THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING TO PROGRAM AT A BASIC LEVEL 1

The Importance of Learning to Program at a Basic Level

Ahmed Haider

Senior Project: Michigan Islamic Academy

12th Grade

Sr. Samar Abbasi

25 February 2023
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Abstract

This paper explores the many reasons why programming is essential at a basic level in

today’s world, and in doing so details the numerous benefits of learning how to code, which can

include having improved creativity and efficiency alongside better problem-solving skills. This

paper will also delve into the common barriers that prevent individuals from taking the initiative

to learn how to code, such as believing that coding is useless outside of tech-related jobs, or that

it is too hard or complex to learn. This paper concludes that learning to code at a basic level

benefits the individual in many ways, and allows them to discover new interests, and achieve

greater things in their personal and professional lives.

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The Importance of Learning to Program at a Basic Level

In today’s world, technology plays an increasingly important role in everyday life and

serves many various purposes, which include but are not limited to communication, education,

and entertainment. As digital technology rises evermore in this world, it has become essential to

have at least a rudimentary understanding of how technology works, particularly when it comes

to programming. Programming is the act of creating, testing, and maintaining computer

programs, and it allows individuals to create applications and programs that can boost

productivity and perform or automate tasks. In addition, programming allows individuals to

solve complex problems and bring their ideas — be it a website, a video game, or software — to

life. Due to these many possibilities, one could easily see the benefits of learning programming,

not to mention that programming opens up seemingly endless opportunities in one’s career. It is

due to this and more that the ability for one to be able to make computer programs of their own is

being steadily recognized as a life skill (Morton, Smith, Lwin, George, & Williams, 2019); this

paper aims to reinforce the importance of programming alongside all the benefits that learning it

can bring, if even at a simple level.

While not everything in life pertains to technology and knowledge about coding is not

essential to everyday life, people should learn about coding because as electronic devices are

used more and more, it is essential to understand what exactly makes these devices and their

applications work, if even at a simple level. Coding is not only intellectually stimulating, but it

can be very enjoyable for some people, and the fields of computer science are ever-growing,

thus, learning about coding early on could pique an interest that could lead to an enjoyable and

well-paying job in the future.

Benefits of Learning to Code

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When thinking of coding and what can be gained by learning it, most would think of the

many possible careers they could get, with the majority of them being high in pay. Career

choices are indeed important, but so much more can be gained as well for programming isn’t so

much writing down chunks of code as it is problem-solving. Whilst some programs can be

written in relatively simple and short amounts of code, the vast majority of code will end up

being larger and more complex, which will require the ability to think critically. Coding teaches

the individual to break down complex problems into more manageable small problems, and in

doing so improves the ability to recognize patterns, further simplifying problems (Shein, 2014).

In a way, coding can be seen as a type of workout for the left hemisphere of the brain, and

according to Mr. Enos, “many experts from legit essay writing services spend their free time

learning to code which helps them in making better essays”. This kind of thinking can be applied

to any complex problem that appears in an individual’s life and allows for one to be more

prepared for what to do in the case of such an issue should it arise.

Programming is also quite a powerful apparatus for promoting an individual’s creativity,

as it provides a way for one to take any idea that they may have and turn it into a program or

software that can do just about anything they imagine. The individual is given the freedom to

iterate on whatever they can imagine, and from there they can refine their product until they have

something they are satisfied with. This gives instant results as well, allowing one to immediately

see the fruits of their labor rather than having to wait for a period of time before being able to see

what they have created. One of many examples of what could be created is video games, for in

developing them the individual designs and creates their own game from start to finish, including

the story, graphics, mechanics, and gameplay. This freedom to do nearly anything can easily
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foster a mindset of creativity, and allow individuals to think outside the box when approaching

problems or creating something new (Shein, 2014).

Constantly creating and iterating with what one can do using coding can also develop a

sense of persistence in the individual, as often when programming one will have to solve

complex problems that require tons of trial and error to find out what exactly can be done to

solve the problem at hand. Repeatedly doing this allows one to learn how to embrace their own

mistakes and overcome the fear of failure by using these moments as a learning experience

instead (Shein, 2014). Instead of seeing the errors or issues in one’s code as something to be

discouraged about, it turns into something to learn from fixing, and this resilience can be applied

to many real-life scenarios as well.

Coding for Quality of Life and Opportunities

Programming allows one to create programs that can automate arduous or repetitive

tasks, and these kinds of programs can allow the user to save significant amounts of time and

effort, as they can refocus their attention on other important tasks rather than being occupied

with the now automated task (Patenall, 2021). There is a saying that “time is money,” and the

ability to recognize repetitive tasks and make programs to automate said tasks can save not only

the time of an individual but also the time of a business or organization. Streamlining

monotonous tasks like these not only saves time but in this way reduces costs as well, which

allows many to accomplish more with their supplies and time.

Speaking of businesses, programming is not something job-specific and can be used in

many different ways outside of the workplace as well to improve the life of the user. Coding is an

incredibly versatile skill that can be used just about anywhere, which makes it an invaluable tool

in many scenarios, as being able to create a program that is needed to solve any problem at hand
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gives one an edge over others (Totan & Korucu, 2022). Disregarding the many uses of

programming in solving problems and automating tasks, coding can also be done solely for the

thrill of it. One can find a fun hobby in developing programs, interfaces and websites,

applications, and/or games, and in having fun creating software, learn many new things, and pick

up good habits along the way. Not only will indirect learning follow this type of interest in

programming, but it will also hone the skills of the developer while they create more and more

software. In the end, the developer will be left with developed skills, good practice, and many

projects which can then be added to a portfolio to increase worth in regards to being hired

(Patenall, 2021).

Challenges and Misconceptions

The road to learning how to code is not particularly an easy one, and it can indeed be

quite challenging. Learning to understand programming syntax and concepts is a daunting task at

first, and one might think it akin to learning a new language. In addition to this, the act of coding

in itself is a patient art and requires the ability to think critically and in creative ways (Patenall,

2021). In this way, it can be disheartening to constantly encounter issues or bugs in one’s code,

and one may find themselves easily giving up, however, all of these skills can be gained and

refined through continuous coding, as the more one codes, the more the concepts settle in and

become second nature.

Many people believe that programming is only for those who are gifted in math, or for

those pursuing a career that requires one to be able to code (Morton, Smith, Lwin, George, &

Williams, 2019), and others associate coding with the wizardry that is often shown in action

movies and television shows, the likes of which no ordinary person such as themselves could

possibly ever hope to understand. Of course, these notions are false, and programming is
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available to anybody regardless of their career or talents. In fact, programming can be incredibly

beneficial for those not in computer science in many ways as it helps them solve problems

creatively and brings their ideas to reality (Morton, Smith, Lwin, George, & Williams, 2019).

Another often thought-of misconception when it comes to programming is that it is an activity

that requires one to sit at a computer for hours at a time all alone. Whilst programming can

indeed be done alone, one does not necessarily have to sit at a computer the whole time they

program as they can obviously take a break from what they are working on as many times as

they want whenever they want. To add to this, coding is typically not done alone in jobs, and in

freelance, most people try to find a team to work with, which turns the experience into a

collaborative one, where several individuals work together to develop something and improve

their and each other's code (Patenall, 2021).

Learning how to code at a basic level is a skill that provides several benefits and

improvements to oneself, and can thus be considered crucial to learning (Shein, 2014).

Programming allows for one to create whatever they so desire, and with it will come improved

problem-solving skills, increased creativity, and the ability to make software and automate tasks.

Disregarding this, coding is becoming more and more important in today’s world, where nearly

everything is based on technology. Due to this, not only can programming help one in several

ways personally, but it can also allow one many options when it comes to careers (Shein, 2014).

Islam and Coding

The fundamental skill of coding is the ability to find and solve issues, be they complex or

not, and in this world, many will face issues that will require them to be able to think critically in

order to face their situation properly. Programming is a kind of science that plays the role of

improving the lives of people, and technology as a whole can be viewed as an effort by humanity
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to utilize knowledge in order to give ease and knowledge to their users. Rasulallah(SAW) has

said that “whoever goes out seeking knowledge, then he is in Allah’s(SWT) cause until he

returns” (At-Tirmidhi, Sunnah.com). The entire concept of programming is that of constantly

learning and reiterating in order to create a satisfactory product, and in this way, it can be seen as

a type of knowledge that one has gone out to seek. Seeking knowledge in order to better the lives

of others and yourself is important, and Islam gives great importance to seeking knowledge for

this exact purpose. There are many good things that one can do with programming, and therefore

it is something that should be known at least in a basic form by the majority of people.
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References

Sunnah.com (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sunnah.com/

Enos, B. (2022, October 24). Why everyone should learn to code. EnosTech.com. Retrieved

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0not%20only%20a,left%20side%E2%80%9D%20of%20your%20brain

Morton, C. E., Smith, S. F., Lwin, T., George, M., & Williams, M. (2019, March 22). Computer

Programming: Should medical students be learning it? JMIR medical education.

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6450476/

Patenall, E. (2021, April 21). Why everyone should learn to code. Top Universities. Retrieved

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ryone-should-learn-code

Shein, E. (2014, February). Should Everybody Learn to Code? Retrieved January 10, 2023, from

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df

Totan, H. N., & Korucu, A. T. (2022, December 31). The effect of block based coding education

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