We have developed an innovative activity to support young people as they transition from visual programming languages like Scratch to text-based programming languages like Python.
This activity introduces a unique interface that empowers learners to easily interact with Python while they create a customised painting app.
“The kids liked the self-paced learning, it allowed them to work at their own rate. They liked using RGB tables to find their specific colours.” – Code Club mentor
Why learn to code Python?
We’ve long been championing Python as an ideal tool for young people who want to start text-based programming. Python has simple syntax and needs very few lines of code to get started, and there is a vibrant community of supportive programmers surrounding it.
However, we know that starting with Python can be challenging for young people who have never done any text-based coding. They can face obstacles such as software installation issues, getting used to a new syntax, and the need for appropriate typing skills.
How ‘Paint with Python’ helps learners get started
‘Paint with Python’ is an online educational activity that addresses many of these challenges and helps young people learn to code Python for the first time. It’s entirely web-based, requiring no software installation beyond a web browser. Instructions are displayed in a side panel, allowing learners to read and code without needing to switch tabs.
To help young people with creating their painting app, much of the initial code is pre-written behind the scenes, which enables learners to focus on experimenting with Python and observing the outcomes. They engage with the code by clicking on suggested options or, in some cases, by typing small snippets of Python. For example, they can select colours from a range of options or, as they grow more confident, type RGB values to create custom colours.
The activity is fully responsive for mobile and tablet devices and provides a final view of the full program on the last page, together with suggested routes to continue learning text-based programming.
An accessible introduction to text-based programming
We believe this activity offers an accessible way for young learners to begin their journey with text-based programming and learning to code Python. The code they write is straightforward and the activity is designed to minimise errors. When mistakes do occur, the interface provides clear, constructive feedback, guiding learners to make corrections.
Try out ‘Paint with Python’ at rpf.io/paint-with-python. We’d love to hear your feedback! Please send any thoughts you have to uxresearch@raspberrypi.org.
This activity was developed with support from the Cisco Foundation. Through our funding partnership with them, we’ve been able to provide thousands of young people with the inspiration and opportunity to progress their coding skills anywhere, and on any device.
Website: LINK
