Apple introduces Swift Playgrounds, an interactive coding software for kids
Back at WWDC two years ago, Apple launched their own app programming language called Swift. Now, Apple is back at WWDC 2016 this year with Swift, and they're taking a different take on it. And that different take is called Swift Playgrounds, which is an app aimed towards their younger audience (as young as nine years old) to teach the future generations of coders just how to use the Swift programming language.
The basic function of the Playgrounds app is to teach the basic Swift programming concepts like loops and conditionals. How it does that is by using an animated character that is tasked with performing simple challenges in a digital maze that will make the learning fun. One of the best things about Playgrounds is the fact that it will be free to use. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Playgrounds "a powerful new way for kids to learn to code,"
Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said that "I wish Swift Playgrounds was around when I was learning to code," he later went on to say that "Swift Playgrounds is the only app of its kind that is both easy enough for students and beginners, yet powerful enough to write real code. It’s an innovative way to bring real coding concepts to life and empower the next generation with the skills they need to express their creativity."
Apple's Playgrounds isn't the first concept that we've seen to target the younger audience into coding. Hopscotch released a mobile app similar to Playgrounds that teaches kids the basics of coding, as well as Sphero which allows users to code the robotic units into doing something cool in the Lightning Lab. What is important about Playgrounds, however, is that it teaches kids Apple's programming language, which works best with Apple's ecosystem.
Via: | The Verge |
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Source: | No source was given |
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Image Credit: | The Verge |
