Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer students a flexible and accessible way to learn programming. These online courses range from beginner to advanced levels, allowing students to learn at their own pace and gain valuable coding skills. MOOCs also enable students to focus on specialized topics not available in regular classes, giving students a broader and deeper understanding of programming.
See below for some of the most popular Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) that offer programming courses, especially geared toward high school students and adult learners.
MIT's OpenCourseWare offers a large selection of courses they previously offered for students to interact with on a self-paced timeline. Problem sets, lecture notes, lecture videos, and programming assignments with examples and video solutions are all provided in an open manner. This is seen as one of the originals in the OpenCourseWare movement.
Ten years after MIT's OpenCourseWare, edX launched a massive open online course (MOOC) platform to offer online university-level courses in a wide range of disciplines to a worldwide audience at no charge. This website aggregates various university computing classes and presents them in an easy-to-follow and organized manner. Some of these courses have specified semester dates, and students can follow along like regular classes, paying extra to have a certificate at the end.
Khan Academy is a well-known MOOC that offers a wide range of subjects for students to study. The coding section is currently limited but expanding. Khan Academy created their own learning AI named, Khanmigo.
Codecademy offers a wide range of technology topics from programming to data management. It offers both free and paid content, with the latter providing additional benefits such as detailed course information, quizzes, and extra problems. The paid membership also includes AI assistance for coding.
Coursera is an online learning platform offering various courses, specializations, and degree programs across multiple subjects. Many of the courses are from universities and organizations worldwide. Many courses are free, with options to pay for certificates and degrees.
Udemy offers courses created by individual instructors on topics including programming. Udemy allows anyone to create and publish a course, resulting in diverse teaching styles and course offerings. Courses are typically paid with limited free and open courses.
CodeHS is an online learning platform specifically focused on teaching computer science and programming to students, primarily at the high school level. The platform provides interactive coding exercises, instructional videos, quizzes, and projects to reinforce learning. Teachers can also utilize courses free to audit and learn new skills, but students have to pay or be a part of an enrolled class through the built-in classroom management tools,
In large-scale courses, particularly in MOOCs, it is impractical for instructors or graders to provide individual feedback on each submission or activity due to the sheer volume of learners (Gabbay & Cohen, 2022). Automated testing and feedback systems powered by artificial intelligence have been developed to address this challenge. These systems can handle unlimited submissions in real time, providing immediate and consistent feedback to learners (Keuning et al., 2018).
An example of the a simple coding error being recognized at Codecademy
Intelligent education systems, driven by AI, play a pivotal role in delivering timely and personalized instruction and feedback. By adapting to the unique needs of each learner, these systems ensure that learners receive relevant guidance and support precisely when they need it. This personalized approach not only enhances their understanding and retention of course material but also fosters a more engaging and effective learning experience (Chen et al., 2020).
Examples of AI use with CodeHS
AI Hints with CodeHS
The integration of automated testing and feedback mechanisms has significantly enhanced student engagement and retention in courses. Instant feedback is key in sustaining student interest and drive, ultimately resulting in elevated performance levels and increased course completion rates (Gabbay et al., 2022). Through offering a scalable approach to personalized education, AI-driven systems are revolutionizing the realm of MOOCs and large-scale online courses, enhancing the accessibility and efficacy of quality education for a worldwide audience.