COMPUTER SCIENCE

...a branch of science and technology that encompasses all aspects of a computer system including computer software, hardware, and networking.

 

1. Stanford Engineering Everywhere

Stanford Engineering Everywhere is a free resource designed to provide students across the U.S. with access to some of the courses and tools used by Stanford undergraduates to master the basics of computing, artificial intelligence and electrical engineering. These materials are also available to educators for use in classroom settings and are covered under a Creative Commons license that ensures they are freely accessible to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. Available courses include programming methodology, abstractions and paradigms, machine learning, introduction to robotics, convex optimization and an introduction to linear dynamical systems.

2. MIT OpenCourseWare

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides free online access to teaching materials for nearly all of its courses, allowing students and teachers to enjoy unrestricted access to these resources. General categories represented on the MIT OpenCourseWare website include mechanical engineering, mathematics, electrical engineering and computer science, economics, management and liberal arts. These resources can provide real support for students across a wide range of disciplines. Because MIT is primarily known for its science, technology and engineering courses, however, these online course materials can be especially important for students pursuing careers as computer scientists and software engineers.

3. GitHub

One of the best online destinations for open source code examples, GitHub offers students access to an extensive community of programmers, developers and aspiring computer scientists along with an array of coding examples and completed projects. These resources can help students complete their own projects by providing examples of code used in comparable situations by professionals in the computing field. Members can access public repositories of code and projects or create their own private and shared repositories for a small monthly fee. These online platforms can provide a safe and stable environment for collaboration to make GitHub a must-have resource for professional programmers and first-time students alike.

4. W3Schools

For students interested in practical help for programming and coding languages, w3schools.com offers easy-to-understand examples and in-depth tutorials on AJAX, SQL, ASP, CSS, JavaScript and HTML markup code. This diverse range of educational materials ensures that students at all levels of proficiency can obtain the information needed to complete their projects and to achieve success in their chosen profession. The w3schools website offers intuitive navigation that allows advanced users to focus on their own particular areas of interest while ensuring that novices can quickly access the information they need to complete their design projects and achieve their short-term and long-term computing goals.

5. Codecademy

One of the most innovative educational sites in the computer science field, Codecademy offers two tiers of support for students interested in learning to code on a professional level. Self-directed study and basic coursework is available for free through the website. Students who want more active guidance, a customized learning plan and help from professional academic advisors can upgrade to Codecademy Pro for a monthly fee. For newcomers to coding, however, the free coursework available through the basic Codecademy site can deliver a solid grounding in computing basics with minimal expense, allowing students to explore this field without making a major investment in time and money.