We created Joy of Coding because we realized that many high school students wanted to, and were ready to, learn to code but many didn’t know where to start. At the University of Michigan, we’ve heard too many stories of students who tried learning coding by Googling lessons and watching YouTube videos and walked away from poorly designed curricula thinking that coding was too difficult and/or “wasn’t for them.” It’s true that coding is hard at times—especially in the beginning—but it’s also too important a skill for a STEM-aspirant student to give up because of a badly made YouTube video.
Our courses first introduce students to coding in an accessible, yet rigorous, college-level way, then build on those skills in advanced courses to explore how coding and math power modern AI. As educators, parents, and family members, we value teaching this material in a way that the learners (your kids) feel comfortable asking for help when stuck, knowing that we will be there to support them. After all, everyone gets stuck sometimes when deepening their learning. We have designed these online, learn-at-your-own-pace courses and coaching structure with that in mind, and hope that students leave these courses excited to learn more in this ever-developing field. They, like us, could happily spend their entire careers in it.
Students with little or no knowledge of coding will need to apply for the Intro to Coding & Computational Thinking course. They will be provided with an online screening module to ensure that they are at the level at which the course is offered. Please do let the students know that if they aren’t there yet, they will soon be once they have taken the relevant math courses. We know and believe that everyone can learn to code and have fun doing it.
Students who have prior coding background, such as AP Computer Science or Intro to Coding & Computational Thinking course (a prerequisite), can apply for the advanced Intro to Data Visualization & AI course.
Students who have completed Intro to Data Visualization & AI course (a prerequisite), can apply for the next advanced course, Intro to Training, Evaluating & Fine-tuning an AI.
If you have any questions, please contact us at joyofcoding@umich.edu.
We hope you will be inspired to discover the “joy of coding” through our engaging, interactive courses designed to make learning both fun and accessible for everyone!
Joyfully,
Prof. Raj
