Is Free Code Camp Effective? Study Reveals Gaps in Web Development Training

The Study on Free Code Camp: Key Findings and Implications

Introduction

In a recent study conducted by Rob Muhlestein, an alarming trend was discovered among individuals who completed the web development project on Free Code Camp. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of online education platforms in equipping learners with practical skills. The findings reveal significant limitations in current educational tools and offer valuable insights for improvement.

Mentorship and Initial Observations

Rob Muhlestein mentored a group of 35-40 individuals, using Free Code Camp’s web development project as a primary learning resource. Throughout the program, Muhlestein observed a troubling gap between the project completion and the learners' ability to independently create a basic web page.

The Skills Gap: Key Findings

Out of the entire cohort, only two participants successfully built a web page from scratch, despite having obtained the Free Code Camp Web Development Certificate. This raised concerns about the platform’s ability to effectively teach practical, real-world web development skills.

Issues in Free Code Camp's Curriculum

Upon deeper investigation, several shortcomings in the Free Code Camp curriculum became evident:

• Lack of Real-World Application: Learners were not taught how to set up a live server or preview websites in real time, leaving them dependent on the platform.

• Poor Knowledge Reinforcement: Free Code Camp’s approach introduced new concepts without sufficiently reinforcing previous lessons, leading to a weak grasp of foundational web development skills.

The Need for Practical Exercises and Tools

To better prepare learners, educational platforms should incorporate real-world scenarios and practical exercises into their curricula. By encouraging learners to build multiple web pages of increasing complexity, they can solidify their understanding of web development concepts.

Additionally, platforms should teach learners how to use industry-standard tools and technologies such as:

• Setting up live servers

• Hosting websites on platforms like GitHub

• Previewing websites in real-time

Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice

The study emphasizes the need for online education platforms to adopt a more comprehensive and practical approach. While Free Code Camp and other platforms have made notable improvements over time, it is crucial to focus on developing real-world skills and providing learners with the tools necessary for success in the industry.

Conclusion

The study by Rob Muhlestein underscores the limitations of current online education platforms, particularly Free Code Camp. These platforms must focus on hands-on exercises, knowledge reinforcement, and teaching industry-standard tools to better equip learners. This shift will help bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application, ultimately preparing learners for success in the field of web development. That is why PreCodeCamp was created to make sure that you have a mentor and can do these tasks and more using our online learning management system with live lessons.

Pros and Cons of Self Taught vs Coding Boot Camps

If you are interested in learning some key differences in learning self-taught vs boot camps this article and video could help you decide.

https://www.precodecamp.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-self-taught-programming-vs-coding-boot-camps