Want to learn the basics of computer programming in a fun and innovative way? This course introduces computer programming using an educational block-based visual programming environment called NetsBlox (https://editor.netsblox.org/), emphasizing modern computer science concepts like networking, the internet, and distributed computing. The curriculum is hands-on, focusing on translating ideas into working computer programs and developing a mastery of practical computational literacy. After completing this course, you will have a solid foundation to learn professional languages like Python, Java, etc.
The course is especially suitable for K12 teachers and students who want to get a gentle introduction to computer science.
Introduction to the course, to block-based programming and to the primary tool used called NetsBlox
What's included
7 videos7 readings2 app items
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 62 minutes
Welcome to the Course!•5 minutes
Introduction to NetsBlox•11 minutes
Turtle Graphics•15 minutes
Boolean Logic•7 minutes
Solving FizzBuzz•10 minutes
Making Geometric Art with NetsBlox•12 minutes
Setting up the Auto-Grader•4 minutes
7 readings•Total 32 minutes
Acknowledgements•5 minutes
What is NetsBlox?•2 minutes
Introducing Turtle Graphics•5 minutes
Introduction to Boolean Logic•5 minutes
Solving FizzBuzz•5 minutes
Introduction•5 minutes
Introduction to the Auto-grader•5 minutes
2 app items•Total 120 minutes
NetsBlox: Between•60 minutes
NetsBlox: FizzBuzz•60 minutes
Custom Blocks, Events and RPCs
Module 2•5 hours to complete
Module details
Introduction to custom blocks, events and Remote Procedure Calls (RPC)
What's included
7 videos6 readings3 app items
Show info about module content
7 videos•Total 75 minutes
What Are Lists?•7 minutes
Custom Blocks•12 minutes
Recursion•12 minutes
Events in Programming•6 minutes
Broadcasting•14 minutes
Mapping•11 minutes
Displaying the Weather on a Map•14 minutes
6 readings•Total 25 minutes
What are Custom Blocks?•5 minutes
What is Recursion?•4 minutes
What Are Events?•4 minutes
Introduction to Broadcast Blocks•4 minutes
Using Spatial Information in NetsBlox•4 minutes
Mapping Weather Conditions•4 minutes
3 app items•Total 180 minutes
NetsBlox: Greet•60 minutes
NetsBlox: Leap Year•60 minutes
NetsBlox: Factorial•60 minutes
Loops and Lists
Module 3•5 hours to complete
Module details
Introduction to iteration (loops), scoping variables and lists
What's included
6 videos6 readings3 app items
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 83 minutes
Coding Loops•10 minutes
What is Variable Scope?•14 minutes
Using and Mutating Lists•8 minutes
Dealing with Errors•16 minutes
Movie Lists•13 minutes
Adding Scrolling to Your Maps•21 minutes
6 readings•Total 26 minutes
Loops•5 minutes
Introduction to Variable Scope•4 minutes
More About Lists•4 minutes
Introduction to Debugging•5 minutes
Creating Lists of Movies•4 minutes
Making Maps Dynamic•4 minutes
3 app items•Total 180 minutes
NetsBlox: Actor's Birthday•60 minutes
NetsBlox: Compute the Average•60 minutes
NetsBlox: Luhn Formula•60 minutes
Structured Data
Module 4•5 hours to complete
Module details
Working with multi-dimensional lists
What's included
6 videos6 readings3 app items
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 69 minutes
Lists of Lists•13 minutes
Charts in NetsBlox•8 minutes
How to Zip Lists•12 minutes
Map, Keep, Combine•7 minutes
Using the Structured Data Library•9 minutes
Google Street View•20 minutes
6 readings•Total 28 minutes
Introduction to Two-Dimensional Lists•5 minutes
Creating Charts with NetsBlox•4 minutes
Zipping Lists•5 minutes
Processing Lists with Map, Keep, and Combine•5 minutes
The Structured Data Library•5 minutes
Using Street View•4 minutes
3 app items•Total 180 minutes
NetsBlox: Acronym•60 minutes
NetsBlox: Counting Letter Frequency•60 minutes
NetsBlox: Minesweeper•60 minutes
Distributed Programming
Module 5•2 hours to complete
Module details
Introduction to distributed programming using message passing
What's included
6 videos5 readings1 assignment
Show info about module content
6 videos•Total 89 minutes
Distributed Hello, World!•6 minutes
Messages in NetsBlox•16 minutes
Running Dog•15 minutes
Shared Whiteboard•24 minutes
Chat Server•25 minutes
Thanks for Taking the Course!•4 minutes
5 readings•Total 23 minutes
Introduction to Peer-to-Peer Networking in NetsBlox•5 minutes
Introduction to Message Passing in NetsBlox•4 minutes
Distributed Animations in NetsBlox•4 minutes
Making a Shared Whiteboard•5 minutes
Client-Server Applications in NetsBlox•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
Module 5 Quiz•10 minutes
Text Analysis
Module 6•5 hours to complete
Module details
Working with text
What's included
4 videos4 readings3 app items
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 88 minutes
Named Entity Recognition for People•19 minutes
Language ID, Part One•26 minutes
Language ID, Part Two•18 minutes
Language Games•25 minutes
4 readings•Total 18 minutes
Introduction to Named Entity Recognition (NER)•5 minutes
Frequency Analysis in NetBlox, Part One•5 minutes
Frequence Analysis in NetsBlox, Part Two•4 minutes
Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tenn., is a private research university and medical center offering a full-range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.