1. Try Codecademy for Hands-On Basic Coding Experience
Codecademy
is on a lofty mission to fix education, which they say is broken
(whether or not you agree, theres merit in their statement).
Featured
in Wired, Bloomberg, The Guardian and dozens of other major
publications, it's one of the more popular free coding options.
If
you're looking for theory, this probably isn't the best place to start.
Codecademy's style is to throw you straight into the deep end of the
coding pool with interactive lessons designed to build hands-on
experience.
You can choose from a variety of courses including HTML & CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Python, Ruby on Rails and more.
Here,
you'll learn how to code, but you won't gain a deep understanding into
why you're doing anything you're doing. There are other resources for
that, but if you're a marketer or you're using and HTML-based CMS In
your work, hands-on experience is just what you need.
2. For Theory, Head to MIT Open Courseware
If
you really want to dig into the theory behind coding and better
understand the why, MIT offers a number of programming courses. Their
Open Courseware site features material from 2,150 MIT courses all open
and available to the world.
Beginners
should start out with the Introduction to Computer Science and
Programming course, which requires a commitment of three hours per week.
Students communicate with one another using the OpenStudy platform and
forums and the course includes video lectures, text resources and an
exam.
3. Coding Lessons Gamified with Khan Academy
One
of the first online resources to offer free coding lessons, Khan
Academy has a unique teaching approach that often provides education
through gaming elements.
Their
Computer Programming course is no different. Using drawings, games and
animations, Khan Academy teaches JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Students can
interact with one another online and even share the work they've
created.
4. Udemy Offers Video-Based Learning
If
you learn best through a combination of watching, listening and
practicing on your own, Udemy is a great place to get started with
coding. Instructors can be anyone from educational institutions to
professionals in the field and they set their own course prices. There
are dozens of free programming courses available at Udemy.
Students
can leave reviews on each course, so you can see what others thought of
it before deciding which one to take. There are also a ton of options
if you're looking to learn a specific language or program, as well.
5. Udacity Offers World-Class Lessons Free of Charge
Udacity
is the brainchild of Stanford Research Professor and Google Fellow
Sebastien Thrun, inventor of the driverless car. He had a vision to
democratize education by making courses available free to students
online, all over the world.
Their
Intro to Computer Science program takes about 3 months to complete at 6
hours per week. By the time you're done, you'll have built your own
search engine and social network! You can browse the course materials
free of charge, or take a full course with coaching for a fee.
6. Coursera Opens the Door to International University Courses
Think
of Coursera as a doorway to free courses from universities the world
over. Their free introductory coding courses come from reputable
institutions like the University of Toronto, the University of
Edinburgh, and Stanford. Many courses are also available in different
languages.
You can participate in Coursera courses free of charge or, where available, pay a course fee to earn a verified certificate.
7. Just Try an Hour of Code
Code.org
is a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer
science by making it more available. They just launched in 2013 and
already, 59 million students around the world have tried an hour of code
in classrooms, at hosted events and at home or work on their own
computers.
Their
courses are geared more towards younger people, with games and animated
lessons, but it's a great place to try coding free without committing
to anything huge. If you aren't yet sure how learning to code could
benefit you, definitely give one of their courses a try. In addition to
their introductory course, Code.org offers courses in JavaScript,
Python, game coding and more.
Learning to Code Just Might Make You a Better Marketer
Basic
coding skills can certainly help you understand the issues facing
others on your team and involved in your projects, but you may even
learn to make edits and build sites or apps yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment