Introduction to Python Programming
Published by Pearson
Learn fundamental programming concepts in a beginner friendly language
In this training session, we will help you get started learning how to code in Python, one of the most popular and in-demand languages in use today. While it was created with beginners in mind, don't let its simple nature fool you. It is used by professional developers in a wide range of applications, like web programming, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and dev ops. Along the way, you will also be introduced to a number of fundamental programming concepts, like variables and functions. The lessons will be hands-on, with byte-sized problems to solve along the way. You'll also get to tie it all together with some larger programs in the form of text-based games. The overall goal will be to help you kick-start your programming or Python journey, and show you just how fun and rewarding it can be.
What you’ll learn and how you can apply it
What you'll learn
- How to think like a developer
- Programming fundamentals, like types, variables, functions, and loop
- Basics of the Python programming language
- How to use a PyCharm, a modern code editor for Python
And you'll be able to
- Write simple programs in Python
- Take user input
- Use common libraries like "math" and "random"
This live event is for you because...
- You work in tech and want to better understand your product and coworkers
- You're curious about programming and want to see if you should pursue it further
- You've briefly learned how to program in the past and need a refresher in a modern language
Prerequisites
Typical computer skills are an asset, e.g.:
- Moving, copying, renaming, and deleting files on the computer they will be using
- Experience using text-editors and/or spreadsheet applications
- Comfort using web browsers and search engines
Course Set-up
- Download PyCharm Community edition: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download
- Download latest Python 3 version (click yellow Download button and follow instructions): https://www.python.org/downloads/
- Setup instructions, follow here https://github.com/ariannedee/intro-to-python
Recommended Follow-up
- Watch Introduction to Python: Learn How to Program Today with Python (Video by Arianne Dee)
- Read Learn Python 3 the Hard Way: A Very Simple Introduction to the Terrifyingly Beautiful World of Computers and Code, First Edition(Book)
- Watch How to Learn Python in Five Minutes (YouTube video by Daniel Moniz)
Schedule
The time frames are only estimates and may vary according to how the class is progressing.
Segment 1 Think like a programmer (40 mins)
- Instructors will introduce what programming is and how to approach learning how to program
- Participants will install the required software and Python version and write their first Python code
- Break (length: 10 mins)
Segment 2 Learn programming basics (60 mins)
- Instructors will discuss programming fundamentals and show how to use them in Python
- Participants will answer practise problems in Python and write a mad-libs program to bring everything together
- Break (length: 10 mins)
Segment 3 Control the flow with conditionals (40 mins)
- Instructors will introduce comparisons with Boolean types and how to use conditionals in Python
- Participants will answer practise problems in Python and write a guessing game to test their knowledge
- Break (length: 10 mins)
Segment 4 Work with lists and loops (60 mins)
- Instructors will introduce lists and loops
- Participants will answer practise problems in Python and extend their guessing game to include loops and lists
Segment 5 What to learn next (10 mins)
- Instructors will discuss next steps for the student's programming journey, with topics to learn and tutorials/courses to take
- Participants can ask questions relevant to their interests
Your Instructor
Arianne Dee
Arianne is a full-stack software developer and freelancer, with a passion for user-focused design for the public good. She has bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering and Computer Science from the University of British Columbia, and has taught thousands of students, aged 9 – 99 through Engineers Without Borders, Canada Learning Code, and Pearson on the O’Reilly platform. Arianne’s most popular videos and live trainings help beginners and experienced developers get up to speed with Python