Online learning: Codecademy

Last week, faced with a bit of a lull at work and a coming need to do some Python development, I decided to work through the Python lessons on Codecademy. Codecademy is a website that provides free instruction on a variety of programming languages by means of small interactive example exercises.

I had been intending to learn Python for several years. In the past few weeks, I’ve picked up bits and pieces by reading and bugfixing a project at work, but it was hardly enough to claim knowledge of the language.

Much like the “… for Dummies” books, the lessons were humorously written, simple, and practical. Unlike a book, the interactive nature provides immediate feedback and a platform for experimentation. The built-in Q&A forum allows learners to help each other. This was particularly helpful on a few of the exercises where the system itself was buggy.

The content suffered from the issue that plagues any introductory instruction: finding the right balance between too easy and too hard. Many of the exercises were obvious from previous experience. By and large, the content was well-paced and at a reasonable level. The big disappointment for me was the absence of explanation and best practices. I often found myself wondering if the way I solved the problem was the right way.

Still, I was able to apply my newly acquired knowledge right away. I now know enough to be able to understand discussion of best practices and I’ll be able to hone my skills through practices. That makes it worth the time I invested in it. Later on, I’ll work my way through the Ruby (to better work with our Chef cookbooks) and PHP (to do more with dynamic content on this site) modules.