Roblox Lua - Computer Programming - Intermediate Level

Roblox Lua - Computer Programming - Intermediate Level
This class meets twice a week for 4 weeks. Recordings will be available for students that are unable to attend the live sessions. please note the schedule follows a unique format. There are two live lessons every other week. 

This course is intended for learners with 9 or more months of Roblox Lua computer programming/coding and game design experience with Roblox Studio. 

This class focuses on the logic behind Roblox Lua. Students at a beginner level have months or even years of experience coding. By coding, I mean the act of typing the code. Students are typing code that has already been written (via tutorials, etc.) so it doesn't require an understanding of logic. It's simply about following instructions on the screen and typing whatever the instructor types. Or copying and pasting code from one place to another. Being resourceful is a skill in itself, but this course deviates from simply "coding" and dives into the logic behind the code. The syntax. The technical details needed to code effectively and efficiently. 

The reason this is important is because understanding the foundational concepts behind Roblox Lua will make it easier for students to learn other programming languages. This is similar to how a spelling bee contestant might study the "root" words or prefixes or suffixes of words instead of trying to learning every word independently. The goal is to identify patterns. 
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Prerequisites:
--Upon enrollment, a prerequisite assessment "game" and a practice video will be sent to make sure students meet the requirements for class.  The assessment game will include beginner level topics that students should know long before starting intermediate level coursework. 
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--Experience with Roblox Studio is REQUIRED. This class does not teach students how to use Roblox Studio. 
-- Keyboarding/Typing skills are beneficial as students are expected to type their own code. Students will be expected to type their own script/code.
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This course is not project based. This class does not use the toolbox (pre-made items)
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How is Intermediate level different from the beginner level?
- This class includes material in the Outschool classroom that students will be expected to review BEFORE and AFTER the lesson. The material is typically a video 5-10 minutes in length. 
- More challenging code. The code reviewed at the intermediate level require more steps and understanding of core coding concepts.
- More collaboration between learners. 
- More use of view tab features such as Explorer and Script Analysis
- Greater emphasis on debugging and troubleshooting
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Classroom Structure:

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This course meets twice a week every other week.
First day of the week:
 At the start of class we do introductions. Students are welcome to unmute and/or post in the zoom chat. We discuss/view the material in the Outschool classroom. There will information in the Outschool classroom that students are expected to review BEFORE class. Students share what they know on the topic and/or takeaways from the video.

Foundational concepts - I will be sharing my screen explaining the core concepts of the lesson. This class less about writing code and more about exploring patterns of the language. This class is HIGH engagement. There is a lot of discussion. The first day of the week is the lecture/discussion. That means I am sharing my screen and teaching a coding topic. I ask questions along the way to confirm understanding. 

Second day of the week:
The second day of the week is pair programming. Students are given coding scenarios based on the lecture AND information posted in the Outschool classroom that require teamwork. The goal of pair programming is for students to work together and use what they know to write code. During pair programming, I do not share my screen. The goal is for students to write the code on their own with help from their classmates. 

The weeks that we do not meet:
This class has independent study as part of the coursework. Information is posted in the Outschool classroom. During the weeks we don't have class, information is posted in the Outschool classroom for students to practice. The information post in the classroom is integral to the course. This includes but isn't limited to short videos explaining code as well as practice examples for students to try.
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Week 1 Functions:
Weeks 1 and 2 are all about creating named and anonymous functions. The focus is on calling the functions in new ways. Example, instead of writing a function call that triggers the function when a player presses a proximity prompt, the function will be called when the player collects 5 coins. 

Week 2 Conditional Statements:
Conditional statements are commonly used in coding to create dynamic gameplay. We will review intermediate level conditional statements and how they are used in Roblox games. This may mean creating multiple functions in the same script. This may also mean creating multiple scripts. 

Week 3 Client and Server Side topics:
This include remote events and module scripts.

Week 4: GUIs (Graphical User Interface)
This week focuses on scripts that work with GUIs. 

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What is NOT covered in this course?

Third party applications such as Blender or Photoshop
Monetization
Marketplace Toolbox
Animation
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
How to play Roblox games
Basic Navigation
Backend Data Stores
Advanced Scripting
PC troubleshooting