Here are some frequently-asked questions about CodeLesson. If you have a question that's not listed here, please contact us.
CodeLesson courses have no set times. This makes our courses ideal for people with busy daytime schedules; it also means that you can take a course no matter which time zone or country you reside in.
Our courses have readings and structured assignments with due dates, but there are no set meeting times. Generally, readings and course work are assigned at the beginning of each week of class and due at the beginning of the next week. Course instructors are generally available every weekday to answer students' questions and provide feedback on assignments.
Although our courses have no set meeting times, they are not self-paced. You should plan to devote at least five to eight hours each week to the reading, online discussions, and activities in your course.
CodeLesson courses are instructor-led, meaning that a subject matter expert is available to guide you through the course material, answer questions, and provide additional help if you need it. A typical course has a weekly reading assignment that draws upon material from the course textbook as well as online sources. Most courses have weekly hands-on assignments. Many courses have discussion assignments in which you answer questions or write up your thoughts regarding a topic from the course. Some courses have quizzes which you can take online.
You should plan to devote at least five to eight hours each week to the reading, online discussions, and activities in your course.
We support both Windows and Macintosh for all our courses, except for those courses which pertain to a specific operating system (see the individual course description for more details). Some of our instructors support the Linux operating system (specifically, Ubuntu); for courses that involve programming, we'll provide access to a Linux server to test your code.
You should have regular access to a computer to do your course work. You may be required to install some software on your computer. So if you don't have the ability to install software (for example, if you're using a locked-down work computer), you should discuss with your IT staff whether you can be granted this permission (or pursue an alternative computer to use for the course).
The main method of interaction is through online discussion forums (message boards). You have access to the forums 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. This is one of the advantages of taking an online course; while you are responsible for keeping up with the content and turning in assignments on time, there's no set time when you must attend the course. Most students check in to their courses every weekday or so. You can expect that your course instructor will check in on the discussion forums most weekdays. You can contact your instructor via email, and most instructors schedule weekly office hours during which you can contact them via telephone or Skype. Some courses may also schedule online chats during which students and instructors can chat online in real time.
Because the main method of interaction in the course is online, to be successful in a CodeLesson course you will need to have the ability to communicate in writing. We enthusiastically welcome international students; however, at present, all our courses are taught in English. This means you must have a good command of written English to take one of our courses.
Because we're a professional training service and not an academic program, we don't use conventional letter grading. However, we realize that students can benefit from evaluations of their coursework. So each activity you perform in your course is evaluated and graded on a percentage scale by the instructor. You'll also receive an aggregate percentage evaluation for everything you do in the course. If you receive a passing grade in the course (as defined by the instructor), your instructor will award you an certification for that course. The instructor may also award a few students in each course an certification "with distinction"; this denotes that these students are among the top few students in the course.
You may display certification badges on your CodeLesson profile at your option.
If you receive a failing grade in your course or fail to complete the course, no certification is awarded. You are free to take the course again in the future.
After you enroll in and pay for a course, we'll send you an email with instructions on how to log in.
Prices for our courses differ depending upon the subject matter and duration of the course; click on the Pricing link on each course's page for more details. Our intention is to make our pricing competitive with University extension programs.
Because we're not on a regular semester system, instruction is continuous (meaning a course can be scheduled to begin at any time). Once we have sufficient interest for a particular course we'll set a start date for the course and send an email to students who have added it.
It varies based on the subject, the time of year, and other factors. We try to have a minimum of four to six students in each course. If the instructor agrees, however, we can run a course with as few as one or two students. We have produced courses with hundreds of students (although this course size is unusual). Because of our online format, students can receive the same amount of instructor attention in a large course as in a smaller course. Unlike traditional classrooms where crowding can inhibit class participation, the number of students in an online course doesn't affect your ability to participate at all.
Our courses are not designed to fit into a one-size-fits-all semester system; the duration of the course depends on the subject. We currently offer courses from four weeks to twelve weeks in duration. The duration of each course is listed on the course's page.
We regret that we cannot offer payment plans to students; however, PayPal (our payment processor) offers a feature called Bill Me Later that enables you to pay over time. You can select Bill Me Later as an option on PayPal when you check out. Click here for more information on payment options for CodeLesson courses.
We recognize that professionals sometimes have unpredictable schedules, and we want to work with your schedule. So we are happy to provide a full refund anytime until 24 hours before the scheduled start day of the course. We regret we cannot provide refunds after that time.
We do not offer email accounts to students, sorry. If you need an email account, we recommend Gmail.
Yes. Generally we need a minimum of six students to make a course happen. Contact us for details.
Yes. Contact us for details.
