About this course: This course aims to teach everyone the basics of programming computers using Python. We cover the basics of how one constructs a program from a series of simple instructions in Python. The course has no pre-requisites and avoids all but the simplest mathematics. Anyone with moderate computer experience should be able to master the materials in this course. This course will cover Chapters 1-5 of the textbook “Python for Everybody”. Once a student completes this course, they will be ready to take more advanced programming courses. This course covers Python 3.
Created by: University of Michigan
Taught by: Charles Severance, Associate Professor
School of Information
| Basic Info | Course 1 of 5 in the Python for Everybody Specialization |
| Commitment | 2-4 hours/week |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Chinese (Simplified) |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Chapter One - Why we Program?
These are the course-wide materials as well as the first part of Chapter One where we explore what it means to write programs. We finish Chapter One and have the quiz and first assignment in the third week of the class. Throughout the course you may want to come back and look at these materials. This section should not take you an entire week.
6 videos, 5 readings
- Video: Video: Welcome to Class - Dr. Chuck
- Reading: Reading: Welcome to The Class
- Video: Video: Welcome to Python - Guido van Rossum
- Reading: Welcome to Python 3
- Reading: Textbook: Python for Everybody: Exploring Data in Python 3
- Reading: Submitting Assignments
- Video: 1.1 - Why Program
- Video: 1.2 - Hardware Overview
- Video: 1.3 - Python as a Language
- Reading: Audio Versions of All Lectures
- Video: Fun: The Textbook Authors Meet @PyCon2015
WEEK 2
Installing and Using Python
In this module you will set things up so you can write Python programs. Not all activities in this module are required for this class so please read the "Using Python in this Class" material for details.
6 videos, 3 readings
- Reading: Important Reading: Using Python in this Class
- Reading: Notes on Choice of Text Editor
- Video: Demonstration: Using the Python Playground
- Reading: Notice for Auditing Learners: Assignment Submission
- LTI Item: Python Code Playground
- Video: Windows 10: Installing Python and Writing A Program
- Video: Windows: Taking Screen Shots
- Video: Macintosh: Using Python and Writing A Program
- Video: Macintosh: Taking Screen Shots
- Peer Review: Optional- Installing Python Screen Shots
- Video: Bonus: Eben Upton and the RaspBerry Pi
WEEK 3
Chapter One: Why We Program (continued)
In the first chapter we try to cover the "big picture" of programming so you get a "table of contents" of the rest of the book. Don't worry if not everything makes perfect sense the first time you hear it. This chapter is quite broad and you would benefit from reading the chapter in the book in addition to watching the lectures to help it all sink in. You might want to come back and re-watch these lectures after you have funished a few more chapters.
4 videos
- Video: 1.4 - Writing Paragraphs of Code
- Video: Demonstration: Doing the "Hello World" Assignment
- Video: Interview: Daphne Koller - Building Coursera
- Video: Face-to-Face Office Hours: Milan, Italy
Graded: Chapter 1
Graded: Assignment: Write Hello World
WEEK 4
Chapter Two: Variables and Expressions
In this chapter we cover how a program uses the computer's memory to store, retrieve and calculate information.
6 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 2.1 - Expressions
- Video: 2.2 - Expressions Part 2
- Video: 2.3 - Expressions - Part 3
- Reading: Where is the worked exercise for Assignment 2.2?
- Video: Worked Exercise: 2.3
- Video: Interview: Pooja Sankar - Building Piazza
- Video: Office Hours: Mountain View, CA
Graded: Chapter 2
Graded: Assignment 2.2
Graded: Assignment 2.3
WEEK 5
Chapter Three: Conditional Code
In this section we move from sequential code that simply runs one line of code after another to conditional code where some steps are skipped. It is a very simple concept - but it is how computer software makes "choices".
5 videos
- Video: 3.1 Conditional Statements
- Video: 3.2 More Conditional Statements
- Video: Worked Exercise: 3.2
- Video: Interview: Massimo Banzi: The Arduino
- Video: Office Hours: Seoul Korea
Graded: Chapter 3
Graded: Assignment 3.1
Graded: Assignment 3.3
WEEK 6
Chapter Four: Functions
This is a relatively short chapter. We will learn about what functions are and how we can use them. The programs in the first chapters of the book are not large enough to require us to develop functions, but as the book moves into more and more complex programs, functions will be an essential way for us to make sense of our code.
4 videos
- Video: 4.1 - Using Functions
- Video: 4.2 - Building Functions
- Video: Interview: Guido van Rossum: The Early Years of Python
- Video: Office Hours: Manila Philippines
Graded: Chapter 4
Graded: Assignment 4.6
WEEK 7
Chapter Five: Loops and Iteration
Loops and iteration complete our four basic programming patterns. Loops are the way we tell Python to do something over and over. Loops are the way we build programs that stay with a problem until the problem is solved.
7 videos, 1 reading
- Video: 5.1 - Loops and Iteration
- Video: 5.2 - Definite Loops
- Video: 5.3 - Finding the Largest Value
- Video: 5.4 - Loop Idioms
- Video: Worked Exercise: 5.1
- Video: Interview: Guido van Rossum - The Modern Era of Python
- Video: Office Hours: Paris, France
- Reading: Please Rate this Course on Class-Central
Graded: Chapter 5
Graded: Assignment 5.2
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Ratings and Reviews
4/5, great class but I have to say that in the lectures, the professor claims that we should have absolutely mastery over every concept we learn for each successive course, however the class is structured in such a way as to rush us through every new concept instead of lingering to master it. This is a great intro class but it will take more to master the concepts.
Fantastic course for a refresher on the basic concepts of programming in python. Really enjoyed it and cannot wait to continue.
Great starter course in Python! The instructor does a great job at presenting the material well and explaining the syntax.
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