Coding: A must-know skill for all in today’s digitalised world

In an increasingly digitalised world, coding is gradually gaining currency as a skill for the future. It is being pegged as a must-know skill that children and adults would require as they navigate their future in a world influenced by computer algorithms. Teaching coding to children has thus become as crucial as teaching them any other subject or skill for overall academic development.

By learning to code, students can not only understand technology better but can also create it. It improves problem-solving skills, structural thinking, creativity, logical thinking and provides all students with a critical lens for interpreting the world. Experts say that learning to code is just like teaching a child a new language and if introduced to such skills while they are still in school, children can learn better.

Recognising the importance of coding, many schools have adopted it in the curriculum. They are increasingly encouraging children to channel coding into giving shape to their ideas. Additionally, a number of online platforms have proliferated that help students develop coding skills as they study remotely amid the pandemic. HT Code-a-thon, India’s largest coding platform, is one such medium that allows school students to learn coding concepts and showcase their talents at a national-level competition.

Launched by Hindustan Times in October last year, the platform promotes web learning skills among students and provides free access to coding courses for underprivileged children. To further boost creativity and problem-solving abilities among children, the second edition of the Hindustan Times Code-a-thon kicked off on August 31 this year.

The Code-a-thon provides an opportunity to students in Classes 4 to 9 to learn to code and boost algorithmic thinking, mathematical and computing skills, and analytical thinking to prepare them for the careers of tomorrow in science and technology. It offers a number of age-appropriate learning modules that empower children to design and create using code. Once students pick up the basics, they can showcase their code writing skills at a national level. The four-month-long programme is divided into three rounds.

The learning round is supposed to continue till the last week of November. This will be followed by the qualifier round which will take place in the last week of November and open the competition. The final, which holds the promise of a battle between whiz kids, is scheduled for the third week of December.

Those interested in signing up for the Code-a-thon can visit the official website. Post-registration, the participants can access their age-appropriate modules and course materials.

For the coding Olympiad, HT has partnered with IBM and SpeEdLabs, an AI-based practice and an AI-based practice and learning platform which boosts foundational concept-based learning

The Codeathon will train participants as they chart their path towards a tech-enabled future. All the participants will receive mentorship from technical experts and certificates, while the top three will also receive prizes.