Begin Programming: Build Your First Mobile Game (FutureLearn)

Using the same tools as industry professionals, you’ll create algorithms to solve problems and translate them into code.
Each week you’ll put into practice your new-found skills by changing the game code provided in the course, creating a game unique to you.

Syllabus

Week 1: Welcome to Begin programming
Week 2: Code Constructs, and Conditionals
Week 3: Arrays and loops
Week 4: Algorithms and Functions
Week 5: Consolidate, reflect and celebrate

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

• Compile and run a java application on a mobile phone or emulator
• Modify java code
• Identify and use different data types and Java programming constructs
• Develop a simple program in Java to run on a mobile phone

Who is the course for?
This beginners’ course teaches the basics of programming and you don’t need any knowledge of coding to take part. You may find it challenging at times, but we hope it’ll be fun too. However, the course does require you to be comfortable downloading, unzipping and installing software to your computer. If you think that you may find this difficult, you may like to have someone with a good knowledge of IT on hand to help you – particularly in Week 1.
The 4 hours per week is an estimate based on past participants’ experiences, however some previous participants have reported taking much less time, while others take considerable longer to complete some weeks. This will depend on your experience and to some extent how powerful your computer is.
This course includes video content and other visual teaching methods. As such, blind and visually impaired students may need a helper.