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Programming in Python
Course Details
Often the first steps when learning programming are the hardest. Programming is best seen as a way of thinking, one which is closer to the way computers “think”. It requires a different mindset in order to communicate with a computer.
Codetoday's courses focus on the process of translating ideas into well-written Python code. Learning new commands is not enough, what is more important is a good understanding of what goes on inside a computer program and the tools we use to write these programs.
An Introduction to Programming using Python
(10-hour course)
Course Details
This course is designed for those who are new to programming and wish to start exploring this subject, whether for personal or professional reasons. It introduces the fundamentals of programming using Python.
Objectives
At the end of the course participants will:
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Understand how a computer program is structured and how the computer executes a program, and how to think computationally, translating ideas into computer code
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Know how to use the fundamental tools in programming and their implementation in Python
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Have gained experience with dealing with errors and bugs, and using best practices when programming
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Have gained the knowledge and experience to be able to code confidently, and have the tools to carry on learning independently
Topics
Introduction to Programming and to Python
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Computational Thinking
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The development cycle from idea to working computer program
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Structure of a computer program
Fundamentals of Programming using Python
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Assignment of data / storing data
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Control flow and Conditional statements (for and while loops, if statements)
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Re-using code through function definitions
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Dealing with errors and bugs
Working with Data: Storing and Manipulating Data
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Basic data types: strings, integers, floats, Boolean and lists
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Further data structures including tuples, sets and dictionaries
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Basics of classes and Object-Oriented Programming
Methods
The course uses a hands-on style is which all the key concepts are introduced through practical exercises, keeping the lecturing aspect to a minimum.
Six months of our online support package are included in the course, providing direct access to your course instructor who will review your code and provide feedback, guide you with finding errors and bugs and suggest modifications to your code to conform to best-practices.
Focus on Quantitative Applications of Programming using Python (6-hour follow-up course)
Course Details
This course is designed for professionals in quantitative fields who are new to programming. In conjunction with the Introduction to Programming using Python course it introduces the fundamentals of programming using Python and the tools required for quantitative applications such as finance, science and engineering, data analysis and manipulation, and other data-driven fields.
Objectives
At the end of the two courses participants will:
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Understand how a computer program is structured and how the computer executes a program, and how to think computationally, translating ideas into computer code
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Know how to use the fundamental tools in programming and their implementation in Python
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Have gained experience with dealing with errors and bugs, and using best practices when programming
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Understand and have gained experience with the techniques required for quantitative programming
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Have gained the knowledge and experience to be able to code confidently, and have the tools to carry on learning independently
Topics (In addition to those covered in Introduction to Programming in Python)
Programming for Quantitative Applications
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Working with mathematical equations in programming
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Reading, writing and manipulating data from external sources
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Plotting and visualising data using matplotlib
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Using modules and data structures in Python specific for quantitative use
Methods
The course uses a hands-on style is which all the key concepts are introduced through practical exercises, keeping the lecturing aspect to a minimum.
Six months of our online support package are included in the course, providing direct access to your course instructor who will review your code and provide feedback, guide you with finding errors and bugs and suggest modifications to your code to conform to best-practices.
Which programming language will be used in the course?
Short answer: Python
Longer answer: We don’t really teach a programming language, instead we teach programming which is the way of thinking required to communicate with a computer, applying problem-solving methods to turn an idea into a computer program. Of course we still need a language to be able to communicate with the computer and Python is one of the best (possibly the best) for teaching beginners because:
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it is easier to learn the syntax and it allows us to focus on the actual programming rather than less important details, and
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it is a very versatile and powerful general programming language with real-world applications ranging from science and finance to data analysis and web development and more.
Once you are able to program confidently, it is easy to switch to other languages if and when required.
Course Instructor: Stephen Gruppetta, PhD, BSc (Hons), MInstP
Stephen graduated in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Malta in 2000 and went on to obtain his PhD in Physics from Imperial College London in 2004 in the field of Optics and Imaging Systems. His scientific career focused on studying novel imaging systems for ophthalmic applications and quantitative programming was one of the key tools he used throughout his research career to model physical processes and analyse data from both computer simulations and laboratory experiments.
He now focuses exclusively on teaching programming in Python to students of all ages.
