A team of Google employees has teamed up to create a new app called Grasshopper and it teaches the fundamentals of programming. Grasshopper works just like DuoLingo and in few minutes it can improve your skills by completing some tasks. The app’s about us page states, “Coding is becoming such an essential skill, and we want to make it possible for everyone to learn even when life gets busy. We made Grasshopper to help folks like you get into coding in a fun and easy way.”
The Grasshopper App uses animations and graphic designs to walk the user through simple challenges while teaching the basics of coding like functions, variables, and objects. The free mobile app is available for both Android and iOS. It is so simple that everyone who is smartphone literate can try it. By following the challenges step by step, the app can teach the basics of JavaScript. Laura Holmes, the founder of Grasshopper said that the app is a series of challenges which get difficult step by step as the skills of the user enhance.
Holmes said, “Each coding puzzle has the student writing real JavaScript code using a custom built code editing environment. The student is given a challenge, and the user has to solve it using the code, but it only takes a few taps to write out. Each time the student runs code, they’re given real-time feedback to help guide them towards solving the challenge. Many students have told us that this real-time feedback feels like a tutor since the feedback feels so tailored to the student’s current state.”
Just like other apps, Grasshopper also rewards the user for the achievements. It gives medals and prizes for clearing new levels and using the app for several days in a row. The curriculum of the app will continue to grow with time. The app is providing a chance to try their hand at programming. If someone thinks they have a knack for it, they can pursue it further by learning through many other online courses. The developers decided to use JavaScript as it is the language which is used by more than 70% of the professionals.
Holmes said, “We see Grasshopper as a launchpad to help introduce people to code. For one-third of our users, Grasshopper is the first time they’ve ever encountered coding. Many people think that coding isn’t for them or don’t have the access and time needed to consider it as a viable career path, and we want to help change that perception.” The app is created from Google’s Area 120 internal incubator. It is a program which gives the employees a chance to work full-time on their side projects. Google has been running its Area 120 for two years now and many cool apps are created from the platform. Some of the best apps from Google Area 120 are Avr, Tailor, Supersonic, Appointments, and UpTime.