Coding is more than just a technical skill. Students engaged in coding projects and activities will also develop a wide range of soft skills. In fact, when we talk to employers, we find that digital skills are the key to open the door, but the most important part of turning the opportunity into reality is being able to demonstrate the soft skills that go with them.
At DigiUni Junior, we offer full courses of coding for kids from ages 5-18, we recognize the key role that parents, guardians and teachers have in preparing students with the essential skills, mindsets and dispositions that will help them thrive in the future.
1. Soft skill 2021 – Communication
Communication is often overlooked as a strong skill amongst coders. When you hear the word “coder”, a stereotypical image forms in your mind – a quiet twenty-something-year-old sitting behind a computer screen with large headphones on – probably not assumed to be a strong communicator. This is not the reality. It is critical for coders to be able to communicate clearly to their team, colleagues and clients. Successful coders have the ability to manage expectations, understand and interpret requirements and effectively convey what is and isn’t possible and why in a given brief. At DigiUni, we encourage students to practice articulating their ideas and processes through real-world presentation activities, such as pitches in front of the class, stand-ups as well as team-based idea generation exercises.
2. Soft skill 2021 – Empathy
Empathy is the ability to comprehend and be sensitive to other people’s needs and emotions. Through incorporating authentic project briefs in lessons, students learn to understand the needs of others and practice executing their requests in a considerate manner. Empathy is not just sensing “feelings” or interpreting emotions, students will learn that in order to successfully understand the needs, detailed research should be conducted.
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3. Soft skill 2021 – Creativity
Learning to code is like learning how to read and write in a different medium – it enables you with creative and expressive power. Code is an enabler for students to become creators of digital artefacts rather than simply being consumers. Through coding projects, such as creating a digital photography portfolio, a recipe app or a self-driving toy car, students will experience ways to express their ideas and become thoughtful creators in their communities.
Read more articles on why your kids should learn coding at DigiUni Junior https://digiunivietnam.com/8-reasons-why-your-kid-should-learn-coding-by-digiuni-junior/
4. Soft skill 2021 – Logic
Logic is a skill students can practice through code. Through dissecting existing programs to understand the process and flow to achieve the solution through written code, students become increasingly analytical. Whether they are building or debugging, they are exercising their logic faculties on a regular basis. Understanding machine operations, conditionals, and progression in coding projects strengthen logic. Being able to break down issues into small, separate parts and figure out how each is affecting the other will help students think in a systematic and objective way, rather than relying on solving problems emotionally.
5. Soft skill 2021– Problem-solving
Students have to be aware of and apply appropriate coding skills for different requirements or scenarios. Students that practise this will improve their ability, having broken down a problem that may seem complex or abstract, to recognise the optimal way that its solution can be articulated. Identifying the operations needed to solve a problem in the most effective way is a skill that students can apply in any other field.
6. Soft skill 2021 – Enterprise
Coding brings out enterprising qualities in students. Coding is not like other subjects in school where the facts might be all in the classroom with them. When beginning the journey of code, students will find themselves quickly identifying gaps in their learning and recognise the need to seek resources for themselves. This search for an answer will accustom students to find and recognise the quality or reliability of sources to achieve and fulfil their creative ideas.
7. Soft skill 2021 – Abstract thinking
Abstract thinking is the ability to think about objects, principles, and ideas that are not physically present, for example, the use of analogies. Once students begin to learn languages like JavaScript or Python that are not immediately visualized, students will need to practice speculating and predicting results in how the interrelationships of the code happen as a whole. Some scholars argue that abstract thinking is not a natural cognitive development, but rather a development through culture, teaching and experience. Support students to develop their ability to make connections and abstraction in intermediate and advanced coding through unplugged activities and the utilization of graphic organizers, such as flowcharts.
8. Soft skill 2021 – Project planning
Coding is best learned through project-based learning. Students practice and learn planning by thinking through the steps necessary to achieve their end goal. Projects created with code are built by envisioning not only the syntax necessary, but also the overarching rules that will govern it and the most efficient way to put it all together. In order to meet the deadline set by the teacher, students learn how to assess their resources and knowledge to get the project done on time.
9. Soft skill 2021 – Attention to detail
Coding is great practice for attention to detail. Not only from the perspective of the accuracy of the code itself but also accounting for users’ needs; for example ensuring a well-designed user interface and experience. A savvy coder may develop a system to avoid repeated mistakes. Where errors are present, they will examine their work systematically. Experienced software developers often try to “break” programs to identify problems and areas of improvement before launching a product to the market. This iterative and creative process can be applied in your classroom as well. Get students to demo and test each others’ creations and see what they pick up on.
10. Soft skill 2021 – Resilience
Coders and developers gain an ability to move past their debugging frustrations and continue to find solutions to help complete their projects. Students will practice sustained processes. Creating something good and successful takes time and attention to detail. By understanding and accepting that coding is not something you “get” the first try, or that projects are not always received by users in an intended way, students become resilient learners through the process of making mistakes and finding the solution.
It really is apparent that the more success in the future is predicated on individuals’ ability to apply the hard skills of technology, the more it also follows that where this becomes an inevitable norm, that the differentiating features for human beings will be the ability to deliver the best solution and understand its success which will come from the soft skill attributes of technology learning. Perhaps the greatest differentiating strength in a technology future will be innately human.
DigiUni Junior offers fun & exciting coding classes for kids 7-15 yo with languages like Scratch Jr, Scratch, Python, HTML/CSS and JavaScript. We teaching online during quarantine & continue in our school after. The skills acquired after finishing our extensive program can help your kids get jobs in various types & jobs related to programming, web, app and game development & much more!
