Phase 1 - Code the Future
Introduction
Code the Future is a pilot program focusing on providing students with physical disabilities with basic coding and web development skills. Furthermore, it will aim to improve their self-learning skills to become independent learners and learn online. It will run for 2 years at the vocational college for students with disabilities in NongKhai. This proposal outlines the OpenSkills programming training “Code the Future” that aims to help students achieve their learning goals in coding and web development. By focusing on programming skills, the training aims to equip students with in-demand, employable and transferable skills that will enable them to succeed in a variety of IT jobs.
Objective and approach
The OpenSkills programming training aims to solve these problems by adopting a learning by doing approach. This means students get tasks/problems to start writing code themselves supported by a teacher, rather than passively listening to a teacher. This hands-on approach helps students gain confidence and programming skills, while they also improve their problem-solving abilities. Students get access to the necessary resources and support in a hybrid format. This means that online (and also onsite when available) IT volunteer trainers will teach programming and provide support, while onsite Thai trainers and peers provide translation and help students with simple technical problems. This hybrid and active learning approach allows for an inclusive and motivational learning. A unique aspect of this training is the active learning through questions and discussions with local peers who understand the IT volunteer trainers and therefore can help Thai students understand and overcome language barriers. By participating in this process, students are actively engaged in tasks and improve their programming/IT skills.
The training incorporates practical exercises/tasks were students work on programming projects and can seek individual help from online and on-site trainers. This allows students to apply what they learn and receive support when they face problems. To track progress, assignments and achievements are recorded on this online learning platform, openskills.dev. The platform allows students to see their progress and receive feedback from trainers. This will help students to continuously improve their skills. Overall, the Openskills programming training aims to empower students to become confident self-learners and to utilize the internet for further learning, helping them to become successful life long learners.
Methodology
To achieve the objectives of this project, the following steps will be taken:
- Develop a comprehensive curriculum covering the fundamental concepts and technologies of programming and web development in a logical and progressive manner.
- Identify and recruit experienced online volunteers with expertise in programming and web development.
- Work with volunteers to create engaging and effective teaching materials and resources.
- Test and refine the curriculum with one class of students at the Nong Khai Redemptorist Technological College to ensure its effectiveness and engagement.
- Offer onsite internships to those students who complete the courses, allowing them to work alongside OpenmindProjects (OMP) volunteers.
The training program structure
The Openskills programming training is designed to introduce students to core concepts of programming in a beginner-friendly and visual way. It starts by learning to use Scratch, a programming language that is easy to learn and allows students to quickly understand the fundamental concepts of programming, such as variables, loops, and conditional statements.
Once students understand these concepts, the training proceeds to introductory HTML/CSS. This is then followed by learning javascript, which builds upon the programming fundamentals of learnt in the Scratch course and the web knowledge from the HTML/CSS course. With the javascript course students will be able to make their web pages interactive.
By starting with Scratch, HTML/CSS and then transitioning to javascript, the training provides logical and step by step learning that helps students build upon previous knowledge. The Openskills programming training provides for interactive learning that helps students simultaneously gain confidence and skills in programming and English.
Deliverables
- A comprehensive and interactive curriculum covering the fundamental concepts of programming and web development, including courses in Scratch, HTML, and JavaScript.
- Onsite internships for students who complete the courses, allowing them to work alongside OpenmindProjects volunteers.
- An alpha version of the OpenSkills platform for tracking student progress and delivering the courses.
Conclusion
We are excited to embark on this journey to empower students with disabilities in Thailand through programming and web development education. By working with dedicated online volunteers and developing an effective and scalable education program, we believe we can make a meaningful difference in these students’ lives and help them achieve their career goals. We look forward to collaborating with new partners and volunteers to make this project a success.
