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Computing Everywhere

Computing Everywhere is an Northwestern initiative aimed to improve computational literacy and thinking among students with limited background in computation. To learn more about the initiative visit the full Computing Everywhere website

 

 

Computing Everywhere Workshops


Winter Quarter:

  • Jan 3-4 - EarSketch - Basics of Python: In this workshop, you will learn the basics of Python, all while creating music! We will use a program called EarSketch to teach computational ideas with the underlying motivation of creating awesome music.
  • Jan 10-11 - No Code Tools: In this workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of how to design and create modern internet-connected applications, and the familiar interactions they support (e.g., displaying posts from your friends on a feed) from a (front-end) client and (backend) server architecture perspective. In addition, we will introduce no-code tools that will allow you to build an application that helps resolve a need in your daily life (e.g., a recipe management application; an application for tracking water intake; etc.) by the end of the workshop without prior programming experience.
  • Jan 17-18 - TikTok and Database: You've probably seen the constant news stories about how tech companies use your data--collecting it, selling it, analyzing your behavior. But what does it mean for a company to have your data? Where is that data stored, and what does it look like? This workshop walks you through how TikTok and other applications collect your data, giving you a hands-on introduction to databases along the way.
  • Jan 24-25 - Data Visualization: In this workshop, students will be introduced to principles of effective visualization design and tools used to create such visualizations. This class is composed of short lectures with hands-on activities using ggplot2, a data visualization package for the programming language R.
  • Jan 31-Feb 1 - My Social Network: "From Twitter to Tinder, social networks have become increasingly central to our lives. What does your network look like? This course will empower you to understand and reclaim agency within your social networks.”

Spring Quarter:

  • Mar 28-29 - Introduction to Modeling + Basic Coding Principles: In this workshop, you will learn the basics of modelling, some foundational aspects of Python, and necessary fundamentals to develop data and modeling literacy. Throughout this workshop, students will learn more about what classification models are, understand how they can impact the world, and a brief introduction to the building blocks of coding.
  • Apr 4-5 - How NLP breaks down text into data: Natural language processing (NLP) powers many technologies in our everyday lives: text suggestions, smart assistants, recommendations, and so on. In this workshop, students will learn the basics of how NLP enables computers to process text as data through a guided hands-on example of creating a word filter. Throughout the session, we will also discuss the limitations and ethical implications of NLP.
  • Apr 11-12 - Networks Everywhere: The workshop aims to introduce the study of social networks. I will introduce the basic “network terms,” classic social networks studies, and relevant concepts and theoretical understandings to empirical examples (e.g., formation and dissolution of interpersonal relationships, misinformation on social media platforms, and social contagion). There are no prerequisites for this workshop.
  • Apr 18-19 - Detecting Human Activities Using Wearable Sensors: In this workshop, we learn and understand how wearable devices such as smartwatches work and can detect human activity like running. With provided sensors, you will get a chance to build an activity detection system that is capable of detecting fists and punches.
  • Apr 25-26 - How to Create a 🔥 UX Test to Evaluate Software: Do you know how to evaluate products like software? Determine what works? Or what can be improved? In this session you will not only learn what makes up exemplary user tests, but learn how to use the knowledge derived from tests to help you do your dream job better.
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