Coding enhances competence among students

The main role of the educational system is to inculcate positive values and develop requisite life skills so that they can adapt to changed circumstances and face future challenges with confidence and optimism. With rapid technological advancements, it has become mandatory to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed for them to sustain and excel in their chosen occupations in world that is becoming increasingly techno-centric.

Recently, the education ministry has introduced the New Education Policy (NEP) where coding is being introduced from Class 6 as a 21st-century vocational skill. This integration is a very calculated step as the need for analytical skills, creativity, digital literacy, logical thinking etc is increasing exponentially. The introduction of coding and increasing exposure to technology at a young age will enable students to succeed in making future innovations and inventions possible as the kids are exposed to a new world of innovation and creativity at an age when their brains are most active .

Coding: Basic literacy in digital age
Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write. According to the honourable chairman of VSPK International School ,Rohini, in the 21st-century, literacy is being defined as the ability to program and work with computers. In this world of Artificial Intelligence and Automation, the nature of jobs will be completely changed. The machines and robots will be doing most of the work, and we humans will be optimizing, instructing and moderating their work.

This paradigm shift is happening mainly because of the digitalization. It wasn’t long ago that coding was seen by many as an odd hobby for geeks tinkering with computers in their basements. But over the past several years, coding has progressed from a hobby to a critical career skill.

According to data provided by the World Advertising Research Centre, around 2 billion people currently access the internet via their smartphone alone. These figures indicate the increasing use of internet and technology. With this ever-rising usage of internet, technology, more companies are coming into action providing services and products to enhance the user experience, which is a reason why there is an upsurge in coding-based jobs.

Employers ,today, are showing a willingness to pay a premium for the work of employees with coding and programmers. Coding has emerged as a proven tool to enhance 21st-Century skills like logical thinking, creativity, analytical skills, computational thinking etc. Critical thinking and problem solving are skills that can be developed with the help of coding. With the help of block-based programming, children can understand cause-and-effect relationships and can explore a whole different list of options. Creativity, the most sought-after skill of the 21st-century, is also a skill that can be developed with coding. One of the key processes in creativity is experimentation. With coding platforms, students can communicate their thoughts on canvas, and experiment with different tools to achieve the best output. .

Coding is a medium for students to understand the underlying concepts of science and mathematics as they continue to build solutions inspired by their surroundings. Coding also involves understanding and application of mathematics, which boosts the performance in academics and increases our analytical skills.

While learning to code, the students utilise different skills like pattern recognition, sequencing etc to solve complex problems. This is the reason why coding is being introduced as a vocational subject because the students will be able to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom and see the practical implication of it.

According to VSPK International School principal Dr. Shipra Kumar, the world needs more problem-solvers and innovators than consumers. The ability to solve problems is a trait which would be required in the years to come. Coding, as being introduced at an early age, will help identify the round-pegs in the square holes, and motivate the students to become thinkers and tinkerers. This will help our youth to be prepared for any challenges and adversities they might face in the future.

The benefits of learning to code can be surprisingly wide-ranging. Following are some of the ways coding can be valuable in professional sphere:

1. Coding and programming careers have great earning potential.One of the strongest and most obvious draws of learning to code is the earning potential for coding and programming professionals. Careers that involve some programming, coding or scripting skills tend to come with above-average salaries.

2. Coding-related jobs are in great demand and have great scope in providing sustainable job opportunities.

3. Coding helps give a new interpretation to problem solving. “Learning to code has the inadvertent effect of teaching you how to think,” says Adrian Degus, CEO of Nuvro. He goes on to explain that he has changed his problem solving approach from an emotional to a logical one due to his coding experience .

4. Learning to code can help open up new areas of opportunity in your career and ultimately make you a more flexible candidate in a rapidly-shifting digital economy.

5. Parents with school-aged children have the chance to start from square one together as they learn the basics of programming and coding. One excellent way to test the waters of learning to code is to practice with kid-friendly resources like Scratch, which gives an introduction to programming fundamentals and systemic reasoning.

6. Whether it’s just for fun or as a form of professional development, you’re sure to enjoy the benefits of learning to code as you build a foundation of tech skills. Coding has emerged as one such tool which has been on its trajectory to be embedded with education as it focuses on the key 21st-century skills like logical thinking, creativity, computational thinking, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, etc. These skills will ensure in expanding the creative horizon in the minds of young students, motivating them to come up with amazing ideas around the buzzing situations. Coding is a proven tool to enhance the key 21st-century skills which will help to improve human skills among students. No matter what profession the students would want to follow, skills like creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking will help the young minds in any field they choose.

Pramila Gupta, manager, VSPK International School, Sector-13, Rohini. Views expressed are personal.