NEW Python Editor launched to support students learn text-based coding with the BBC micro:bit

Here at the Micro:bit Educational Foundation we are on a mission to enhance children’s digital skills and to make it even easier for children to learn the text-based coding skills needed to access some of the most in-demand tech jobs. Our?new Python Editor – used in conjunction with the micro:bit -?is purpose-built to address the hurdles learners usually face in working with the type of languages used by most developers by creating a more user-friendly and intuitive learning experience.?

Python is the most widely used and fastest growing developer language in the world and has a broad application of uses, from powering machine learning to web development and data analytics. Many school curriculas have introduced learning text-based languages, but to date teachers and students alike have struggled to include Python, given the jump in technical complexity, and the focus has largely been around HTML.?

“To truly address the digital skills gap – and the digital diversity gap - we need to remove the barriers that surround learning text-based languages,” commented Lucy Gill, Product Manager at Micro:bit Educational Foundation. “With over six million of our devices in use globally, we have been able to draw on a broad scope of insights and data to redefine how we teach Python and make it more accessible to a broader spectrum of users. This is purpose-designed to make the step up from beginner feel far smaller and to bring code to life with a physical device, keeping learners more engaged and motivated.”?

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Why learn Python on the micro:bit??

Python is an excellent first text-based language to learn. Its instructions and syntax are based on natural language, making code easy to read, understand and modify.?

As well as being widely used in education, it's used in industry, especially in the areas of data science and machine learning. Python is not just used by software developers, but also by people working in fields as diverse as medicine, physics and finance.?

Python on the BBC micro:bit brings the benefits of physical computing to students aged 11-14, learning programming fundamentals through text-based coding: immersive, creative experiences for students that help build engagement and knowledge.?

“We know anecdotally from our community that text-based programming is top of employers’ skills wish lists– and a quick search on any tech job site can quickly confirm the size of the demand! This is an important milestone for us as we look to build upon our strong foundations in secondary education to help empower teachers to teach, and students to progress to, these hugely valuable skills,” added Gareth Stockdale, CEO at Micro:bit Educational Foundation.?

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Overcoming barriers to learning?

The micro:bit Python Editor is designed to overcome common barriers to engaging and making progress with text-based coding:?

Fear of a blank screen?

• We have introduced full projects in the Ideas tab, working code examples in the Reference, and options that pop up as you type, which mean students can get coding, experimenting and creating straight away.

Discoverability for creativity?

• The editor makes language and device features easily discoverable using the Reference section?and auto-completion of code.?
• Greater awareness of the features of Python and the micro:bit means students spend less time searching, and more time thinking creatively in solving coding challenges.?

Keyboard skills and memory?

• Code snippets?you can drag and drop into code and valid options offered as you type?mean students have less to type and remember. This means their code is more likely to run first time, so they can spend more time creating and less time debugging typing errors.?

Aid iterative project design?

• The simulator?allows students to test and evaluate code quickly in the editor before transferring to a real micro:bit, speeding up iterative design work.?

Understanding program structure?

• Indentation highlighting lines, and blocks of colour make it easier to visualise and understand the structure and flow of code.?

Supporting debugging?

• Debugging is an essential skill, made easier in the micro:bit Python Editor through error highlighting, code structure highlighting?to aid fixing indentation errors, and testing in the simulator.?
• Error messages from the micro:bit device can also be examined in the serial console.?

All of these features are designed to enable students to get more practice doing real programming in the precious classroom time available and empower teachers to spend less time fixing small mistakes and more time teaching core concepts.?

Sarah Townson, Technology Projects Officer at Science Oxford, a Python expert who works closely with children, young adults, and teachers to develop their skills and inspire a love of computing and technology, said of the new editor: “I have been really impressed with the new Python Editor from micro:bit. It has already made a big difference in my Science Oxford workshops, helping the students and teachers we work with to take their first steps in text-based coding, and allowing the more experienced students to get creative and explore new features. The drag-and-drop code examples are extremely helpful, and the new reference menu is a lifesaver for quickly giving extra challenges and suggestions to my students.”?

Find out more on the website or watch a demo of how the NEW Python Editor works. ?

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