ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): Mapping of numbers to characters (A=65, B=66, etc.). Limited to 256 characters.
Unicode: Extends ASCII to represent diverse characters and emojis, supporting multiple bytes to represent characters, enabling wide linguistic representation.
Colors
Represented using RGB values (red, green, blue). Each color can be mixed using 0-255 scale for each component.
Images and Pixels
Images are made up of pixels, each pixel having its own RGB value.
Higher resolution screens have more pixels, making images smoother.
Videos
Videos are sequences of images played quickly to simulate motion (24/30 frames per second).
Compression used to efficiently store and play back videos (lossy and lossless compression).
Algorithms
Defined as step-by-step instructions for solving a problem.
Phone book example: different search strategies (linear, binary search).
Linear search: one page at a time, correct but slow.
Binary search: divide and conquer approach, faster and more efficient.
Performance comparison: visual representation through graphs.
Pseudocode
Textual representation to express algorithms in human-readable terms before actual coding.
Example: Steps to search a phone book, introducing key programming concepts like functions, conditionals, and loops.
Introduction to Programming
Syntax and structure can appear complicated initially with symbols and specific rules (example: C programming language).
We'll start with easier, more intuitive platforms like Scratch before diving into languages like C, Python.
Scratch
Graphical programming environment (developed by MIT) to learn programming concepts without complex syntax.
Uses blocks/puzzle pieces for different actions (motion, looks, sound, control, events, sensing, operators, variables, and custom blocks).
Demonstrations: Simple programs like “Hello, world!”
Functions in Scratch
Swapping complex code with simpler blocks for readability and modularity.
Example: Creating a “Meow” function that makes the cat meow a specific number of times.
Introduction to loops and conditionals within Scratch.
Interactive Demos
Interactive games and videos like “whack-a-mole” and “Oscar Time” to demonstrate practical applications of learnt concepts.
Emphasized the importance of breaking down bigger problems into manageable components (modularization).
Conclusion
Introduction to fundamental concepts (functions, loops, conditionals, pseudocode, modularization) through Scratch.
Next step involves moving to more traditional coding languages (C, Python) while applying the same principles.
Final Thoughts
Emphasized on learning to think like a computer scientist and the rewarding process of creating and problem-solving through coding.
Example projects and students labs help solidify theoretical concepts with practical applications.