MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2017



Exploratory Programming Workshop

Nick Montfort

Jan/17 Tue 01:00PM-05:00PM 4-257

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/16
Limited to 15 participants

This workshop is for beginners — people new to programming. This will be a true introduction to computer programming and how it can be used for inquiry and creativity.

The workshop is based on Montfort’s book Exploratory Programming for the Arts and Humanities. The workshop will cover the initial, core concepts of the book.

Nick will lead participants in exploring computer programs through modification and as they start learning the fundamentals of programming, covering:

•  Writing programs is not intimidating; materially, it’s just editing a text file.

•  The difference between valid code (a program that runs) and code that does what you intend, along with how error messages are actually helpful to programmers.

•  The true fundamentals of programming – looping and iteration, bundling code together in functions, and using data of different types.

•  How to undertake small-scale projects and see that computer programming is not an abstract mathematical exercise, but part of our culture.

Although we will be working with JavaScript and Python, the fundamentals you will learn in this workshop will not be specific to a particular programming language.

We will be approaching programming as a cultural activity that is accessible to everyone.

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Contact: Nick Montfort, nickm@nickm.com