Learning how to code from the team behind the most popular
search engine in the world? Seems like a pretty good deal. Course content here
includes information on Computer Science, Programming Languages, Web
Programming, Web Security, even Google APIs and Tools. Google Code University
is free and does not require registration; classes are offered via recorded
video lectures, talks, problem sets, exercises, documents, and slides. Computer
programming language courses are mostly introductory in nature, and include
languages such as Python, C++, Go, and JavaScript. No certificates or credits
are awarded with the completion of these classes.
edX is a collaborative effort between Harvard University and MIT
to bring free online courses from both institutions to the Web for anyone to
take advantage of. Classes from Harvard, MIT, and Berekley are offered here for
free, with more universities joining in the near future. Certificates of
completion are awarded at the time of this writing for free; however, a “modest
fee” for these certificates is planned for future students. Classes are
somewhat sparse right now, but the origin of the classes as well as the
informational content is well worth a look; for
CodeAcademy aims to make learning how to code
fun, and they do this by making all of their courses game-based in nature. The
site offers “tracks”, which are series of courses grouped around a particular
topic or language. Course offerings include JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python,
Ruby, and JQuery. Registration is free, and once you get going in a class, you
start to earn points and badges as a way to keep you motivated. No certificate
or credits are offered here, however, the interactive classes make complicated
concepts seem not as intimidating. CodeAcademy also runs CodeYear, a year-long collaborative
effort to get as many people learning how to code (one lesson per week) as
possible. More than 400,000 people have signed up at the time of this writing.
Stack Overflow isn’t a place for free classes, but if you’re
looking for advice/help/shoulder to cry on for nearly any coding issue you
might run into, than this is the right place. Thousands of developers use Stack
Overflow to trade ideas, collaborate on common problems, or simply help each
other out in a snag. Coding languages discussed here are plentiful, ranging
from C# to jQuery to Python to CSS. Stack Overflow isn’t just a programming
forum, however; it’s also
HTML5 is quickly becoming the language to know for cutting edge
developers. HTML5 Rocks is not necessarily a coursework platform; rather, it’s
a massive database of informational resources on anything and everything to do
with HTML5, from nuts and bolts to semantics to storage. Pick what kind of HTML
development you’d like to focus on from three different groupings: mobile,
gaming, or business, and you’ll get a comprehensive hub of tutorials, articles,
and in-browser simulators to get going on HTML5. No credits or certifications
are awarded here; registration and use of the site is totally free. Examples of
information offered here include web application frameworks, debugging tools,
and compatibility resources.
a collaborative website built and maintained by those who use it
(much like Wikipedia) with the goal of being an authoritative resource on all
things code.
Peer to Peer University (P2PU) is a collaborative experience
where you’re meant to learn in community with others. Registration and courses
are totally free. There are several “schools” within the P2PU organizational
framework, including one for Web-based programming backed by Mozilla, creator
of the Firefox web browser. As you complete courses, you can display badges on
your website or social profiles. Courses include WebMaking 101 and Programming
with the Twitter API; no developer certifications are offered here, but the
courses are well executed and worth taking a look.
If you’ve ever wanted to be a fly on the wall and watch over the
shoulder of someone who really knows what they’re doing with HTML5, CSS3, or
JavaScript, then The Code Player is for you. Click on any of the video
offerings, and you’ll first see the proposed code snippet in action; for
example, a gauge chart written with Canvas and Javascript. Click on “play
walkthrough”, and here’s where it gets really interesting: a screencast of how
the code was written, along with background information and comments. The end
result of the code is also included if you just want to copy and paste for your
own project.
Want to learn Ruby in a very Zen-like fashion? You’ll want to
check out RubyZoans, a simply arranged series of Ruby tutorials that aim to
teach the Ruby language, syntax, structure, and common functions and libraries.
A (free) download of the Ruby framework is required in order to get the most
out of these classes, which are all completely free.
While Scratch, a project of the MIT Media Lab, is aimed for
kids, anyone who wants to dive right into the basics of programming will find
this site enjoyable. Scratch is a programming language meant for creative Web
projects: games, music, art, stories, animations, etc. Learning how to use
Scratch is an exercise in logic, which is a foundational building block for any
code language out there. Scratch is free to download and fun to learn; once
you’ve made something with this platform, you can upload it to the Scratch
gallery and share it with the world.
As one of the most popular companies in the world, Apple offers
a huge hub of resources specifically for developers who might (or might not) be
familiar with their apps, devices, or web browser. From this core of
information, anyone can access basic coding tutorials as well as much more
advanced information, all for free.
If you’ve ever thought about developing for Android, a mobile
platform with millions of users in nearly 200 countries all over the world,
than this nucleus of everything you ever wanted to know (and more) is what
you’ve been looking for. There’s something for everyone here, including the
absolute beginner who has never coded in his or her life. SDKs, API
documentation, design guidelines, etc. are also available, as well as training
modules offered for novices to advanced users.
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