Want to Learn How to Code?
Stephen Nesbitt | IT Recruiter | Twitter | LinkedIn
5 years ago if you wanted to learn how to code the only way to do it was through a computer science undergrad program or diploma class. If you wanted to learn by yourself it took a few big books and a lot of patience and head scratching. Today those traditional means of learning are seeing competition from free online coding schools such as Code Academy, Khan Academy, Computer Science for Everyone, Treehouse and Code School.
Code Academy
Probably the most well-known coding resource on the internet, code academy provides free online courses to teach you how to code using technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, Python and Ruby. It also has some API material that shows you how to connect your website to facebook and twitter, or pull in a youtube video. All in all Code Academy is a great free resource that teaches the basics of web development.
Khan Academy
The Khan Academy is a not for profit online resource that aims to provide free top quality education to everyone. They cover various subjects such as Math, Science, Economics and Finance and Humanities as well as Programming. Khan Academy’s programming course teaches the basics of coding with a focus on drawing and animation.
Computer Science for Everyone
Computer Science for Everyone is an online library of 200 plus videos that are freely available to anyone who wants to learn. They focus on Web and C language development. The founder believes anyone who wants to learn to code should learn C as it provides a great fundamental knowledge of programming and acts as a bridge between the high level and low level languages.
Treehouse
Treehouse is a great online resource that provides video tutorials on web development, programming, iOS and Android development. What’s really great about Treehouse is that it breaks courses down into easy to manage projects. This step by step process gives the user a sense of achievement after completing each stage of the course! When engaging in online learning this is crucial in keeping users interested!
Code School
Code School is an online learning tool that focuses on that teaches a variety of programming and web design skills. Courses range from beginner to advanced levels and you get to earn rewards and badges as you learn. Code School offers courses on Javascript, HTML/CSS, Ruby and iOS through screenshots and video tutorials.
CoderDojo
For those of you with children or younger family members, CoderDojo is a great option. CoderDojo is a collaborative, global initiative that provides free learning for young people, with a focus on coding and development. A Toronto chapter has been set up recently, you can find out more about them here.
Check out these free online coding resources and let us know what you think! Which one works best for you? Some of these sites (Codeschool, Treehouse) offer paid courses that go into more detail. For more paid courses check out Ladies Learning Code, Dash or any university/school’s online learning sections.
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