1.1 Introduction
Welcome to a new and exciting journey in the world of technology, innovation, and creativity! Through ICT Club, you’ll learn how to create your own mobile or web application to solve real problems in your community — and prepare for competitions where your ideas and skills will shine!
What Will You Learn?
This course will guide you step by step through all the skills you need to become a confident young innovator. Here’s what to expect:
Module 1: Getting Started
- Introduction to the course
- How to identify problems around you
- Solving those problems using technology
- Exploring mobile and web app builders
- (Optional) Understanding basic algorithms
Module 2: Research and Discovery
- How to research real-world problems
- Choosing a problem to solve
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- A deeper look into App Inventor
- A deeper look into Thunkable
- Exploring Web Apps further
Module 3: Designing Your Solution
- Generating innovative solutions
- Conducting market research
- Writing business and mission statements
- Coding conditionals with App Inventor and Thunkable
- Using AI to discover patterns
Module 4: Build Your First App
- Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
- Understanding components in Thunkable and App Inventor
- Debugging your code
- Learning how AI uses datasets
Module 5: Plan and Prototype
- Sketching paper prototypes
- Partnering with organizations
- Planning your full project
- Working with variables and lists in both app builders
- Training your own AI model
- Building web apps that use AI
Module 6: Sharing Your App
- Marketing your product
- Calculating revenue
- Creating a positive impact
- Seeing real examples of successful apps
Module 7: Advanced Concepts
- Exploring AI software tools
- How to store data in your apps
- Understanding your operating costs
Module 8: Finalizing Your Project
- Writing a strong business plan
- Using APIs in Thunkable and App Inventor
- Planning your pitch and technical videos
Module 9 to 12: Present and Submit
- Recording and editing your videos
- Reflecting on your learning journey
- Submitting your final project
- Preparing to pitch your idea to judges
💬 Let’s Build, Learn & Compete!
By the end of this course, you’ll be ready to present your app idea confidently — and possibly win awards at the competitions! Most importantly, you’ll be able to make a real difference using technology.
So get ready to explore, design, build, and share. Let’s make this a fun and meaningful journey together.
What is code?
Code is essentially the language we use to communicate with computers, instructing them to perform specific tasks. Code is ubiquitous—you likely interact with products and services developed using code numerous times daily, often without conscious awareness. The process of writing code is called coding, which is synonymous with programming.
Read more About: Mobile Apps, Games and Animations
Mentor Tip
Best Practices. When encountering new ideas, it’s often beneficial to connect them to things you already know. For instance, “Mastering code is similar to acquiring a new language. Just as you employ vocabulary and syntax to form sentences, you utilize code to provide commands to a computer.” This analogy can make the concept of coding more approachable.
Embarking on a coding journey doesn’t necessitate immediately diving into writing lines of code. Learners can progress through incremental stages, such as visually mapping out logic using flowcharts and initiating with block-based coding (as teams will experience in ICT CLUB)!
Need help explaining what coding is? Check out these videos!
Guiding Questions to ask students:
- How would you define coding, and what makes it a valuable skill?
- What everyday technology or applications rely on coding that you can identify? (e.g., mobile phones, digital games, online platforms)
- What are your initial thoughts on beginning to learn coding? What aspects are you looking forward to, and what, if anything, makes you hesitant?
There are lots of fun things to do with code, but did you know that you can also help people with code? Here are some examples.
Healthcare
. Healthcare uses code to find patterns and assess a person’s needs
Assistive Devices
Robots
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
Another concept you’ll explore in ICT CLUB is artificial intelligence.
What is artificial intelligence?
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the capacity of machines or robots to perform tasks that are typically thought to be exclusive to humans. Due to the complexity of the human brain, replicating human thought in machines has been a challenging problem for computer scientists. However, over the last 50 years, significant advancements have been made in this area of computer science.
Similar to code, AI is present in your surroundings. It has become integrated into our daily lives, making it essential for you, as a user of artificial intelligence, to grasp its mechanisms and impact. You might even find the inspiration to make AI a key component of your ICT CLUB project!
Below are some examples of AI in our lives.
YouTube video suggestions Face recognition Self-driving vehicles
