The “Code Yourself!” and “¡A Programar!” programming MOOC for teenagers: Reflecting on one and a half years of experience

Abstract

Critical thinking and problem solving are fundamental skills to function successfully in today’s world. When programming, these skills are promoted, developed and deployed. In this context, Universidad ORT Uruguay and The University of Edinburgh co-created in 2015 a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) that teaches young teenagers how to program. The course was offered simultaneously in two versions: in Spanish, called "¡A Programar!" and in English, called "Code Yourself!", which are available on the Coursera platform. Since its launch in March 2015, more than 161,000 people from 197 countries have registered. Initially it was offered in a "fixed session"; while currently it is offered in an "auto-cohort" mode. In both cases, student surveys indicate that the course has met or exceeded expectations (values above 93%). In this paper, we detail the characteristics of the MOOC, and we analyze and compare the results for the two delivery modes.