Intro to Coding & AI Tools
What code actually is, and how to use AI assistants at work without embarrassing yourself.
No account needed to read the free module.
What this course is
You do not need to become a programmer. You do need to stop being scared of the word "code", understand what developers are talking about, and use AI tools well enough that they make you faster instead of getting you into trouble. This is the gentlest possible introduction — genuinely zero prior knowledge assumed.
By the end you will be able to
- Explain what code is and what a programmer actually does all day
- Read a few lines of simple code and guess what they do
- Build something useful with no-code tools, without writing code
- Write AI prompts that get genuinely useful answers
- Know when NOT to trust an AI tool at work
What’s inside
4 modules · 20 lessons
What Code Actually Is
Demystifying programming completely. By the end you will read code and it will not feel like magic.
5 lessons · 34 min
- Code is just a very fussy recipeA computer is fast, obedient and extremely stupid. Code is how you tell it what to do.6 min
- How a website actually worksFrontend, backend, database and server, explained with a restaurant. You will understand tech conversations after this.7 min
- Building things without writing codeNo-code tools let you build real, working software by dragging things around. Here is what they can and cannot do.7 min
- Using AI assistants at work, properlyAI tools are now standard office equipment. Here is how to get useful answers instead of confident nonsense.8 min
- Should you actually learn to code?An honest answer, including when the answer is no — and what to learn first if it is yes.6 min
AI Tools in Daily Work
Practical, specific ways to use AI for real office tasks — with the guardrails.
5 lessons · 36 min
- Seven prompt patterns worth memorisingRole prompting, few-shot examples, chain of thought, and the critique loop.8 min
- AI for writing and editingDrafting, shortening, changing tone, and keeping your own voice.7 min
- AI for spreadsheets and dataGenerating formulas, explaining errors, and cleaning messy data safely.8 min
- AI as your personal tutorThe prompts that turn any assistant into a patient teacher for any subject.6 min
- Where the lines areConfidentiality, disclosure, bias and accountability — a practical checklist.7 min
Your First Real Python
Actually writing and running code, from installing nothing to a working script.
5 lessons · 38 min
- Running your first program (no install needed)Using a free browser notebook so you can start in 60 seconds.7 min
- Variables, text and numbersThe boxes you put things in, and why 2 + "2" causes an error.7 min
- Lists and loopsDoing the same thing to a thousand items without typing it a thousand times.8 min
- Reading a spreadsheet with codeOpening a CSV, filtering rows and writing the result back out.9 min
- Reading error messages without panicErrors are instructions, not insults. How to read them from the bottom up.7 min
Small Automation Projects
Five complete projects you can finish and actually use.
5 lessons · 41 min
- Project: the file organiserA script that sorts a messy downloads folder by type and date.9 min
- Project: the weekly report that sends itselfCombine a spreadsheet, a template and a schedule.9 min
- Project: the data cleanerTrim spaces, fix capitalisation and remove duplicates automatically.8 min
- Project: the meeting note summariserConnecting a script to an AI API to turn raw notes into actions.9 min
- Where to go nextA realistic six-month path, and how to tell if you should keep going.6 min
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