Programmer’s glasses show code lines
Canva
As the year draws to a close, it is a good time to consider where different technologies are going and what we can expect not just next year but in the years that follow. As part of my recent adventures in EdTech, I have had a chance to consider where the world of coding is going, how the industry sees coding, how it compares to how the education world sees coding, and how both are likely to change in the coming years. With that in mind, here are 7 trends I see in the world of coding, that much of the industry and the educational world will likely want to consider and adapt to.
What is Coding anyway?
Most of us know generally what coding means. However, since the nature of coding itself is changing, it may be good to revisit this briefly. Coding has classically been defined as the process of creating computer programs (or programming). It is also the process of specifying a solution to a problem in a language that computers can understand (which by definition needs to be precise).
Trend 1: Coding for everyone
Coding is no longer just for computer scientists or those looking for jobs in the IT industry. In 2020, India made coding mandatory for all students of 6th grade and above. In the US, discussions have been ongoing for several years about whether coding should be considered equivalent to a foreign language requirement (with strong support and opposition). Such legislation made it to a state government proposal earlier in 2021, indicating that the idea is not going away and may even be gaining some momentum.
Trend 2: NoCode, LowCode and CodeGen
Oddly enough, while the world is setting up for everyone to learn coding, the industry is seeing growth in NoCode, Low-Code and CodeGen. What are these things? They are a recognition that not all coding tasks are equally important uses of an individual’s time. These tools enable automation of the low level tasks of coding, freeing up the user to focus on higher level tasks such as code design, user experience and algorithm choices. Some of these solve problems (like analyze data), some generate apps, and others generate code that the user can run themselves – such as auto-generated AI code in a Google colaboratory notebook.
Is this in conflict with Trend 1? I don’t think so. If you see coding as mastery of a computer language – yes this can be conflicting. However, coding, in my opinion, should not be seen that way. Coding is about specifying a solution to a problem and describing that solution and its constraints and outcomes in a logical and specific way. Put this way – automating the lower levels of coding is a natural part of making coding accessible to all.
Trend 3: AI that Codes
While Trend2 is more about straightforward automation in a constrained environment, the natural extension of this is AI that can take even higher level instructions and generate code, drawing from many sources. We are seeing this already in OpenAI’s Codex. Over time, the distinction may become less relevant. As the algorithms inside LowCode/NoCode/CodeGen tools become more sophisticated, the distinctions between these two trends will disappear.
Trend 4: Open Source
This is not a new trend by any means, but I decided to …….