INTRODUCTION TO CODING

The Minor in Computer and Data Science aims to provide the basic skills to use computer science and data science tools for managing, analyzing and interpreting the vast amount of data available.

This course aims to give an overview of the fundamentals and of the techniques at the base of computational systems.
The main purpose of the course is to introduce students to computational thinking, solving a variety of problems through simple programs developed in Python, a popular high-level programming language.

The course is important and relevant for all students who want to deepen or reinforce the most important basis of computer science and programming, thus getting some basic skills in the field of computer science.

The student will acquire:
- fundamentals of how computers work
- Skills that allow him to face problems with an algorithmic mindset and with the mental and practical process that programmers use
- familiarity with the Python language

No prerequisite is necessary to be able to complete the course.

This course aims at teaching the role that computation plays in solving problems. Students will be introduced to the use of a simple but powerful programming language like Python, and at the end of the course they will be able to write programs that can manipulate data or perform computing tasks of general utility.

The main topics include the notion of computation, problem solving and algorithms, the Python language, simple algorithms and data structures, testing and debugging software.

- "Think Python. How to Think Like a Computer Scientist (2e)".
Allen Downey. Green Tea Press.
Free download: https://greenteapress.com/thinkpython2/thinkpython2.pdf

- "Dive Into Python"
Mark Pilgrim
Online version: https://www.diveinto.org/python3/table-of-contents.html

- Online resources

- Lecture notes

Learning assessment involves the development of a project (preferably using Python) aimed at putting into practice the knowledge acquired during the course and addressing a specific problem in the field of Information Systems for Tourism. The evaluation will be based on three main aspects:

1. Design ability: The project should reflect a clear understanding of the theoretical concepts and methodologies learned. It will be important to demonstrate a structured plan and a critical approach in carrying out the work.
2. Work organization: The ability to manage the various phases of the project, from ideation to implementation, will be evaluated. This includes time management, task division, and collaboration (if applicable).
3. Mastery of tools: During the presentation, the student must demonstrate full mastery of the tools and technologies used and a thorough knowledge of the concepts introduced during the course.

The evaluation criteria are as follows:

A. Scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- Sufficient knowledge and ability to structure the project;
- Limited ability to justify implementation choices;
- Sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of course-specific language.

B. Scores in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- Fair knowledge and ability to structure the project;
- Fair ability to collect and/or interpret data, proposing effective implementation solutions;
- Fair communication skills, especially in relation to the use of course-specific language.

C. Scores in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- Good or excellent knowledge and ability to structure the project;
- Good or excellent ability to collect and/or interpret data, proposing innovative implementation solutions;
- Fully appropriate communication skills, especially in relation to the use of course-specific language.

D. Lode will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge and applied understanding of the program, judgment skills, and communication abilities.

Theoretical and practical lectures, lab exercise using the Python language.

Italian

Teaching Language: Italian

written and oral