Jerome P. Songcuan, an instructor from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University – South La Union Campus (DMMMSU-SLUC), completed Stanford University’s Code in Place Course held from April 21 to June 6, 2025.

Code in Place is an intensive online introduction to programming based on Stanford’s CS106A: Programming Methodologies. It covers core programming concepts, including control flow, loops, conditionals, console applications, graphics, lists, and dictionaries, taught in the Python programming language.

Mr. Songcuan participated in a six-week class that met every Friday from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The course required both a diagnostic examination and a final project for completion. The diagnostic examination involved solving five programming problems within a two-hour timeframe, with students allowed to use online resources. 

“This self-directed learning approach could be integrated into DMMMSU’s curriculum to foster independent study skills among students, provided they first acquire a solid understanding of basic programming concepts,” Mr. Songcuan said in an interview. 

For his final project, Mr. Songcuan developed a program inspired by the popular game FLAMES, which computes the compatibility between two names and predicts outcomes such as friendship, love, affection, marriage, or enemy.Mr. Songcuan was the sole Filipino participant in his class section, which included professionals from the United States, Germany, Canada, China, and Australia. His fellow learners came from diverse sectors, including universities, hospitals, software companies, and government offices. (By Aniway P. Millares)