computing Specialization
This Specialization covers much of the material that first-year Computer Science students take at Rice University. Students learn sophisticated programming skills in Python from the ground up and apply these skills in building more than 20 fun projects. The Specialization concludes with a Capstone exam that allows the students to demonstrate the range of knowledge that they have acquired in the Specialization.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
- The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
- The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
