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Codecademy joined the field of online learning in 2011 and has been revolutionizing how people develop their coding skills ever since. There are over 300 courses in various programming languages and tech-related subjects.
All courses are displayed in a highly engaging and user-friendly learning environment centered around the platform’s ‘learn by doing’ principle. Codecademy’s hands-on approach encourages coding newbies to start writing their own code from day one.
In addition, the courses are curated by Codecademy, not third-party instructors, which means they’re of high quality and designed following the company’s methodology and standards.
It’s also remarkable that this platform prepares learners to land a job in the tech industry by providing impressive resources for portfolio building, interview preparation, and coding challenges from real interviews.
The extra sparkle is that several courses are free. However, to have full access to everything this coding e-learning platform offers, users need to subscribe to one of the paid plans, which start at $14.99 per month (billed annually). Plus, only these subscriptions come with course bundles designed to help users achieve their learning goals.
Codecademy offers courses in 16 programming languages – including JavaScript and Python – and 22 related subjects, such as data science and machine learning. Students who don’t know where to start can take a quiz to help find out which languages, career paths, and courses best suit their interests.
Although it’s possible to learn a lot with a free account, a paid subscription is worth it, as it provides course bundles with certificates of completion.
These bundles are curated learning paths named ‘Skills Paths’ and ‘Career Paths’. The former helps you acquire a specific skill, whereas the latter assist you with gaining the knowledge and experience needed to kick-start a tech career.
What’s more, the platform is well-organized and intuitive due to its user-friendly design. Plus, some courses have drag-and-drop tools that make it easier for beginners to learn the fundamentals of programming knowledge from scratch.
Codecademy’s courses are entirely self-paced, so students can enjoy the flexibility and freedom of being in charge of their learning journey. Additionally, as the courses are designed to provide a hands-on experience, everyone can start coding from the very first lesson (including those with zero programming knowledge).
The design of the in-browser learning environment in each lesson is what makes this approach possible. There’s a three-panel screen that includes the concepts and instructions to the left, your code in the middle, and its compilation to the right.
With this triad, learners instantly put theory into practice, making it easier to absorb and apply new knowledge while resolving any questions that may come up during the practical process.
A handy ‘Get Unstuck’ button on the top of the page unlocks documentation related to the exercise subject, community forum, cheat sheets, and even the code solution. Moreover, a concept review button is available in the coding sandbox, allowing learners to quickly revisit a concept when facing a wall with their code.
Furthermore, it’s excellent that the coding editor is customizable, so learners can choose the font size, activate high contrast mode, and more. The cherry on top is that it’s possible to share your code with others who can also help you through your learning process.
Alongside the courses, Codecademy should be praised for providing resources and guidance for users to develop personal portfolio projects and prepare them for the job market. When choosing the project you wish to build, the platform displays the project’s summary, objectives, and prerequisites.
Keeping everything streamlined, the tasks are laid out in a Kanban view, so you can easily track the progress of your project. Providing such thorough guidance makes Codecademy one of the most comprehensive and resourceful code-learning platforms on the market.
Building these portfolio projects helps you apply what you’ve learned to real-world scenarios and prove your skills. The same can’t be said for Codecademy’s course certificates, as they aren’t accredited.
Although the lack of accreditation is an area for improvement, users can earn a professional certification with a Pro membership. This type of qualification conveys more credibility, as users need to pass a series of proficiency exams to earn it.
Moreover, Codecademy also stands out for its dedicated features to help learners succeed in the job market. Pro subscribers can take interview prep courses and test their knowledge with code challenges based on real-world tech interviews. However, keep in mind that the challenges are limited to Python, Java, and JavaScript.
The icing on the cake is the career services, which provide personalized job listings to help students connect with employers looking for tech professionals.
Codecademy Go is an app for iOS and Android. Much like the desktop browser version, the mobile platform is modern, well-designed, and easy to navigate.
The courses are displayed in a simplified layout showing each lesson’s review, practice mode, and cheat sheet. Alongside this, the review displays handy flashcards for memorizing concepts whenever free time pops up during your daily activities.
Although it isn’t possible to write code, the practice mode still does its job. It allows you to drag and drop the appropriate commands missing in the code.
The cheat sheets are helpful and straight to the point, providing essential concepts and syntax. These notes make it possible to quickly access important information without the hassle of going through the entire exercise.
All things considered, Codecademy’s mobile app is another incredible learning resource that enhances users’ learning experience.
Overall, Codecademy‘s membership prices are fair, considering everything they offer. The pricing structure comprises a free plan called Basic and two other paid plans: Plus and Pro. Amazingly, annual subscriptions are 50% cheaper than monthly plans.
The free plan offers a significant number of courses and learning resources, but there are restrictions when practicing using the mobile app. Moreover, users need to scale up to the Plus plan to get unlimited access to all courses and hands-on exercises. It costs $14.99 per month (billed annually) and contains portfolio-building projects, certificates of completion, skill paths, and more.
The most extensive plan is Pro, which helps learners carve their way into the tech world. Although it may seem expensive at first glance ($19.99 per month with annual billing), it’s important to consider that you’re unlocking a comprehensive platform that will help you get your next tech job and develop your career.
It’s worth noting that Codecademy has a dedicated plan for teams to learn together. Larger businesses can get in touch to get a custom quote. Additionally, college students are eligible to get 55% off the Pro plan, and the platform provides occasional discounts of up to 50% on annual Pro subscriptions.
What’s more, there’s a referral program that rewards legal U.S. residents with a $20 Amazon gift card for every friend they refer who purchases a membership.
Before opening the wallet, it’s best to take advantage of the 7-day free trial available for each paid plan. It’s the perfect way to thoroughly test the platform, especially considering there aren’t any refund policies.
Codecademy’s communication channels are limited to a ticket system. We experienced a reasonable wait time – it took the company five hours to get back to us with the solution to our problem. Even so, live chat and phone support should be added to enhance customer service.
What Codecademy lacks regarding communication channels, it compensates with reading material. The help center displays several useful articles conveniently divided into categories related to subscriptions, accounts, curriculum, and others.
There are also forums with discussion boards and FAQ pages on various subjects. But the jewel in the crown is Codecademy’s Discord channel, where students engage and help each other out.
Lastly, Codecademy keeps its social media pages up to date by sharing course-related articles, tech tips, and success stories of learners who reached their goals with the platform’s help.
At the end of the day, Codecademy is a powerful code-learning platform for anyone seeking to build a career in tech. Its hands-on courses are comprehensive and easy to follow, displayed in a well-designed, engaging, and user-friendly layout.
The learning environment provides all the necessary tools for users to seek immediate help whenever they struggle during the lessons. Plus, the platform goes out of its way to offer different kinds of resources and materials to support the learning journey.
What makes Codecademy truly stand out from the crowd is its dedication to boosting its users’ career prospects. Guidance and resources for portfolio building, interview prep courses, and coding challenges set anyone up perfectly for employment in tech.
Nevertheless, there are still a few improvements to be made. The platform can grow further by providing accredited certificates, adding other programming languages to code challenges, and supporting students via live chat and phone.
Overall, Codeacademy provides total support to help you become whichever tech professional you wish to be.
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