Welcome and how this course works

Welcome

Welcome to Introduction to Python. By the end of this course you will be able to write real programs: tools that read and write files, make decisions, repeat work, organise data and model things with classes. No previous programming experience is needed. You only need a computer, curiosity and about 6 to 8 hours a week.

How the course is organised

The course has 11 modules. Each module has:

• •Lessons with short explanations and code you can copy and run.
• •A practice assignment where you write a program and submit it.
• •Quizzes after some modules so you can check your understanding.

Work through the lessons in order, because each one builds on the last. Use the Mark as complete button at the bottom of each lesson to track your progress.

How to learn programming

Reading code is not the same as writing it. The single most important habit in this course is: type the examples yourself, run them, then change them and see what breaks. Breaking things on purpose is the fastest way to learn what the rules really are.

Follow this loop for every lesson:

1. 1Read the explanation.
2. 2Type the example into your editor (do not just copy and paste).
3. 3Run it and compare the output with what the lesson says.
4. 4Change one thing and predict the result before you run it again.

Getting help

Use the Discussions tab. When you ask a question, always include three things: what you wanted to happen, what actually happened (copy the full error message), and the code that produced it. Questions asked this way get answered quickly.

Submitting assignments

Each assignment accepts a text answer, an attached file, or both. For code, attach your .py file and paste a short sample of its output in the text box. Your instructor grades each submission and leaves feedback. You can resubmit until it has been graded.