Previously, coding was seen as a skill that only professional tech engineers knew. But with the rapid development of technology, more and more people are looking into learning how to code for both their future job applications and their own businesses.
It has become a valuable skill to learn for anyone that uses an online platform.
For business owners and entrepreneurs, understanding coding can help them take an active role in their website, from the design of it as well as how it functions.
They are also able to create an app for their business, which can help them appeal to consumers who mainly browse and purchase through their phones.
Coding can also help business owners create or troubleshoot any software they use. Softwares can range from making the daily workings of the business easier, or providing the means to do a specific feature that only your business needs.
In order to get you into the world of coding, we have compiled a list of 15 free courses that you can do online that will teach you the basics of coding and provide you with this important skill.
Free Code Camp is a course that helps you learn the many different paths of coding. The whole course is around 3,000 hours but you are able to pick and choose what is relevant to you.
By the end of it, you will be a proficient web developer that understands code and how to apply it.
They have a very simple-to-follow interface that is split screen, on the left-hand side you will see the concept that is explained, and then on the right-hand side, you will have the coding.
That way people are able to see their code in action and what each part of the code does.
One of the best parts about Free Code Camp is the community of professionals and students that is created from it. They can help you with any hurdles you may face and you are also able to participate in solving real-world problems.
Coursera offers you programs from a large number of established universities, so you know that the information you are getting is from professionals and is what is being taught to future tech engineers.
There are a large variety of courses available to you on Coursera, and while they are self-paced there are set start and end dates that you have to follow.
The courses can help to teach you the absolute basics of coding, or more advanced skills.
Udemy is a project in which anyone can create and sell their own online course, this has both pros and cons.
A pro is that you get to learn from actual people with experience in the field who can offer you unique insights, but a con is that you have to sift through a lot of bad courses to find the good ones.
There are many options for courses, with some being paid but many (like the one linked above) are free and full of great information.
This is an open-source learning platform that offers you college-level courses in a variety of subjects, one of them being coding.
The courses are self-paced meaning you can do them in your own time and are completely free, but you can pay for a certificate at the end.
They offer a large variety of other courses you can take to help you run your own business, so once you are done with coding you can explore the many other options.
While you do have to pay for a membership to Skillshare, they offer a free 7-day trial which is more than enough to get through this course.
The course is only 30 lectures and 7 hours of videos meaning that you are able to learn the basics of coding in a short amount of time.
This course is great for beginners who have no previous knowledge of coding. Coding has many different languages and this course doesn’t focus on a specific one so is great for those who don’t know what language to focus on yet.
Python is one of the easier-to-understand coding languages and this course teaches you the basics of it. They also have many other courses related to computer science that you can choose from.
Udacity offers something called Nanodegree Programs. These are purchasable curriculums that are meant to teach you a lot about certain topics fast, which is great for those who want to expand their knowledge.
This is a non-profit educational program that is very accessible and easy to understand.
They offer step-by-step video tutorials teaching you about codings, like JavaScript, ProcessingJS, HTML, and CSS. it is an ever-growing platform so make sure you come back to it frequently.
If you are interested in other classes, they also offer courses in a variety of subjects like history or calculus.
This course provides you with the same resources and assignments that you will get if you were learning at MIT, this means you know that you are getting quality learning and up-to-date knowledge.
You will receive lectures, assignments, and video tutorials that will teach you about coding and the theory behind it.
They offer courses on specific programming languages so that you can tailor your knowledge to the language you are planning on using. The courses are also at your own pace so you can learn when you want to.
The course linked is for beginner learners but they do offer intermediate programs for those with more knowledge about coding.
This program offers over 43 hours of teaching that will help you build a strong foundation of coding knowledge.
It is great for beginners but can be beneficial for those who have some knowledge already. What it does is teach you the basics of code, but also contextualizes coding languages so you know what to use and when.
Google has its own program to teach people how to code that includes step-by-step videos and a beginner coding app so that way you can get hands-on experience with coding.
It is a self-paced course with you being able to learn the different aspects of programming in easily understood chunks.
They have engaging coding projects for you to participate in and more advanced courses if you want to take your coding skills further.
This isn’t technically a coding course and is more of a search engine in which you are able to find a lot of different coding courses.
If you can’t find a course right for you on this list, you can be assured that you will be on OpenCourser. It is convenient to use and has thousands of courses to choose from.
Final Thoughts
When running a business, there are aspects to it that most people don’t even consider, and one of them is the technical side.
Your business will have computers, a website, and maybe an app, all of which will need to be running smoothly so that your business can succeed. Knowing how to code can help you personally troubleshoot any problems and have everything running how you want it to.
All of the above courses can help you to learn the basics of coding, and gain further knowledge in it if that is something that interests you. Also, since they are all free, you are able to put more money into running your business.
