Dozens of learners battled it out during the Library Coding Network Tournament entitled Coding4Mandela held at the Old Children’s Library at the City Hall on Tuesday 18 July.
But Ocean View Library walked away as winners, with Excelsior High School in second place and Valhalla Park Library’s second team ranking in third.
The award-winning tangible coding movement is growing and is an engagement project of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) computing sciences department and the Leva Foundation.
The City’s Library and Information Services partnered with the university and the foundation to host the tournament, which is the flagship event of Tangible Africa, responsible for creating coding applications, TANKS and RANGERS, which allow participants to play offline, using minimal resources.
Coding tests numerous abilities and hones analytical skills such as finding errors and thinking logically.
All participants had to work in teams, which also enhanced their interpersonal and collaboration skills.
The libraries that participated are Camps Bay, Mowbray, Observatory, Belhar, Bonteheuwel, Goodwood, Durbanville, Milnerton, Bellville, Parow, Leonsdale, Ocean View, Hanover Park, Manenberg, Central, Pinelands, Pelican Park, Kuyasa, Rocklands, Bishop Lavis, Mfuleni, Mitchell’s Plain, Grassy Park, Khayelitsha, Adriaanse and Valhalla Park.
Unplugged coding allows libraries to bring coding to communities that do not have access to expensive resources.
By downloading a small app (7 MB), participants can play TANKS or RANGERS offline, using the app and the tokens from the game packs.
Byron Batteson, a software developer for Amazon, says he aimed to make the game into a more accessible medium, like mobile devices and run it offline so that it can reach more children.
“It’s two applications, but I write them all in one programming language. The tokens are scanned by a separate library that I didn’t write. The programme is basically passed and that is my code into something that the game can execute. I have open-sourced it and I am working with another developer now to try and make more games and make it accessible for others. So, the kids who play this game now might be able to write games like this in the future.”
Jordan Leaner, a Grade 9 learner at Belhar High School, says it was his first time participating in the coding tournament. He and his team won the second round during the tournament.
Jordan said they worked well as a team.
“We tried to memorise the solutions and did it as best we could. This was a team effort.”
Aidan Nissen, also from Belhar High School, said: “It was fun. It took a lot of training. As a group, we practised for about a week and we came here prepared.”
Jerome Vergontine, Deputy Principal of Belvue Primary School in Belhar, said his learners participated for the first time.
“A lot of children showed interest, but we chose only 10 for the tournament. It helps them with critical thinking. They are enjoying themselves. We are planning to have a coding club at school.”
Patricia van der Ross, the Mayco member for community services and health, said she hopes to see more libraries sign up to help develop young minds and shape futures.
“This is a phenomenal undertaking and I am so excited our libraries had an opportunity to be a part of it. I want to thank all of the partners for including the City of Cape Town. Unplugged coding is a tangible way of making a difference in the lives of our patrons, irrespective of age, and the fact that it is able to break through the barriers to access things such as data or top-of-the-range electronic devices is really something to applaud.
“I hope that this initiative will see more participants signing up and coding becoming a regular feature at all of our libraries.”
To find out more about coding email info@levafoundation.org
