Topic Six (1.6): Programming Practice 1
While you will not encounter a module on programming until quite late on in the course, it is not a skill that you can learn in one go but one that requires repeated practice over a period of time. For this reason, Assignments One to Six will feature a few questions on programming, whatever the focus of the rest of the assignment. The questions in Assignment Seven will then deal more with the theory of programming as well as some revision, perhaps extending on the basics you have already learned.
Task 1: Sign up to TLJH
To practise Python, as well as Python’s own IDLE environment, we recommend that you use the TLJH site that you will have been signed up to when you enrolled on the course.
You can run your code here and share it with your tutor. If all is working well, it’s good evidence towards your assignment, and if you’re having difficulties, your tutor is better placed to offer advice if he/she can see the code.
Please go back and study the Course Guide for further details.
Task 2: Bookmark Python websites
There are several sites available to help you with coding. We recommend you bookmark our main recommendations in your web browser:
Trinket is a nice user-friendly guide to getting started with Python:
EXPLORE - Getting Started with Python (Trinket) Links to an external site.
Learnpython.org has tutorials with clear instructions and an exercise at the end of each one:
EXPLORE - Python Basics (Learn Python) Links to an external site.
A YouTube channel including lots of videos on Python:
WATCH - Python Video Channel (YouTube) Links to an external site.
For this course, the focus is on those videos named Basic Python for Beginners, but for both sites we shall give you links to specific pages and videos.
Task 3: Download Python
For your Programming Practice, the language we shall be using is Python. Python is used in many applications, including such popular sites as YouTube, and is a good choice for learning programming, as it is easier to understand than many alternatives. You may already have Python installed on your computer or have downloaded it from the link provided in the Course Guide. If not, download it now for free from one of these links:
- Python for Windows Links to an external site.
- Python for Mac Links to an external site.
- Python for Linux/UNIX Links to an external site.
We strongly recommend you download the latest version of Python 3 (3.13 at time of writing).
Task 4: Assignment One Preparation
For this assignment, we will start gently with learning what a variable is, deciding what data type a variable should be, how a variable should be declared, and how to use it in an expression.
This page gives you an introduction to variables:
EXPLORE - Hello, World! (Learn Python) Links to an external site.
Note: Python’s own development environment, IDLE, is fine for completing exercises on learnpython.org, but for the assignment tasks, we would like you to use the TLJH website. This enables you to share your code with your tutor, making it easier for you to demonstrate working code, and also to get help rectifying any problems.
WATCH – Using Python in TLJH (YouTube) Links to an external site.
This video introduces the basics of using Python for output. The site used is different but the concepts are the same.
Use the following links to learn more about Python and working on TLJH.
EXPLORE - Variables and Types (Learn Python) Links to an external site.
If you are particularly interested in this topic, or need further guidance, for more in-depth understanding you could watch the following videos:
- a look at String variables:
WATCH - Basic Python 3 for Beginners 3: String Variables (YouTube) Links to an external site.
- other variables such as integers and floats:
WATCH - Basic Python 3 for Beginners 4: Integers and Floats (YouTube) Links to an external site.
- taking input from a user:
WATCH - Basic Python 3 for Beginners 10: User Input (YouTube) Links to an external site.
Review
Please now complete the exam-style questions on pages 30 to 31 of your coursebook to check your understanding and gain valuable practice at answering this type of question. The answers can be found on Cambridge GO (using your code for digital access) but please don’t look at these until you have attempted the questions. Page 32 also has a useful self-evaluation checklist to help you think about how confident you are with the different topics.
Quiz
Now complete the end-of-module Quiz to check your understanding of module one content.
Assignment
Now you are ready to complete Assignment One and submit it to your tutor via Canvas for marking and feedback.