World Book Day

It may feel quite unrelated - computer programming (also known as coding) and books. However, it is books that allow for all these programming marvels. I’m not writing about printed books of course - it’s all about books - widely referred to as documentation available online.

Video by Elen Lackner from Pixabay

Scratch

You may be surprised, but there is a wonderful collection of Scratch documentation dedicated to more advanced users. While Scratch may seem like a toy coding (pun intended - you can literally program LEGO in it), it is a fully fledged programming language. Here, at Educademy our favourite is Scratch Wiki and in particular Other Tutorials which discuss more advanced techniques to use in Scratch.

Python

Python, being one of the most popular programming languages, has an abundance of great online resources. The one that stands out of the crowd is Real Python. However, if you really want to dive deeper into the language and what it can do in real life, check out opensource.com 

JavaScript

JavaScript, being another of the most popular languages, is also very popular on various websites explaining how things work. The trouble is - as JavaScript evolved, a lot of information about it got a little “outdated”. It’s not like a piece of JavaScript from 20 years ago will suddenly stop working. It’s just - this is not how things are done now. And if you want to find out, how it’s done now, head right to javascript.info 

And one website to rule them all

Stack Overflow is the website that consistently shows up at the top of search results. Wonder why? That’s because if there is a question in computer programming worth answering, it has already been asked there.

Python in Healthcare

Image credit - Pxfuel

Python is a programming language typically used for developing applications quickly and securely. Python has many real world usages and big communities dedicated for things like machine learning and web development. Notably, this language is commonly used in the healthcare sector for development.

Image credit - Roam Analytics

Roam Analytics

Roam Analytics is a startup business based in Silicon Valley. Their approach is data-driven as their company offers a unique analysis of different patients health journeys through machine learning and natural language processing. Essentially, their approach is structured through a deep analysis of data. This allows doctors to have data which will allow them to make better decisions when it comes to the treatment of diseases as they will know what works best. This company utilises Python as one of their languages to code their healthcare application.

Image credit - Aicure

AiCure

AICure is also a startup based in New York. This company is an advanced data analytics company; it offers a platform for AI to monitor patient behaviours relating to a medication which the patient takes, which can be used to identify patterns or trends from the data gathered. For instance, it can gather information about a patient like their level of expressiveness through the camera on their phone. This platform will then provide an understanding of a drugs effectiveness which can reduce costs for drug trials for the patients. Therefore resulting in a very effective smartphone application for the health sector!

The Future

There are many different ways that Python can be used in the future in healthcare but a current relevant example is predicting how on a disease may progress. For instance, it is possible to create a cancer survival prediction model in Python. Python has been used to predict the mortality rate of a patient with a specific disease given electronic health records. These models are highly beneficial within the health care industry and uses methods like machine learning to further benefit doctors, patients and the healthcare sector in general.

There are many possibilities for Python to be used in the future to benefit the healthcare sector. Machine learning is a revolutionary way forward and could potentially be used to save billions. Python is the go-to language for industry experts in machine learning which can truly be used to make a difference in people’s lives.

If this idea intrigues you, why don’t you consider taking our programming courses? Our Python course covers not only knowledge you’ll gain in secondary school but other topics like artificial intelligence to help you gain the knowledge to make a difference, too.

Author: Sophie Dillon

Why learn Python?

If you’re thinking of learning Python, or if you recently started learning it, you may be asking yourself: 

“Why learn Python and what exactly can I use Python for?”

Learning any programming language is becoming more and more important due to how digitally connected we all are. There are many programming languages but very few find the right balance between powerfullness and simplicity. Python is one of the few exceptions. Currently Python is one of the most popular programming languages used right now in large companies and startups. Large companies like Google, Spotify and Netflix are all using Python on a daily basis, so there is a good chance you have been using something that runs using Python even if you didn’t realise it was.

Not only is Python popular but it is also a great starting language to learn, with its simple and concise syntax which helps you not get confused while writting your Python code and with help from Pythons large collection of libraries you are able to do so much from the beginning. Problems which are complex in other programming languages can be completed in 1 or 2 lines of code in Python due to how beginner friendly Python is. This allows you to start making Projects you actually want to do very quickly.

Snake Game - One of the projects covered in our course

Python is especially powerfull and useful when dealing with large collections of data as its very easy to manipulate this data using Python efficently. This is a large reason large companies are flocking to use Python. But that doesn’t mean Python is only useful for manipulating data; You can do so much more with Python! Did you know you could create games, build websites and even develop AI and machine learning programs in Python!

By having a good understanding with Python, it will help you learn more complicated programming languages in the future, for tasks that Python is not as good at, and improve your problem solving and creativity skills. Alot of universities are also using Python as the first languages that they teach their students, so learning early will give you a great headstart if you plan to study Computer Science at university!

So why not join one of our online Python summer camps and we will explore the cool projects you can develop in Python together.

• Introduction to Python

• Create Game with Python

print ("I love learning in Python!")

Which language should you learn in Secondary School?

When you are starting to learn a new programming language in secondary school, or possibly even your first programming language, it can be quite overwhelming with the number of options that you can choose from. There are loads of great options but they all do everything slightly different and have different features and abilities. This blog post should hopefully help you understand these differences so you can make the best choice for yourself!

Python Logo

Python

One of the first languages which usually gets recommended to new programmers is Python, and there is a good reason for this. Python is a great bet if you are new to programming or have learnt Scratch previously, or even if you have experience in other languages. Companies like Google, Spotify and Amazon use Python on a daily basis for various projects. It has a simple and concise syntax, which helps you to learn to program using it faster! Python supports both Procedural and Object-Oriented Programming which allows you to learn two different styles of programming. There are loads of great libraries to use in Python which allows you to do a lot with a small amount of code. Due to Python's concise syntax, it is really great for learning Computer Science concepts as well. Python can be used to build games, websites, machine learning programs and mathematical models as well, so it has a lot of flexibility.

JavaScript Logo

JavaScript

JavaScript is another great choice if you are new to programming. It’s the most popular programming language in the world according to GitHub and is used in most websites we visit, including this one! JavaScript is a lightweight, interpreted, Object-Oriented programming language. One of the best-known uses for the language is being the scripting language for Web pages. It controls the various behaviours of the web pages. By knowing JavaScript you can then use Node.js with a small learning curve. Node.js lets you code JavaScript outside the browser often for server-side scripting. Companies such as Microsoft, Netflix and PayPal use Node.js software on a daily basis, and many popular JavaScript libraries such as React, Vue and Angular use Node.js. Node.js can be used to build dynamic web pages and cross-compatible ios and Android apps.

C# Logo

C#

C# is an Object-Oriented programming language designed by Microsoft. C# is a great language to learn to program using Object Oriented Principles. It is statically-typed, so the code is checked before it is turned into an application, which makes it easier to find errors. C# can be used to create almost anything but is particularly strong at building Windows desktop applications and games. It is most widely used to create games in the Unity Games Engine, which is the most popular game engine today! This makes C# a great language to learn if you have an interest in the game industry and want to develop your own games.

Hopefully, with this small guide, you can make the best informed decision for yourself and choose the language which is best for you.

Online Summer Coding Camps For Kids And Teens

If you would like to learn how to program in one of these languages join us in one of our Summer Camps.

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References:

http://www.dpaonthenet.net/article/169372/Continuing-coding-education-in-secondary-school.aspx

https://journeyofthegeek.com/2019/01/08/using-python-to-pull-data-from-ms-graph-api-part-2/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JavaScript-logo.png

https://seeklogo.com/vector-logo/363285/c-sharp-c

Author: Robert Nimmo