MIT offers free online course in Computer Programming using Python

The course offered by MIT is an introduction to Computer Science as a tool to solve real-world analytical problems using Python 3.5.Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), one of the most premium technical educational institutes in the world, has recently announced a free online course in Computer Programming using Python. The course is available on the edX e-learning platform and the registrations are open until August 5. Here are the course details.

About course
The course is named ” Introduction to Computer Science and Programming using Python“. The objective of this course is to provide learners with a brief introduction to many computer programming concepts so as to give them an idea of what is possible when they need to think about how to use computation to accomplish some goal later in their career. That said, this is not a “computation appreciation” course but a challenging and rigorous learning path on which the students spend a lot of time and effort learning to bend the computer to their will.

Python is the most sought-after programming language skill by IT professionals and the demand for skilled Python developers is also very high in the job market. In this course, learners will be taught the nuances of programming using Python 3.5.

Course format
The class will consist of lecture videos, lecture exercises, and problem sets using Python 3.5. The lecture videos are broken into small pieces usually between eight and twelve minutes each. Some of these may contain integrated “check-yourself” questions. Even if you have knowledge of Python 2.7, you will be able to easily transition to Python 3.5 in this course. There will also be programming assignments and standalone exams/quizzes, which are not part of the video lectures.

What is in it for learners

• A Notion of computation
• The Python programming language
• Some simple algorithms
• Testing and debugging
• An informal introduction to algorithmic complexity
• Data structures

Course instructors
The course is instructed by 3 MIT professors:

• John Guttag, Dugald C. Jackson Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at MIT
• Eric Grimson, Bernard Gordon Professor of Medical Engineering, Professor of Computer Science at MIT
• Ana Bell, Lecturer, Computer Science, and Electrical Engineering at MIT

System requirement
You need to have a computer running one of the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows, version XP or greater (XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7)
Apple OSX, version 10.2 or greater
Linux – most distributions that have been released within the past two years should work
In addition, you will need the ability to download, install, and run software on your computer.

Other important details

• This is an instructor-paced course; however, students can watch the lectures at their leisure and do not need to watch the lectures live or at any set time.
• The registrations are open as the course starts on June 2 and will end on August 5.
• The course is free.

How to enroll
To enrol in this program, you can visit the MITx course page on edX here.