This is CS50! Last year, I figured that I’d give computer programming a try. I enrolled in an online introduction course called CS50x offered through Edx: an online school where universities can post their content and anyone can access it. Fast forward 1 year, I am almost finished. Here’s my reflections on the experience.
Pros and cons of learning online
| Pros | Cons |
| Accessible | Unstructured |
| Go at your own pace | Disconnect |
| Diversity | Not recognized |
| Developing new skills | Learning shift |
| Free or very inexpensive |
I was immediately sold on learning programming online. It’s free, something that I want to do and I don’t have to travel to class. I had the luxury of going at my own pace, and accessing the content from anywhere as long as the internet connection is reliable. The course content is boundless, ranging from maths to finance to communication and everything in between. Online courses are a way to develop new skills and keep up with current schools of thought.
Online learning on Edx is a different ball game though, with new rules and players. It’s very unstructured; there are no class times, no deadlines, nothing breathing down your neck. This could have the detrimental effect of making students cozy and less focused. There is an inherent disconnect- you’re really on your own through the entire course. Some online courses have forums and discussion boards where people can ask and answer each other’s questions but it’s nothing compared to talking things over with classmates or asking a professor directly. The courses aren’t recognized; they’re not from an accredited institution. The biggest obstacle is the learning shift from the traditional classroom: it’s a self-directed environment and demands a lot from the individual student to make the most of it. I had to plan my learning schedule, seek out additional resources for the problem sets, stream the lectures and do the homework by myself and for myself.
My experience
Honestly, CS50 is a brutal course. The kids at Harvard are truly on another level because I can’t imagine ever finishing a course like this in 12 weeks while taking other university classes as well. It took me a whole year to get through it.
I will admit, not paying for the course had the drawback of making me less driven to complete the course. With online courses, motivation makes or breaks. Initially, I came in with the mindset, “Programming is all the rage, I should check it out” (WEAK). That may have been why I was progressing so slowly over the first part of the course. In April, I found a tailwind- I wanted to learn programming because it is such a powerful tool and I could leverage it to build webpages, command microcontrollers and more (STRONG).
Having never learned programming before, I definitely overextended by taking a notoriously hard intro course. I struggled throughout the entire semester but that actually ended up working in my favour. I figured out which resources to go to for guidance. All the constant mistakes helped me refine my programming approach. It made me a better problem solver and a humbler learner.
Final Thoughts on Online Courses
The shift from the classroom is real when you step into the online space. Self-directed learning of a foreign concept is an immense challenge but it can be done. The most important things are being motivated and interested. Anyone who ever takes a course online: Please have a strong reason otherwise it won’t work out. I really enjoyed learning computer programming and pleased that I tried out online learning. Now that I know what’s in store, I can definitely make the most of it the next time around. I only wish that I was exposed to online-schooling earlier.
Pictures taken from:
shankarpro1 