Code.comp is just around the corner

Code.comp is the Northern Hemisphere version of the our NCSS Challenge and it starts in two weeks. The major difference, as far as I can see, is just in the timing. Code.comp is aimed to run at a time more convenient to our Northern cousins.

Just like the NCSS Challenge, Code.Comp, is an online programming competition that teaches students how to code as they compete. It’s a great opportunity to get your students excited about learning to program.

Unlike most programming competitions, they don’t assume the students already know how to program, instead participants develop their Python and Blockly programming skills over the five weeks of the competition. Code.Comp will run from Monday 3rd November until Sunday 7th December, 2014.

Code.Comp is run by Grok Learning  who had an impressive 8,000 students and teachers from Australia and New Zealand learn programming in 2014. One of the best features of Grok’s activities is that they make the challenges genuinely entertaining and clever.

Each week, they release learning resources suitable for either in-class or self-directed learning, covering many aspects of computer science and programming including: variables and data types; if statements; while and for loops; algorithms; file I/O; functions; code reading and debugging; and code style and comments. The concepts covered in the four Code.Comp streams (Blockly: Newbies, and Python: Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced) varies, allowing teachers to engage a wide range of ability and experience. Students generally spend a few hours a week to complete all questions, depending on the stream.

So if you’re looking to engage your students in programming at the end of the year, head on over to: groklearning.com.