From Guided Hacks to Boosts: Your Complete Guide to The Code Card

If you have been around The Code Zone for a while or have spotted us on social media, then there is no doubt that you have heard us and our mentors talk about our beloved Code Card. Though you may have heard of it, unless you are one of our lucky club members you may not exactly know what a Code Card is. We wanted to create this blog for all our talented coders' parents to fully see and understand what a Code Card is, what it contains and how it helps our members learn to code. 

How to find the Code Card? 
Every one of our project has its own personalised Code Card with videos, images and written instructions. When you click on your weekly project you will be directed to the game of the week which will automatically pop up a purple tab on the right hand side of the page - this is the Code Card! You can close the Code Card by clicking on the big 'X' and then you can reopen it by clicking on the blue 'Code Card' button in the top right corner. This is the case for any of our clubs and any of our memberships to make navigation as easy as possible. 

What is a Guided Hack? 
Inside the Code Card at the very top you will find the weekly game's Guided Hack - whether you are a newbie to our clubs or a seasoned veteran, we always recommend that our members start with the Guided Hack. The Guided Hack is a step by step guide of the main and unique change we will make to the weekly game - this can be anything from creating power-ups and new enemies to adding animations and cutscenes! The Guided Hack is presented differently depending on the member's level, some will have images whilst others will have pseudo-code, but it will always be a set of coding instructions that matches the members current skill and knowledge. 

What is a Boost?
Once a member is comfortable with doing the Guided Hack independently, the mentors will encourage them to try the next step of the Code Card which is called a Boost. Similar to a Guided Hack, a Boost offers more fun ways to change the game of the week though they tend to be smaller in size in terms of coding in comparison to the Guided Hack. This is because Boosts are a taste of what the next level up for a member would be. For example, a member who is at Level 3 will get some Level 4 instructions in the form of a Boost. This is done so members have the opportunity to challenge themselves without having to jump a level too early whilst also given the Mentors a more accurate way of judging when someone is ready to level up. In addition, the Code Card offers 3 unique Boosts so that our members can be led by what code and mechanics interests them which gives them incentive to push the boundaries of their knowledge. 

What is a Bug? 
For coding members of a higher level, they will also have access to Bugs within their Code Card. These members will have small errors within their code when they launch up the game of the week - the Bug instructions helps coders navigate their code and figure out what section needs to be edited and changed. Being able to read and understand code is just as important as being able to make it yourself so we include bugs as a way to get our members analysing the code they are given from the beginning. Bugs are used as a way to expand and enrich our members previously learnt coding knowledge through the Guided Hack and Boosts. 

Want to experience the Code Card for yourself and get stuck in with one of our coding clubs? Get in touch to try one of our FREE taster sessions with one of our STEM certified mentors. We will see you there!