XSeries Program in Computational Thinking using Python

Courses in the XSeries were created to teach people who have never had to deal with programming or computer science to think computationally and create programs that solve useful problems. While some people will use the courses as a step-stone to more advanced courses in computer science, others will find them useful. For many, however it will be their first or last course in computer science. These courses could be the only formal courses in computer science that many students will take. Therefore, we chose to emphasize breadth over depth. Students will be able to get a quick overview of many topics to help them understand how computation can be used to achieve a goal later on in their careers. They are not “computation appreciation– classes. These courses are rigorous and challenging. Students spend a lot time learning how to bend the computer to their will.

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python focuses on the concept of computation and the Python programming language. It also covers testing and debugging, basic algorithms, and an informal introduction to algorithmic complexity. Introduction to Computational Thinking & Data Science will show you how computation can be used to achieve a variety goals. It also provides a brief overview of a range of topics related to computational problem solving.