Introduction to Computer Science and Programming

This MOOC provides you with the foundational skill set required to write computer programs. If you are interested in learning how to write interactive, graphical programs from an introductory level in a real programming language, this is the course for you. You will begin by learning the basics of editing and running programs. Then you will learn how to create 2D graphics using shapes and coordinates. Finally, you will learn how to create interactive graphics that you can control with the mouse. You will even solve a set of interactive puzzles using your coding skills in the Sleuth game which has been created especially for this course. The course uses the Javascript language and the p5.js library.

Computers are everywhere, they aren't just the desktops and laptops we use for work but the phones in our pockets and even the watches on our wrists are also computers. You probably use a computer every day and in fact you are reading this on a computer! Just because we use computers all the time, doesn't mean that we understand them, or find them easy to use. Computer Science is the science of computers, it is the field of knowledge that experts use to understand computer systems. Knowing a little computer science will help you understand the computers all around you. This isn't a how-to course for a particular piece of software, instead you will learn some fundamental concepts that you can apply to any software or computer system. You'll apply these concepts to the kind of computer systems we use every day, including word processing applications, e-commerce, the internet and web sites. You will learn how to apply computer science concepts to solve problems in daily computer use and generally be a better computer user. Taking this course could be the start of your career in computer science, and the course is an introduction to the Bachelors in Computer Science from University of London, but it is also for you if you just want to learn a little computer science to help you better understand the computers you use in your ordinary life.