With the current "fad" of encouraging children to learn to code, I thought I would be worth looking at the difference between coding and computer science.

History

I learned the infamous Logo Turtle at school and BBC BASIC at home. That is learning to code. I followed instructions, copy-typed from books, and made minor adjustments to "personalise" my programs.

At A-Level I started studying "Decision Mathematics". Rather than esoteric calculus, and prosaic formulas, it looks at how to solve problems logically. It was the perfect primer for learning how to become a programmer and I firmly believe that no conversation about teaching coding in schools is complete without a theoretical understanding of the science behind the code.

An Example

This is an exercise I run through with people wanting to understand the basics of computer science:

Sort the following numbers:

7, 8, 1, 3, 2, 7, 6

Easy enough to do in your head, no?

Ok - explain to me how you did it?

We then talk through what we think the problem is - in what way do we want the numbers sorted? High to low? Low to high? Alphabetical? What, in fact, do we want to do with the sorted numbers?

What series of very simple instructions could we give to an absolute idiot such that they could follow them and get the right answer?

Where are the "gotchas"? If two numbers are the same, how should they be sorted? Does it matter?

Are there more or less efficient ways to sort numbers? Are there times when less efficiency is good?

Hey presto - we've begun to explore Computer Science. We can craft algorithms, learn how and why they are important, write out pseudo-code, hunt for bugs.

Learning To Code

The above is a great introduction to Computer Science. Now let's look at what learning to code teaches people.

sort([7, 8, 1, 3, 2, 7, 6]);

Or, perhaps

var numbers = [7, 8, 1, 3, 2, 7, 6];
numbers.sort();

What has that taught anyone? Merely syntax.

I learned the BASIC and Pascal languages at school. Who uses those now? No one. Learning to code an iPhone or Android app is great fun - but in 10 years time when those children are adults, the world will have moved on and Objective C will be yet another obsolete language.

Yes, learning the rudiments of one language can be helpful in picking up another - but it's no substitute for understanding the fundamentals of why you are doing something.

That's why I'm a big supporter of the Apps For Good initiative. Rather than just teaching kids how to build an Android app, it takes them through the process of design, user research, competitor analysis, testing, monetizing, building a team, and legal / social ramifications of releasing an app. All of which are vital tools to any would-be programmer.

It's not just about learning which buttons to press in order to make an app - it's about a deeper understanding.

if ($thou >= $summers_day) {$darling_buds.winds($rough, $shake);}

Let's put it in language the humanities graduates can understand.

Learning to code is merely teaching people to spell.

Computer Science is about what makes a poem beautiful, why alliteration is alluring, how iambic pentameter unlocks the secrets of Shakespeare.

That is what I think we need to be teaching.

They work with schools and help students develop apps. Currently, they are working with 100 schools across the UK to deliver courses to more than 5,000 students.

If you work in the mobile industry, you should volunteer to be one of their experts. Spend just 30 minutes having a Skype chat with a group of excited teenagers, share your expertise, hear their ideas, be infected with their enthusiasm.

This isn't just a "feel good" exercise, many of the apps get built and released - and you can download them right now.

App download links

• Promise Keeper: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.putitout.PROMISEKEEPER
• Feelings in a Flash: http://autofwd.com/fiaf
• Beat the Book: http://autofwd.com/btb
• Mapp Your Way: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/19828833
• Weather Birds: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fuerteint.weatherbirds
• RMBme: http://autofwd.com/RMBme
• Details on the Oyster on the Go proof of concept can be found online: http://theoysterapp.weebly.com/

Make a New Year's Resolution to join their team.

I think it's time for all of us in the technology industry to encourage young people to explore the fascinating world of computers. Our lives are dominated by computers - and knowing how to program them is as essential as knowing how to start a fire was to our ancestors.

Computers aren't televisions. They are not passive entertainment devices. They are not appliances which can only perform the functions set by their creators. They are the very embodiment of our age - electronic servants which, with the right coaxing, will do our bidding and help us change the world.

That's why I'm investing my time in helping kickstart kids on their journey to hackerdom.

Here are the two projects with which I am involved.

Apps For Good

I've spent the last year working with the CDI AppsForGood team. They run programs in secondary schools which get kids to design and build Android apps which will be useful to them and their peers.

Sadly, I was rather dismissive of the idea when I first heard about it - but I have since seen the error of my ways.

So, I've spent the last year Skyping into schools and - Dragons' Den style - hearing pitches from teenagers, and giving them feedback.

It has been immensely fun! Some of the app ideas have been really inventive - apps to help prevent anorexia and bullying, apps to help you with your bad hair day, apps to help you with dyslexia, and apps to help you find books your friends like - I've taken great delight in explaining how do do a basic customer survey, how to create a minimum-viable-product, what common pitfalls to avoid. The kids seem to really enjoy having an industry expert take their questions.

You should become an AppsForGood Expert. Seriously, whether you're a coder, a designer, a product manager, CEO, StartUp Founder, or UI expert - you'll find it incredibly rewarding.

It's really simple to participate - Skype sessions are 45 minutes and really easy to fit around your day. Become an AppsForGood Expert today!

Code Club

As I mentioned a few days ago - I've helped start a CodeClub at my local library. I signed up with CodeClub, downloaded their excellent lesson plans and, yesterday, taught my first class.

I was really nervous. I taught kids at drama lessons many years ago, but this was my first time in years facing a hostile audience of savage youths! We had eight kids turn up - including two girls (no doubt future LadyGeeks).

After a quick intro from me, the kids tore through the worksheets - while I ran around answering their questions and fixing their problems. I was ably assisted by librarians from Woking Library.

What surprised me most was how willing the kids were to diverge from the worksheets and go off on their own flights of fancy.

I thought the class went really well - and hopefully we'll run some more in the new year - but I'll leave the final verdict up to the kids.

Your Move

So, what are you doing to spark wonder and delight in young people?

Last night, InMobi attended cdi’s Apps For Good in London. What a wonderful event!

Teams of school-children presenting their ideas for apps that could change their world.

But this wasn’t just kids showing off drawings of theoretical apps, the Apps For Good course that runs in these schools get participants thinking about problem definition, market research, business cases, and – crucially – building apps. Using Google’s Android App Inventor, the students were able to create working prototypes of their applications.

It’s great to see young people building amazing apps which have the power to influence the world around them. We were particularly impressed with how professionally the apps were presented and how confidently they answered questions from the “Dragons’ Den”. There’s a podcast of the event available.

Too often apps are seen as frivolous distractions from the real world. The pupils had developed apps which tackled bullying in schools, a fun way to look at personal finance, and a translation app to help Bengali speaking parents understand what’s going on at their child’s school.

Huge thanks to the pupils from Central Foundation Girls’ School and http://www.high-trees.org/ for being so committed and developing such wonderful apps. You can also read more about the event at Tom Curtis’s blog.

We’ve decided to join the Apps For Good “Expert Community” to see what help and support InMobi can offer these young developers. If you’re interested in helping, you can

• Fill in the expert signup form
• Join the LinkedIn group
• Follow AppsForGood on twitter

So, what apps are you developing that are going to change the world?