Improve Your Technology Skills for Free
From Coding to Technical Literacy, these Free Online Learning Resources Deliver
As technology transforms the way we work and live at an increasing pace, developing and improving your technical skills and literacy is an ongoing need. With IT becoming the key business driver at virtually every company, everyone from the C-suite to the newest intern needs to possess solid technical skills and literacy. At QAT Global, our team has a passion for learning that spans from our development team to our administrative team, in fact, this passion is a vital part of our culture. We’re continuously improving our core skill set and learning new technologies. An excellent way to fuel a passion for learning is to take advantage of the high-quality, free online learning resources available to everyone.
Top educational institutions like MIT, Harvard, Berkley, Stanford, and countless others have brought their course offerings online including those on hot topics like artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality, cryptocurrencies, and deep learning in addition to popular programming languages and entrepreneurial topics. These courses are complemented with additional offerings by companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM.
Get started today by exploring these 14 places to improve your technology skills and literacy for free:
Get Training – Free Online Learning Resources
1. Coursera
https://www.coursera.org/
Coursera offers 2300+ online courses from the top universities, taught by real university professors from all around the world. This is the perfect opportunity to ramp up your skills in advanced topics with courses like Master Cutting-Edge AI, Data Science, Machine learning, Neural Networks and Deep Learning, Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies, Algorithms, Android App Development, and Cryptography. All of the courses from Coursera are free. However, you have the option of paying for a “Coursera Verified Certificate” to enhance your resume.
Topics taught: computer science, business, data science, math and logic, physical science and engineering, language learning, and more.
2. edX
https://www.edx.org/
edX offers courses from top higher education programs and is governed by MIT and Harvard. They offer 400+ courses under the “computer science” category, teaching various coding languages, AI, big data, data analysis, data science, machine learning, and more. Courses are free and offered at advanced, intermediate, and introductory levels. Some courses offer an option to pay for a certificate of completion.
Topics taught: business management, communication, computer science, data analysis & statistics, design, engineering, math, and more.
3. Udacity
https://www.udacity.com/
Udacity offers both free online courses and paid “nanodegrees” in specialties like Android development, data analyst, VR development, and robotics. There are a variety of courses built by highly regarded companies and institutions, such as Google, Face-book, Mercedes, IBM, At&t, Cloudera, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. For example, you can access the free deep learning course by Google on the Udacity website.
Topics taught: Android, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Data Science, Deep Learning, Developer Essentials, Digital Marketing, iOS, Machine Learning, Mobile App Development, Self-Driving Car, Software Engineering, Virtual Reality, and Web Development
4. MIT OpenCourseware
https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Take advantage of the robust educational offerings of MIT without the tuition. Their online library includes every topic taught at the school from computer science to mathematics to management. Interesting classes include Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science, Statistics for Applications, Artificial Intelligence, Entrepreneurship Without Borders, Law for the Entrepreneur and Manager, The Software Business. Your educational opportunities are only limited by your level of commitment and self-discipline. Classes include homework, tests, and so on that are self-administered and self-graded.
Topics taught: Java, C++, Python, Databases, AI, Distributed Computer Systems Engineering, UI design, and so many others.
5. Google Developers Training
https://developers.google.com/training/
Google offers courses on Android, web, firebase, and entrepreneurship at no cost. You’ll learn to build your first Android app, can participate in a code lab, or earn a nondegree, or become a certified Android Android Developer, Mobile Web Specialist, Google Certified Professional – Cloud Architect, or Certified Professional – Data Engineer at no cost.
Topics covered: Android performance, monetization, Firebase, location services, Google maps, Gradle, and more.
6. Codecademy
https://www.codecademy.com/
Codecademy is an excellent starting point if you’re new to coding or new to a particular technology. Get a grounding in the essentials with their interactive learning platform.
Topics taught: Website development, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SaaS, The Command Line, Python, ReactJS, Ruby and Ruby on Rails, AngularJS, Java, SQL and Git, Watson API, and more
Note: They offer a paid option with more advanced classes.
7. Free Code Camp
https://www.freecodecamp.org/
Learn to code for free while gaining experience working on projects for non-profits. As you progress through coding challenges and building projects, you’ll earn verified certificates along the way. Each certificate takes about 400 hours to earn, and they are completely self-paced so you can fit learning to your schedule.
Topics taught: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Databases, Node.js, React.js, D3.js, Databases, Git, and GitHub
8. The Odin Project
https://www.theodinproject.com/
Learn web development for free with the best resources available online. You’ll follow a curriculum path, create a portfolio, and work with a community of other students.
Topics taught: web development, Ruby programming, Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, JavaScript & jQuery
9. Upskill
Upskill offers web development courses taught with videos and project-based training. No previous experience is required to learn with Upskill. The final project of this boot camp-style learning program has you build a complete end-to-end project that includes features such as user registration/authentication, profiles, email notifications, image upload, membership billing, and more. You will build it using a combination of HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, Git, e-commerce, and others.
Topics taught: full-stack web development including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, Git, Bootstrap, e-commerce, and more.
10. GA Dash
https://dash.generalassemb.ly/
Learn the basics of web development with General Assembly’s free online learning platform. You learn by doing projects for each topic.
Topics taught: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, responsive design
11. MongoDB University
https://university.mongodb.com/
Take free courses on MongoDB. Classes start every few weeks and are delivered as pre-recorded video lectures and hands-on labs. You have to complete assignments on time and pass exams to get your certificate of completion. You can pay to take either the Developer or DBA exam to receive a certification.
Put Your Skills to the Test
12. Codewars
https://www.codewars.com/
Codewars lets you improve your skills by learning with others on real code challenges. To get started, you have to prove your skills in one of their 20 core languages. Once you do that, you can take on one of the 11 new languages in beta. As you prove your skills, the challenges get increasingly difficult, and you’ll be introduced to new approaches.
Topics taught: C, C++, C#, Crystal, Dart, Elixir, F#, Go, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Clojure, Rusk, Shell, SQL, Swift, TypeScript, and Haskell
13. HackerRank
HackerRank provides a learning and competitive community for programmers. You learn by solving code challenges versus lessons, so this is for people looking to improve their programming skills versus starting from zero.
Topics covered: Artificial Intelligence, SQL, Databases, Distributed Systems, Regex, Security, C++, Java, Python, Ruby, Linux Shell, Functional Programming
14. Code Challenges
These sites offer programmers the ability to improve their skills through coding challenges. There are options for practice that take anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours.
Topics covered: They offer challenges in 50+ technology languages.
- Top Coder: https://www.topcoder.com/challenges/?pageIndex=1
- Codin Game – https://www.codingame.com
- Checkio – https://checkio.org/
Keep Learning
Books are another great learning resource that you can take with you virtually anywhere! Check out these articles with lists of books that will also help ramp up your technology skills and literacy:
