According to Steve Jobs, “Everybody in this country should learn to program a computer, because it teaches you how to think.” To that end, the developers of CoderZ today announced it has added another programming course to its every-growing suite of coding and robotics offerings. Available now for students in grades seven through 12, Python Gym helps learners gain a basic understanding of object-oriented programming while honing critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they work on Python programs.
The course’s self-paced lessons are designed as 70 gamified “missions” with easy-to-follow walkthroughs and tips. Students operate a virtual robot called Ruby within the CoderZ Online Robotics Environment to complete missions. As they do so, they master programming concepts such as variables, operators and control flow constructs. Neither students nor their teachers need to have prior programming experience.
“Python is the world’s fastest-growing and most popular programming language. It’s used by software engineers, analysts, data scientists and machine learning engineers,” said Ido Yerushalmi, CEO of CoderZ “Python Gym allows users to learn Python like a professional. They start from the basics and work their way up to complex programming for their own virtual robot.”
Students work their way through 10 mission packs:
1. Hello Python covers exploring the CoderZ Environment, basic language rules for Python and programming basic robotic tasks.
2. Easy Speedy covers programming the virtual robot to go uphill at a steady pace.
3. Get the Distance covers driving the robot on a level plane, an uphill slope and a downhill slope.
4. Good Turn covers methods for turning the robot.
5. To the Letter covers programming the robot to trace the shape of letters.
6. Round Off covers executing a precise pivot turn, a screw turn, a short smooth turn, using tuples to complete turns of differing radii and more.
7. On the Radar covers using the robot’s Ultrasonic Sensor to complete a difficult navigational task, program the robot to “hug” a wall and more.
8. Arm Up covers programming the robot’s Magnet Arm to lift and manipulate magnetboxes, fix a bridge and turn elements.
9. Rock Along covers using the robot’s Gyro Sensor to drive down bumpy inclines, across unstable bridges and more.
10. Follow Out covers using a two-level or three state controller to program Ruby to follow various lines.
Python Gym is the latest addition to the award-winning CoderZ platform. It also includes two comprehensive curriculums, Cyber Robotics 101 and 102. Both are designed to introduce middle school students to the concepts of code development and robotics through gamified missions. In May 2020, CoderZ launched CoderZ Adventure, a STEM and robotics course for students in grades two through five. In it, young students learn to program a virtual robot, apply their math skills and practice problem solving.
Additionally, a partnership between CoderZ and the Amazon Future Engineer program gave more than 5,500 schools free access to the CoderZ Virtual Robotics Learning Environment during school closures earlier this year. A sponsorship from Amazon Future Engineer ensured that STEM learning could continue despite the disruptions to in-class learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are dedicated to helping students ready themselves for Industry 4.0,” said Yerushalmi. “Letting students learn to code within game-like environments makes the activity fun and engaging rather than daunting. That’s our mission -- to get them over those first hurdles so that they have a much better chance of facing the new work world unfazed."
For more information on CoderZ Python Gym, visit https://gocoderz.com/python-gym.
About CoderZ
CoderZ is an innovative and engaging online learning environment. Developed for students in grades 2 and above, the gamified STEM solution allows student to work at their own pace, easily programming real and virtual robots from anywhere in the world. The platform enables students to acquire computational thinking, problem solving and creativity skills, together with coding and STEM learning, all via a flexible and scalable virtual solution. For more information go to www.gocoderz.com.
