Python in Practice

Course Objectives

• Gain a clear understanding of how Python works and how to write functional code.
• Learn to apply programming logic to solve real-life problems.
• Practise writing and testing Python code through hands-on activities.
• Collaborate with others to explore ideas and create simple digital solutions.
• Build a small final project using the knowledge and skills acquired during the course.

Schedule

Module 1 – Indroduction to Python and Programming Basics

• What is Python and where is it used
• Installing Python and setting up a development environment (IDLE, VS Code or other editors)
• Basic syntax, indentation rules, and structure of a Python script
• Declaring variables and using basic data types: integers, floats, strings, booleans
• Using arithmetic, comparison and logical operators
• Writing, saving and running Python scripts from the terminal or IDE

Module 2 – Control Structures and Program Flow

• Conditional statements: if, elif, else
• Loop structures: for and while, including nested and conditional loops
• Logical expressions for decision-making
• Basic introduction to error control using try and except
• Practical applications: menu systems, simple games, process simulation

Module 3 – Data Structures: Lists and Dictionaries

• Creating, indexing, and modifying lists
• Useful list methods: append, remove, sort, len, etc.
• Creating and using dictionaries: key–value pairs, iteration, updating values
• Choosing between lists and dictionaries depending on the task
• Applied examples: inventories, user records, basic data tables

Module 4 – Functions and Code Structuring

• Defining and calling custom functions with def
• Passing arguments and using return values
• Organising code for reusability and clarity
• Best practices for writing clean and modular code
• Practical tasks: breaking down problems into smaller, manageable functions

Module 5 – File Handling

• Opening, reading, and writing text files (.txt)
• Introduction to working with .csv files using the csv module
• Understanding file modes: read, write, append
• Reading external data and processing it in Python
• Writing results or reports back to files
• Real-world examples: daily logs, user lists, exporting simple results

Module 6 – Practical Challenges and Problem-Solving

• Integrated exercises using concepts from previous modules
• Solving practical problems through Python code
• Strategies for decomposing a problem and designing solutions
• Collaborative work in pairs or small groups to solve coding challenges
• Preparing ideas and skills for the final project

Module 7 – Final Project: Building a Simple Application

• Definition of an individual or group project based on a real-life problem
• Planning the project: objectives, required features, responsibilities
• Application of course content in developing a functional program
• Use of data structures, functions, and file handling as appropriate
• Basic documentation and code comments
• Final project presentation and peer feedback

Optional Module – Exploring Python Libraries for Extended Functionality

• Introduction to Python libraries and package installation with pip
• Using random for simulations, simple games, and randomisation
• Basics of matplotlib for creating visual representations of data
• Introduction to datetime for working with time and dates
• Creating a basic GUI with tkinter
• Mini challenges to explore extended functionalities
• Optional enhancement of the final project using one of these libraries.