🤦‍♀️45 people completed FreeCodeCamp Certificate. None could make a web page when tested.

Summary

The speaker shares a critical experience with FreeCodeCamp, expressing disappointment over its failure to equip students with practical web development skills despite earning certificates. After mentoring 45 students through the curriculum, only two were able to create a basic webpage. The speaker highlights issues with FreeCodeCamp’s lack of reinforcement, over-reliance on theory, and ineffective gamified learning methods. They advocate for hands-on, real-world projects to reinforce knowledge and build genuine skills. This cautionary tale raises concerns about the effectiveness of online coding platforms in preparing students for actual tasks in the tech industry.

Takeaways

• 😀 FreeCodeCamp and similar online resources can be helpful, but they often fall short in reinforcing real-world skills through hands-on practice.
• 😀 The speaker mentored 40+ students through FreeCodeCamp’s web development curriculum, but most students struggled to apply what they learned in a practical context.
• 😀 Despite earning certificates, only 2 out of 45 students could independently build a basic webpage after completing the course.
• 😀 Online educational platforms often focus on theory and task completion rather than reinforcing fundamental skills through repetitive real-world application.
• 😀 FreeCodeCamp does not teach students how to set up and use live servers or host their projects on real platforms like GitHub, which is a key real-world skill.
• 😀 Many students didn’t even understand basic file structures like naming an HTML file correctly or where it should be saved, showing gaps in their practical knowledge.
• 😀 The mentor’s approach involved giving students a simple challenge to create a webpage, and only a few were able to complete it, revealing deficiencies in the curriculum.
• 😀 The lack of practical, hands-on reinforcement is a major flaw in online education platforms, preventing students from mastering the skills they are taught.
• 😀 The speaker argues that learning through creating real projects, repeatedly applying concepts, and building on previous knowledge is essential for mastering a skill.
• 😀 FreeCodeCamp’s gamified approach to education, while motivating, often leads students to complete tasks without deeply understanding the concepts, which limits long-term skill retention.

Q & A

What is the main critique the speaker has regarding FreeCodeCamp's web development course?

The speaker criticizes FreeCodeCamp for not teaching practical skills effectively, as many learners, despite completing the course and earning a certificate, were unable to build a website from scratch afterward. The course focuses more on passing individual levels rather than reinforcing and layering previous knowledge.

How did the speaker test the students who completed the FreeCodeCamp course?

The speaker gave the students a challenge to create a basic web page from scratch. Most of them, despite having earned certificates, were unable to complete the task. Only two out of the 45 students could create a web page independently.

What issue did the speaker find with FreeCodeCamp's approach to teaching web development?

The speaker argues that FreeCodeCamp's approach lacked reinforcement and repetition. The course provides new material without ensuring students solidify and build on prior knowledge, which leads to poor retention of skills.

What specific knowledge did the students lack after completing the FreeCodeCamp web development certification?

After completing the course, students lacked basic knowledge such as understanding the structure of a web page, how to name an HTML file, or how to set up a live server. They also couldn't independently create a web page, even after having earned the web development certificate.

What is the speaker's opinion on the value of certificates from FreeCodeCamp?

The speaker believes that while FreeCodeCamp provides certificates, they are not an accurate reflection of the practical skills needed for web development. The certificates may be seen as impressive to parents but do not represent real-world competency.

What analogy does the speaker use to compare FreeCodeCamp's approach to teaching with another learning platform?

The speaker compares FreeCodeCamp to 'Vim Adventures,' noting that while 'Vim Adventures' might help players learn the syntax of commands in a game-like context, it does not teach them the real-world application of those commands in a terminal. Similarly, FreeCodeCamp focuses on passing levels without teaching the actual skills to build projects in a real-world context.

Why does the speaker believe that using real tools in learning is important?

The speaker emphasizes that using real tools, such as a proper code editor or setting up a live server, helps learners make stronger associations with the tasks they are performing. This leads to better retention and prepares them for actual development work in real-world environments.

What is the speaker's main concern with gamified education platforms like FreeCodeCamp?

The speaker's concern is that gamified education platforms tend to focus on passing levels or completing challenges without giving students real-world problems to solve. This leads to shallow understanding, as students may not be able to apply what they've learned in practical situations.

What does the speaker suggest would have been a better approach to teaching web development?

The speaker suggests that a better approach would involve consistently building real projects from scratch, with repetition and layering of skills. This would help reinforce the concepts and ensure that students are prepared to handle real-world development tasks.

What alternative does the speaker mention that was more effective than FreeCodeCamp for teaching programming?

The speaker mentions CodeCombat as an alternative that helped students learn the syntax of coding. However, they note that while CodeCombat was helpful for learning specific syntax, it still failed to teach how to solve real-world programming problems effectively.