Introduction to Programming
From idea to app — building software with AI.
This course is not "learn Python". It is about turning an idea into working software, with AI doing most of the typing, and knowing enough to tell when it is wrong. The classic programming concepts are still here — but as the reading literacy you need to steer and verify an AI, not as things you are tested on by hand.
The semester runs like a developer onboarding: read a codebase first, build alone second, build together third, present last.
The semester at a glance
| Block | Weeks | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Join the company | 1–4 | You get hired into a small company with an existing codebase (SplitIt or Tiny CRM). You learn to design workflows, read the code, and ship a feature. |
| 2 · Solo project | 5–7 | Choose Plot Twist, Campus Tycoon, or Festival Architect and build it individually. Never submitted — examined. Start with Class 5. |
| 3 · Team project | 8–10 | Open scope: your team extends the best of your solo projects. Details in week 8. |
| Presentations | 11–12 | Live demo at a deployed URL + code walkthrough. Half the groups each week. |
Block 1 — the four classes
| # | Type | Class |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Theory | Introduction and workflow design |
| 2 | Practical | Going through the apps + asking questions |
| 3 | Theory | How to build a feature, and git |
| 4 | Practical | Build it yourself, and git |
Before you start
- Setup — install Python and Codex (the ChatGPT desktop app), run your first app. Do this before Class 2.
- Evaluation — how the grade is built: one team presentation (40%) and one exam (60%).
Nothing is submitted on Moodle. Your work lives on GitHub; Moodle only carries links and announcements.