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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Free Online Video Courses from the guys at Google - Learn to write Python Programs - Intro to Computer Science Class Online (CS101) - Udacity

Have you checked out the Free Online Video Courses from the guys at Google? Its' at Udacity.com. The course that teaches beginner Python is called, Introduction to Computer Science. It's here, (https://www.udacity.com/course/cs101). I took it, when it first cam out, a year or two ago and it was great. It did move a bit fast for me. But, they say, that they have changed things. So that people can move at their own pace, now. I plan on taking it again. The Course Catalog is here, with all of their courses, (https://www.udacity.com/courses). They now, also have Credited Courses too. Here's a Post on an interesting one, (http://blog.udacity.com/2013/11/sebastian-thrun-launching-our-data.html?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email)

"At the end of this course, you will have learned key concepts in computer science and enough programming to be able to write Python programs to solve problems on your own. This course will prepare you to move on to intermediate-level computing courses."

Don

Introduction to Computer Science

Beginner

The full experience starts January 2014.
Learn More

Class Summary

In this course you will learn key concepts in computer science and learn how to write your own computer programs in the context of building a web crawler.

What Should I Know?

There is no prior programming knowledge needed for this course. Beginners are welcome!

What Will I Learn?

At the end of this course, you will have learned key concepts in computer science and enough programming to be able to write Python programs to solve problems on your own. This course will prepare you to move on to intermediate-level computing courses.

Syllabus

Lesson 1: How to Get Started

Your first program: Extracting a link

Lesson 2: How to Repeat

Procedures, decisions (if), loops; finding all of the links on a page

Additional Lesson: How to Solve Problems

Universal techniques for solving programming problems

Lesson 3: How to Manage Data

Lists; crawling the web

Lesson 4: Responding to Queries

Complex data structures; building a reverse index to do searches; networks

Lesson 5: How Programs Run

Reasoning about cost; hash tables (Dictionary)

Lesson 6: How to Have Infinite Power

Recursive definitions; ranking search results

Lesson 7: Where to Go from Here

Past, present, and future of computing; exam

Extended Units

(These units were not part of the original (7-week) course, but have been added to the course.)

Lesson 8: How to Learn New Things

Tips for learning more on your own

Lesson 9: How to Manage Complexity

Modules, types, classes

Lesson 10: How to Reuse Classes

Inheritance

Lesson 11: Programs in the Real World

File IO, and Exceptions

FAQ

When does the course begin?

This class is self paced. You can begin whenever you like and then follow your own pace. It’s a good idea to set goals for yourself to make sure you stick with the course.

How long will the course be available?

This class will always be available!

How do I know if this course is for me?

Take a look at the “Class Summary,” “What Should I Know,” and “What Will I Learn” sections above. If you want to know more, just enroll in the course and start exploring.

Can I skip individual videos? What about entire lessons?

Yes! The point is for you to learn what YOU need (or want) to learn. If you already know something, feel free to skip ahead. If you ever find that you’re confused, you can always go back and watch something that you skipped.

What are the rules on collaboration?

Collaboration is a great way to learn. You should do it! The key is to use collaboration as a way to enhance learning, not as a way of sharing answers without understanding them.

Why are there so many questions?

Udacity classes are a little different from traditional courses. We intersperse our video segments with interactive questions. There are many reasons for including these questions: to get you thinking, to check your understanding, for fun, etc... But really, they are there to help you learn. They are NOT there to evaluate your intelligence, so try not to let them stress you out.

What should I do while I’m watching the videos?

Learn actively! You will retain more of what you learn if you take notes, draw diagrams, make notecards, and actively try to make sense of the material.

Go there...
https://www.udacity.com/course/cs101