Hi my name is Susan Davidson. I'm Chris Murphy. Welcome to this course, which will take you from computational thinking to code. I think when a lot of people hear computational thinking, they think programming, but computational thinking is not just about programming. Computational thinking is an approach to solving problems using concepts and ideas from computer science, and expressing solutions to those problems so that they can be run on a computer. Computational thinking involves breaking down a problem in smaller parts, looking for patterns in those subproblems, figuring out what information is needed, and developing a step-by-step solution. Computational thinking is used everywhere by many different types of people. It isn't just computer scientists and engineers who use computational thinking, but also professionals in business, medicine, education, life sciences, social sciences, all of these use computational thinking, to solve real-world problems. You don't have to be a computer scientist to think like a computer scientist. Understanding computational thinking will give you a foundation for solving problems, and will be one of the fundamental core skills in all walks of life in the 21st century. More importantly, computational thinking can be used to solve problems that have real-world social impact. For example, mapping the human genome, predicting the spread of infectious disease, coordinating disaster relief efforts, and understanding the impact of government policies. It's not just about making apps or creating games, It's about using computing, to make a positive change in our world. We're really excited that we're able to highlight two centers from here at the University of Pennsylvania, as our case studies for this course, and show how they are using computational thinking to solve the real problems that they face. So, let's meet them now. Hi, I'm Erin. I'm the director of Penn's LGBT Center, and I use computational thinking, to solve problems. The LGBT Center supports Penn's LGBTQ plus students, staff, faculty, and alumni through education support and advocacy. Center staff, have difficulty scheduling meetings with the 27 student groups we support, and we want to make sure we can meet with all the groups in a timely fashion. Hi, I'm Cindy and I am the director of the PennVet working Dog Center, and I use computational thinking to solve problems. The PennVet working dog center is a research and training facility, which we raise and train detection dogs to help save lives. Our staff have challenge in determining which area of focus and which type of training is best suited for a new dog. We want to be able to predict, if that dog can be successful particularly in disaster search and rescue. Besides learning more about these really cool centers, you will learn a lot of other important concepts that take you from computational thinking to code. Let's take a second and talk about how we'll get there. So first things first, this is not a programming course. We will look at programming in the last part of the course, and when you're done with the course, you will have written some simple programs, but that's not the main focus. Rather, this course teaches you the things you need to think about before you start writing a program. Computational thinking is part of a problem solving process that ends with writing a program. But before you do that, you need to know how to approach the problem, how to develop a solution and what the computer is capable of. We'll be exploring computational thinking in this course through exercises and projects, that help you understand the concepts you'll be learning. Because, computational thinking is so much more than programming, we will make sure that you're able to see how it can help you solve problems. Ranging from small issues like, scheduling meetings to larger issues like, mapping the planet. Some of these problems can be solved without a computer, while some really do need that extra computing power. By the end of this course, you'll be writing programs that show you how computational thinking can go from a thought exercise to a complete solution. If you've ever had an interest, in approaching problems more systematically, developing more efficient solutions, and understanding how computers can be used in the problem solving process, this course is a great starting point. Even if you're not necessarily interested in programming, you'll be able to see and understand how computational thinking really can and does touch your everyday life. So, let's get started.
