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Diploma in Higher Education Studies

Functions: reusable code

HES 211 · Introduction to Programming with Python — Week 9 of 16

CourseHES 211
Week9 of 16
SemesterII
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

Functions: reusable code

  1. Defining and calling a function
  2. Parameters and return values

What you will be able to do

  • 3.1 Define and call functions to modularise code.

Activity

Rewrite an earlier program using functions.

Study materials

Further resources

  • Introduction to Python Programming, ch. 6: Functions · PDF · OpenStax Introduction to Python Programming (2024), ch. 6: defining and calling functions, parameters and return values, pp. 137–163 · for registered students
  • Think Python, ch. 3: Functions · PDF · Downey, Think Python 2e (Green Tea Press), ch. 3: defining functions, parameters and arguments, pp. 17–28 · for registered students
  • Think Python, ch. 6: Fruitful functions · PDF · Downey, Think Python 2e (Green Tea Press), ch. 6: return values, pp. 51–62 · for registered students
  • Understanding students' failure to use functions as a tool for abstraction (CS1 Python) · Open-access article · Haglund et al. (2021), Informatics in Education. Why Python beginners avoid writing their own functions, with examples. · for registered students
Materials marked “for registered students” open in the student portal, which is set up as soon as you receive final acceptance.
MidtermWeek 10
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Course plan
  • Week 1: What is programming? High- and low-level languages
  • Week 2: Your first Python program
  • Week 3: Variables, data types and constants
  • Week 4: Input, output and calculations
  • Week 5: Making decisions: if, elif and else
  • Week 6: Repeating code: for loops
  • Week 7: Repeating code: while loops
  • Midterm: Midterm evaluation
  • Week 9: Functions: reusable code
  • Week 10: Lists
  • Week 11: Looping through data; tuples and dictionaries
  • Week 12: Finding and fixing errors
  • Week 13: Tracing and testing a program
  • Week 14: Mini project: a small program step by step
  • Week 15: Review and coursework completion
  • Final: Final assessment and submission
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