10 Best Free Online Learning Sites for IT and Software Development
10 Best Free Online Learning Sites for IT and Software Development
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Online learning has dramatically increased during the last few years. Never before have there been so many possibilities for free online education for IT professionals trying to advance their careers or individuals looking to break into the IT field. There are several websites devoted to online education, in addition to coding boot camps, conventional four-year colleges, and classes provided by vendors.

Knowinsiders.com list 10 resources for free online IT courses and describe the kinds of courses each site offers. Of course, not every course is of the same caliber.

Study software development online

There is software all around us. The software is what makes all the many machines that run our life function. Every one of these—including your computer, smartphone, appliances, and car—is dependent on software development. According to research, there were 18.9 million software engineers worldwide in 2019, and 45 million are predicted to exist by the year 2030.

You can choose from a variety of courses here that concentrate on various facets of software development. There are several learning options available, so you may pick one that best suits your needs, whether you're brand-new to the sector or looking to improve your current skills.

You may learn whenever and wherever you choose because each of our courses is totally online. You can start expanding your knowledge right away by using our free online courses or our ExpertTrack learning subscriptions.

What are the free online sites in 2023/2024 for IT and software development?

1. edX

Photo: blog.freec.asia
Photo: blog.freec.asia

edX provides free college-level online courses, jointly spearheaded by MIT and Harvard University. Not only are the courses available without charge, but the organization itself is also non-profit. So you can rest easy knowing that you won't be exploited by ulterior motives.

On edX, courses can be self-paced or weekly. There is a major skew towards Computer Science, Engineering, and Business & Management, but the subjects cover the whole spectrum of subjects one might find at any accredited university. For your convenience, they are also separated into introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels.

In addition to its course offerings, edX also provides certificate programs in subjects like front-end web development and data science.

These are our top selections for the finest free edX programming courses if you want to learn to code online for free:

Introduction to Computer Science: CS50 for Novices (paid certification available)

Web Development with Python and JavaScript (CS50), for Intermediate (paid certification available)

2. Code Academy

Photo: codecademy
Photo: codecademy

Code Academy offers tutorials on various programming languages. The website caters for tutorials for both beginners and intermediate developers. All the lessons are availed in a way that you can understand without struggling.

Code Academy covers the basics of programming and development such as syntax, functions, classes, loops and their applications, etc. It also allows you to edit and run their codes directly on its website. You don’t need to download a developing environment.

3. Alison

Photo: hsewatch
Photo: hsewatch

Many free IT courses are available on Alison.com in the areas of hardware, software, game development, IT management, mobile apps, software engineering, data science, databases, and essential IT skills. You can select from brief certificate programs or longer, more in-depth "diploma" programs.

A charge must be paid to obtain a physical or digital certificate if you pass a certificate or diploma course even though participation in the course is free. For about $9 a month, you can choose to upgrade to a premium account, which will offer you access to additional benefits like lower certificate prices, fewer commercials, and resume-building tools.

4. OEDb

Photo: trueactivist
Photo: trueactivist

The Open Education Database, or OEDb, aggregates free online classes available elsewhere on the web, making it easy to find courses in a variety of disciplines. Currently, it has more than 10,000 courses available -- all of them free. It also has a helpful advice section of the website that can help students make wise choices about online education.

To aid students in learning new information and skills, universities, colleges, and private organizations provide free online college courses. These courses cover a range of conventional academic topics in addition to additional areas that can progress one's career and enrich one's life. Online classes enable students from all around the world to take part. Students who successfully complete a course may be eligible for an official certificate. Some organizations levy a nominal certificate fee.

The level of IT courses accessible through OEDb spans from very introductory to quite specialized. For instance, it has links to courses on advanced analog integrated circuit design from Seoul National University and A Beginner's Guide to InDesign, both of which are accessible through iTunes.

5. Coursera

Photo: cellphones
Photo: cellphones

Coursera is a leading online learning platform. Partnering with top universities and companies, it offers high-quality courses for in-demand skills – including programming.

The subject library is vast, starting from computer science, web development, data analytics to machine learning.

Many of the classes are free, but you will have to pay around $39 or more to get a certificate and complete specific tasks. The paid courses, on the other hand, usually come with a 7-day free trial.

When signing up, Coursera will have you insert some personal information so that they can tailor the course recommendations to your taste.

The learning process generally uses a mix of video content, reading materials, exercises, quizzes, and participant forums. Students can also set a weekly learning goal to stay motivated.

If you want to learn how to code a website, check out this Introduction to Web Development course from UC Davis. It will explain the basics of how websites work and how to use HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

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6. Udemy

Photo: linkedin
Photo: linkedin

Anyone can build (and even sell) their own courses on the online education marketplace known as Udemy. This has quite a few drawbacks: while it makes it possible for knowledgeable people to share their information without a formal education, you might have to sift through a lot of garbage to discover it.

The topics covered by the programming courses on Udemy are diverse. Everything is covered, from Python-based data analysis to the fundamentals of ethical hacking, from Java beginnings to advanced web development. There are numerous courses available that are focused on game production.

Never pay full price for a Udemy course! The Udemy marketplace frequently holds massive sales, slashing prices anywhere from 50 to 90 percent off. While you wait, here are some of the best free Udemy coding classes to get started:

For Beginners: Programming 101

For Intermediate: Intermediate Level C++

7. Microsoft Learn

Photo: build5nines
Microsoft Learn - Photo: build5nines

Microsoft offers several learning paths and certifications that cover various Microsoft products and services. Learning paths contain several modules that are relevant to the course topic and certifications are more focused, with one or two exams required to earn the certification.

Self-paced courses and exams are free through Microsoft, but if you want to take an instructor-led course you can do so through Microsoft Certified Trainers.

However, it’s not guaranteed that the certified trainers will offer courses for free, so that is something to consider if you want entirely free courses.

8. MIT OpenCourseWare

Photo: al-fanarmedia
MIT OpenCourseWare - Photo: al-fanarmedia

In addition to participating with other online education sites, many universities have sections of their own websites dedicated to free online classes. MIT has been a leader in the OpenCourseWare (OCW) movement and has an extensive catalog of free IT classes available. It includes materials for more than 2,260 classes, and the site has been visited by more than 175 million people.

One popular IT class from this site is the Introduction to Computer Science and Programming. Designed for beginners with little or no programming experience, it teaches the basics of writing short programs in Python.

9. Khan Academy

Photo: hola.edu
Khan Academy - Photo: hola.edu

Khan Academy is a different nonprofit organization that provides outstanding, no-cost resources for beginning programmers.

The key subjects covered include fundamentals of computer programming, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, and SQL. While not as extensive as on other platforms, the library is nevertheless adequate for beginning web developers.

In addition, Hour of Code, a brief and engaging lesson, is available on Khan Academy. There, students can practice coding for websites, managing data, or creating animations.

Videos, flashcards, and exercises with a code editor make up the main instructional materials. After the instructor has completed explaining, the participant can put their newly acquired information to use by working through the section's difficulties.

10. The Odin Project

Photo: theodinproject
Photo: theodinproject

Another free, comprehensive platform with a programming-focused focus is The Odin Project. It teaches Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. It's a fantastic approach to determine whether you want to pursue a career in the field because it's free without having to pay for a pricey Bootcamp. You are still able to use the materials without having to register.

The goal of the Odin Project was to give students a clear path to employment as web developers while collaborating with other students along the way.

Before moving on to Web Development 101 and more in-depth modules like HTML, CSS, Javascript, Ruby, Rails, Git, databases, and more, students first take the Introduction to Web Development course. The tutorials are totally adaptable; students can proceed with each lesson or skip to a different topic or assignment.

The Odin Project is open source and is recommended for people who are just starting out in web development, freelancing, starting a business, or learning how to design a website.

How Long Do Online Courses in Software Development Take?

Our assortment of free online development courses ranges in duration from a few hours to several months. Although the path to software development is often gradual and steady, you can acquire specific abilities quickly and expand on them as you advance.

You won't likely finish your study in this sector, and you'll likely continue to learn new technologies throughout your career.

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