I've always found that while creating a "hello world" app does show the very very basic idea of "type in code and see something happen" a better way is to get t

I've always found that while creating a "hello world" app does show the very very basic idea of "type in code and see something happen" a better way is to get them started on the idea that they can actually create something. I'm not sure about MATLAB but I do know there are some very basic and easy tutorials on how to make a Sudoku for example. The best way to teach others anything is to get them excited about the subject, when they are, people tend to naturally invest more time and effort into learning more about it. Hope it helps and good luck teaching!