September 20, 2022
Learn computer programming from the ground up with these 5 easy methods. It won't take long before you start seeing results.
Learning how to code is an important skill for anyone interested in entering the high-paying technology sector. Whether you're looking to learn how to create websites, apps, games, or other programs, there are many different ways to approach this task! But, if you’re searching for ways to learn as quickly and efficiently as possible, it’s important to set up a strategy before you begin.
To see the best possible results on your coding journey, employ these tactics in your educational strategy:
Use Video-Based Curriculum.
Courses that offer video curriculum are top-notch! Being able to follow along as someone types out code makes for the best code-learning experience. When this is done on a video, you can follow along at your own pace and pause when you need a moment to catch up. Additionally, if a section is easy, or you have a hard time listening to slow speakers, you can always increase the speed of a video.
The benefits of video-based learning don’t stop there, however. This format is also more accessible for a wide variety of learners. Videos with captions can help students with auditory impairments. For those who are still learning a code language, they can slow down videos to better grasp vocabulary. Also, videos are easy to rewatch outside of the classroom for review. As long as you have an internet connection, you can continue to learn.
Take Online Courses.
Coding education works best when it’s at least partially online. The vast majority of coding careers require extensive use of the internet; practicing coding on the internet provides students with a more hands-on experience in the field.
Online courses also help develop social and emotional skills, especially time management. This soft skill is of particular importance for coders to develop, as coding tasks in jobs are often controlled by due dates that, if not adhered to by a team member, may bottleneck coworkers.
Plus, taking courses online allows you to learn from professional instructors from different places, backgrounds, and walks of life, making it easier to find new perspectives on the information you’re discovering.
Join an Online Community.
If you want to learn something new, join an online community where people share knowledge and experiences. This tip is especially useful for new coders! Social media groups and forums can be remarkably educational. Collaborative problem solving and tip sharing can become an excellent way to get answers and meet like-minded individuals. Plus, groups like these provide students with the opportunity to help others, too! One of the best ways to solidify a concept is to teach it to others.
Along with gaining access to tips and tricks from other users, having a community to go to can be incredibly motivating to continue learning. Being able to find encouragement from others who are working through a similar challenge can provide a morale boost when coding gets tough, and seeing the amazing results of other’s efforts is incredibly inspirational!
Write Out Your Code
There's no substitute for hands-on practice when learning something new. Sure, it’s faster to copy and paste code snippets from online forums, but typing actual code out will be better at helping you learn the material! Not only will you get a better sense of how keywords work, you’ll also get practice at formatting and develop muscle memory for solving coding problems!
There are a lot of tools out there that fill in code for you. Hold off on using these until you feel more comfortable writing it out yourself. Typing out all those lines may feel a bit daunting, but you’ll thank yourself later when coding feels as easy as typing out words! In the long run, you’ll save a lot of time by making the effort to type out everything when you first begin coding.
Go Above and Beyond the MVP
When given the opportunity to attempt bonus challenges, absolutely go for it! Challenging yourself to go above and beyond the requirements, or making custom adjustments to your code to slightly modify your assignments can help with learning code tremendously.
Treat your code like a toy box. Experiment to see what changes you can make by adjusting numbers and making minor tweaks. With code, the more you experiment and play, the quicker you’ll be able to grasp how it works. Have fun while you learn!
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Encourage your students to efficiently learn code with Mastery Coding! Our award-winning programs ensure that students have the right resources to learn coding quickly and effectively.
How MC designs courses to be the best way for students to learn:
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Olivia has background in behavioral ecology and data analysis. She develops and implements SEO, CRO, social media strategy, and authors multi-disciplinary content for our blog, & our social media sites. She's contributed to many of the STEM tie-ins within our curriculum, authored our SEL course, and is a specialist in neurodiverse learning strategies.
