CMU CS Academy CS1 Introduction to Programming and Computer Science

Our CS1 curriculum is a deep dive into the fundamentals of programming concepts and teaches text-based coding using Python. CS1 is predicated on the notion that learning about programming and computer science should be fun and engaging. In our introduction to programming course we expose students to graphics-based problem solving because it is visually engaging, allows for multiple correct solutions, and provides visual cues when a solution goes awry.

Computer Science and computational problem solving are fundamental skills for engaging the 21st-century marketplace of ideas and economies. We believe that all students should have the opportunity to learn these skills as they will use them in whatever career they are likely to enter.

The course provides its own browser-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that the students will use to create and run their programs. It encompasses an editor and compiler, a custom graphics package, and an autograder that is capable of grading not only textual problems and solutions but also a broad range of graphics problems and solutions.