Codidactic – Learn to code through gameplay

Codidactic is an educational initiative that teaches programming concepts through gameplay. It was created by Alvaro Fernandez, who initially developed the concept to teach his son programming.

Key aspects of Codidactic:

1. Origin: The project began with simple cardboard blocks and dice games to teach basic programming concepts like variables and relational operators.

2. Development: Over time, the creators expanded the concept to include more complex programming ideas such as assignments, function calls, conditions, and loops.

3. Age Range: The games and activities have been tested with individuals ranging from 4 to 75 years old, with and without prior programming knowledge.

4. Approach: Codidactic uses a combination of:
– Physical elements: Board games, LEGO bricks
– Digital components: Online puzzles and activities
– Visual aids: The creators used the movie Tron to help visualize abstract programming concepts

5. Content: The initiative covers various programming fundamentals, progressing from basic to more advanced topics:
– Variables and assignments
– Functions and function calls
– Conditional statements
– Loops
– Problem-solving skills

6. Accessibility:
– Many materials are available for free download on their website
– A print-on-demand version of the board game is planned for future release

7. Target Audience: While initially created for children, Codidactic aims to be useful for adolescents and adults who may struggle with understanding basic programming concepts.

8. Platform: The initiative includes:
– A website with downloadable materials
– Social media presence for community engagement
– A board game (physical version in development)
– Online puzzles and coding activities

9. Learning Structure: The website presents a series of activities and games, each focusing on specific programming concepts. These are organized into progressive levels or stages.

10. Additional Features:
– Downloadable PDF materials for each activity
– Some activities include access to online code editors
– Mix of block-based and text-based programming exercises

Codidactic positions itself as an alternative to purely digital learning solutions, emphasizing a hands-on, interactive approach to teaching programming basics. The initiative aims to make coding education accessible and engaging for a wide range of ages and skill levels.