Acquiring IT skills – whether you already work in IT or you’re starting your journey – is essential for any professional in tech.
If you’re working (or planning to work) in a tech-related area such as web development, UX design, data analysis, or another career that involves programming, and you’re planning to learn those skills, you should know that programming doesn’t necessarily involve getting back to college, and study computer science, as lots of tech professionals manage to learn how to code on their own!
You too can learn a programming language by yourself and without a degree. There are many online resources that you can use to learn the basics and so, take the next step in your career!
In this article, we’ll be presenting you with the top 30 platforms to learn IT skills.
Top 30 Platforms to Learn IT Skills
1. Codecademy
Codecademy is one of the most popular websites where you can learn how to code. It covers different programming languages like HTML, CSS, Python, and Ruby, and offers a diverse catalogue of classes in web development, website building, App creation, game development, and AI.
The website provides tutorials, articles, sample code, interactive forums, documents, and all kinds of challenges for free. You can also get access to premium content by signing up for one of the available paid plans.
2. edX
edX offers a wide variety of online courses from top universities and other institutes from around the world. There, you’ll find programs that teach you data science, computer vision, programming languages, AI, and more.
You can access helpful courses and a few certifications for free. These will come with homework assignments, reading materials, and forums where you can contact other students and instructors. However, these free courses only give you temporary access to their materials.
The paid options not only give you unlimited access to study materials but also allow you to enrol in some premium programs. These include Professional Certificate Programs and even a few Master’s degrees.
3. Coursera
Coursera is another great platform where you can improve your IT skills. There, you can find a wide variety of courses mostly taught by professors from prestigious universities like Princeton and Stanford.
You can choose between beginner-level courses, programs for intermediate students, and even advanced-level topics. Learning paths include machine learning, data science, iOS development, and more. The best part is that you can access all study materials for free. You only have to pay if you want to receive a certification at the end of each program.
4. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a free, non-profit platform where you can learn virtually anything and go at your own pace. It’s filled with beginner-friendly video tutorials that can teach you anything from programming languages to computer science.
Anyone anywhere can access these helpful materials for free. The platform even hosts an hour of code (HOC) where people can learn how to code by practising. They get to create animations, develop websites, or work with JavaScript.
5. Udemy
Udemy is one of the largest online course providers, offering thousands of coding courses to anyone willing to learn. Some of these courses are free but will only offer you access to the lessons’ videos. More premium courses require payment but also come with extra study material and access to other students and instructors.
You can learn about many code-related topics like Python, JavaScript, and Swift. However, make sure to read other students’ reviews before enrolling. There’s a huge number of programs to choose from so you’ll want to make sure you’re signing up for the best of them.
6. freeCodeCamp
freeCodeCamp is another free, non-profit platform where anyone can learn how to code regardless of who they are, where they’re from, and how experienced they are. There are 8,000 programs to choose from covering topics like HTML, CSS, React, and Node.js. Some of this platform’s graduates are now working for Google, Apple, and Netflix.
All courses can be completed at your own pace. If you feel like you need a helping hand to get you through some topics, you can look up freeCodeCamp on social media and try finding a mentor to guide you through your journey.
7. Udacity
Udacity is a beginner-friendly platform where you can learn many tech skills. There, you’ll find free courses teaching the basics of programming, web development and design, and computer science. Learning materials consist of videos, exercises, quizzes, and other types of assignments. You can also chat with other students in forums and ask for support if you need it.
This platform also offers some paid tech programs called nano degrees. These programs were created with the help of big companies like AT&T and Google to prepare students directly for the workforce. You can choose specific nano degrees in front-end web development, data analytics, programming, full-stack web development, and iOS development.
8. The Odin Project
The Odin Project is a 100% free, open-source platform heavily focused on teaching anyone how to learn web development from scratch. It finds all available online resources and collects them in one place.
There you can learn about HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. Each learning section allows you to practice the material and showcase your work to others for review and feedback. This is a great place to start building up a captivating portfolio.
9. W3Schools
W3Schools is a very complete platform that focuses on teaching web development. It covers all sorts of subjects from HTML to Python offering different tutorials and coding challenges that let you create coding projects from scratch.
There, you’ll find tutorials with many code samples across all topics and difficulty levels, for free. You can also write and execute your code on the website itself, build real projects, and create a neat portfolio.
10. Pluralsight
Pluralsight is a paid platform that provides two main products. Flow is an organizational tool specially designed to help increase work productivity for software engineers. And then there are Skills. Skills is a product that helps people access their tech skills and helps them improve them through optimized courses.
These courses work as a learning path where students learn different topics in a specific order. Some of these paths include Python, HTML and CSS, JavaScript, iOS development, and machine learning. Before committing to any of these courses, you can try them out with a 10-day free trial.
11. Team Treehouse
Team Treehouse is a paid code-teaching platform with a project-oriented approach. Once you finish learning the basic concepts from each track, you’ll immediately start developing real-world applications.
There, you’ll find easy and high-quality courses covering topics like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Android and iOS development, WordPress, and business. Team Treehouse offers a free 7-day trial for anyone interested in their courses.
12. Code Avengers
Code Avengers is an e-learning company that offers paid courses on coding, computer science, web development, UI design, and more. Programs cover topics like Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and teach students how to build games, apps, and websites.
There are three different types of programs available. Junior programs for beginners from five to fourteen years of age, Pro programs for anyone over the age of fifteen, and Edu programs for teachers. Code Avengers also offers a free 7-day trial.
13. Codewars
Codewars puts a fun twist on learning how to code. Their approach is almost based on a gaming system in which you have to solve coding challenges of variable difficulties, called “kata”. Once you complete a “kata” you’ll receive honour points and move up to higher ranks. Each “kata” is more difficult than the previous one.
You can learn about a wide variety of programming languages including JavaScript, PHP, Java, .NET, Python, and Ruby. You can also compare your solutions to those of other students, which can be a great learning opportunity.
14. Sololearn
Sololearn is a free platform that offers bite-sized learning courses that focus only on one subject at a time. With each topic, you have access to many quizzes and practice tests that’ll help you retain your knowledge. There, you’ll find courses on JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, C#, and more.
There’s a Code Playground page where you can submit your projects for other students to review and provide feedback. This platform also comes with a paid Pro version in which you can avoid advertising and access premium features. You can try it out with a free 14-day trial.
15. Code.org
Code.org is a free, non-profit platform that’s dedicated to beginners and children. It takes on a very visual approach that makes learning programming easy, fun, and intuitive. It especially focuses on teaching Python, with courses available in over 60 languages.
Courses are divided by difficulty for different ages. The available categories are Grades K-5, 6-12, and Beyond K-12. Regardless of looking very child-friendly, the platform’s programs suit people of all ages, so you don’t have to worry about using it as an adult.
16. Upskill
Upskill is a beginner-friendly platform that takes complex topics and makes them easy to understand. Their courses cover data science, front- and back-end development, UX design, and more. All of them are taught by industry experts. Courses also include homework assignments, quizzes, and projects.
Signing up for a free account grants you access to around 200 courses. You can also upgrade it to a Pro membership for unlimited access to all courses, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The platform also provides special courses on how to land your first IT job, search for the best offers, and practice for interviews.
17. MIT OpenCourseWare
On this platform, you’ll find a wide variety of courses provided by MIT. These include undergraduate and graduate courses of the highest quality, taught by industry experts. This is a great place to start learning about programming, even though it doesn’t offer certifications or degrees.
There, you’ll find helpful courses on the fundamentals of programming and software development. Courses come with video lectures, eBooks, assignments, and exams.
18. OneMonth
OneMonth promises that, with their courses, anyone can learn how to code on their own in thirty days. Beginners have access to daily chunks of learning materials and exercises to complete that build-up until they’re competent, self-taught programmers.
The platform covers highly sought-after coding skills like JavaScript, Python, CSS, and HTML. As OneMonth is focused on beginners, it’s not the best platform for intermediate/advanced programmers.
19. Dash, by General Assembly
Dash is a free online platform that focuses on teaching web development skills. Courses are project-based which means that you’re able to build small projects while learning about HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
You can work directly on the website’s code editor on your own or even reach out to other students in Dash’s dedicated Facebook group.
20. Learn, by Google Developers
This platform was designed with intermediate/advanced-level programmers in mind. It provides lots of documentation and learning materials on software development, programming, and APIs. It aims to help you integrate Google tech into your projects.
There are three different learning methods available. Pathways are simple learning paths that guide you towards a goal. Topics include a wide variety of specific learning materials regarding only one subject. Codelabs are coding tutorials and exercises that you can use to create your apps and projects.
21. Envato Tuts +
Envato Tuts + is a free, beginner-friendly platform that helps people learn how to code from scratch. It offers a wide variety of articles, videos, and tutorials on coding languages, web design, business, design, and more.
Most of the courses are project-based with step-by-step instructions. You can also upgrade your account to a paid plan to access premium content, courses, eBooks, and more high-quality learning materials.
22. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is a great place to learn new IT skills and go at your own pace. There you’ll find anything from beginner-friendly tutorials to advanced learning paths, taught by industry experts.
Some of the most popular courses include “Become a Front-End Web Developer”, “Develop Your Data Analysis Skills”, and “Get Ahead in iOS App Development.” All courses are paid (monthly or annually) but you can sign up for a 1-month free trial.
23. SitePoint
Sitepoint is an e-learning platform that focuses on web development and teaches courses on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP. You can check out their comprehensive blog posts for free. They cover many different topics in a beginner-friendly fashion.
Complete professional courses and helpful books are only available for paying members. Premium plans also come with access to an activity dashboard that allows you to track your progress as you go.
24. Coderbyte
Coderbyte offers a wide variety of beginner-friendly courses that cover programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. There, you’ll find video tutorials on how to code and practical coding challenges that require finding an intersection, the longest word, or that involve username validation.
Although this is a paid platform, all available videos are free to watch. However, any other materials and even the challenges are locked behind a paywall.
25. Edabit
Edabit focuses on teaching programming languages in a fun and practical way. It offers bite-sized challenges that students can complete as if they were playing a game. As they move forward in their learning path, students gain experience, level up, and unlock achievements.
They can learn up to eight different programming languages including C#, C++, Python, and more. Free access is limited to 15 challenges. After that, students are required to upgrade to a paid Pro account.
26. SQLZoo
Programming requires knowledge of essential SQL concepts. That’s where SQLZoo comes in handy. This online platform is the best free resource to learn all things related to SQL including SQL server, Oracle, MySQL, DB2, and PostgreSQL.
There, you’ll find a wide variety of reading materials, reference pieces, interactive tutorials, and even tests where you can assess your newfound skills.
27. GeeksforGeeks
This e-learning platform is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about computer science. Different courses can be completed at your own pace through pre-recorded videos, live through live streams, or a combination of both methods.
Courses come with articles, quizzes, tutorials, and even job listings for programmers. You can learn about several programming languages including C, Java, and Python, and can even engage in discussions with other “Geeks”.
28. Codingbat
Codingbat is a free website that teaches people about programming in Java and Python. Regarding these two popular programming languages, Codingbat has a wide variety of articles, tutorials, and sample code.
It’s not the most fresh-looking website, but it’s a great place to start learning how to code on your own. It is also recommended that you find a good book or another knowledge source to use as you go along because this platform is heavier on practical exercises.
29. Bitdegree
Bitdegree offers free and paid courses on programming languages, data science, game development, and more. There are two types of courses available. Interactive Bitdegree courses allow students to run their codes on the platform’s editor. Video lessons are more theory-based and taught by industry experts.
Upon completing a session, students are rewarded with a token. They can then use it to fund their next course or even get discounts for paid programs.
30. Codeasy
Codeasy focuses on teaching C#, the language of game development, at an introductory level. There are also other courses geared towards beginner, intermediate, and advanced students, however, those are not free.
The learning path is divided into chapters. Each of them will teach you C# fundamentals. The platform has a dedicated Slack group that you can join to communicate with other students, ask questions, and get alternative solutions for your problems.
So many platforms… where do I begin?
Consider your budget, your level of expertise (are you a beginner or an experienced IT professional?), your favourite way of learning, and to help you even further, the reviews of our KWANers, tech professionals at KWAN.
I took a course at Udemy that was very important for the beginning of my career and the career of some friends because it was very complete and helpful for beginners at C#, it’s called in Portuguese – “C# Curso Completo: Do Básico ao Avançado!”, Udemy also helped me when I started a new challenge and needed to learn Java, by offering these courses in Portuguese: “Microsserviços Java com Spring Boot e Spring Cloud”; “Design de API’s RestFul com Spring Boot, TDD e o novo JUnit5”; and “Java COMPLETO Programação Orientada a Objetos + Projetos” – Laís Ortiz, Full Stack Developer
I’m taking 3 courses at Udemy: “JavaScript: The Advanced Concepts”, “Understanding TypeScript”, and “Node JS: Advanced Concepts”. I’m enjoying them very much, especially the one about TypeScript, because the teacher explains the concepts very well and gives practical examples related to the tools I’m interested in. Furthermore, it’s easy to keep up with the classes because the course is structured in a very logical way. – Carlos Santos, Software Developer
As a sysadmin/application support specialist, is easy to focus on online courses which target technical aspects, but there is more to IT than bits and bytes.
In my line of work, communication is paramount and, if done carelessly or just wrong, can jeopardize a lot more than a bug or a glitch in the software.
LinkedIn Learning has been key to developing my soft skills, with courses like:
– “Critical Thinking for More Effective Communication”
– “Three Tips for Managing Egos and Difficult Emotions”
– “Improving Your Thinking”
– “Effective Listening”
– “Managing Anxiety in the Workplace”
These are just some of the courses which have helped me build trust, confidence and a growth mindset. – Vítor Correia, Sysadmin/Application Support Specialist
Learning how to code without a degree or improving your IT skills is not only possible but easier, accessible, and cheaper! We hope this list will provide you with the means to do so, and if after all the study you feel ready to embrace a new challenge, talk to us.
We’ll be happy to share with you the opportunities that will help you take the next step in your career!
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Article written by Raquel Santos and originally published at https://kwan.com/blog/top-30-online-platforms-to-lear-and-improve-your-it-skills/ on July 28, 2022.
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