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GUEST POST: Let’s focus on ‘Learning’ in MicroLearning

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GUEST POST: Let’s focus on ‘Learning’ in MicroLearning

  1. Valuable Content: This is the ‘what’ of the microlesson – the actual topic. Instructors should ask themselves – what is it I want to teach my learners with a particular microlesson? Content should be relevant and useful, and it should be a part of something that will connect to learners’ existing knowledge. Content is a key starting point in planning to integrate a microlesson in the online course.

  2. Clear Instructional Purpose: This is the ‘why’ of the microlesson – the reason. Instructors should ask themselves – why do I need this microlesson and what do I wish to achieve from it? Instructional purpose is the reason for someone to develop a microlesson on the chosen content. It can be understood in terms of providing summary, augmentation/enrichment or clarification of tricky concepts, or simply as a review.

  3. Appropriate Length and Structure: This is the ‘how’ of the microlesson. While it is important to keep a microlesson short, sticking to a specific timeframe can be limiting and challenging in being able to present all the relevant content. Therefore, it’s better to think in terms of mental complexity. View length and structure through the lens of Sweller’s cognitive load theory (9,10) and design the microlesson using Rosenshine’s principles of instruction (click here for a microlesson on Rosenshine Principles of Instruction; 11). Instructors should be aware of the inherent complexity of the content as well as element interactivity (how complex and interconnected the components are) and how it might cognitively overload learners’ working memory. For example, think of a simple versus complex math problem. Simple math problem like 5+8 has low element interactivity but a problem from calculus would have a higher element interactivity. They should also keep in mind learners’ prior knowledge of the topic because element interactivity is highly dependent on what the learner already knows. Structure of the microlesson should be clear and concise without much irrelevant or unnecessary features, such as extra visuals or distracting animations (9,10). If there is a need for an advance organizer (an overview of the lesson prior to new material), the instructor should consider adding it to the microlesson. In sum, the length and structure of a microlesson should be informed by cognitive load theory and not by time frame.

  4. Appropriate Timing: This is the ‘when’ of the microlesson. Instructors looking to integrate microlessons in their courses should carefully think about when it should be revealed so as to gain maximum benefit from it. Whether the goal is to achieve opportunities for spaced practice or to scaffold by presenting complex information in small steps, it is important to think through the notion of timing (12).

  5. Contextually appropriate Format: Consider how the microlesson should be packaged and delivered. Instructors will be making multimedia related decisions at this point. Do I make a video, an infographic, or a text-based microlesson? The theories that can guide this design theme are dual coding theory (13) and cognitive theory of multimedia learning (14) which also provides us with a useful list of multimedia design principles (15; for example see this blog post). Instructors also need to consider, what platform do I use to develop and eventually host my microlesson? How can my learners access the platform? The chosen platform should be easily accessible (for example, using a link or something similar) and it should reduce as much as possible any logistical obstacles such as creating an account, login requirements, learning a new tech tool etc.

  6. Choice of appropriate Interactivity: If developing a microlesson can be analogous to creating a dish following a recipe, interactivity would be the spices that can enhance the flavors of the finished product, i.e., enhance the learning. Instructors can spice-up a microlesson by providing learners with opportunities to test their understanding of the content. Consider adding retrieval practice (16) opportunities to the microlessons via zero or low stakes quizzes/self-tests. These can be in the form of multiple choice, true-false, drag and drop etc. Don’t forget to provide feedback as well to support learners’ metacognitive skills.

If we truly want to understand the role of MicroLearning within formal learning contexts (e.g., for university-level courses or for formal professional development) and capitalize on its claimed benefits for our learners, we cannot do so without connecting with the science of learning.

This post has been derived and modified from the author’s doctoral dissertation titled ‘Designing Evidence-informed Microlearning for Graduate-level Online Courses’ (17)

References:

(1)  Hug, T. (2007). Didactics of Microlearning. Münster: Waxmann Verlag Co.

(2) Hug, T. (2010). Mobile Learning as ’Microlearning’: Conceptual Considerations towards Enhancements of Didactic Thinking. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning Journal, 2(4), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.4018/jmbl.2010100104

(3) Hug, T. (2005). Micro Learning and Narration Exploring possibilities of utilization of narrations and storytelling for the designing of “micro units” and didactical micro-learning arrangements. In: Online proceedings of the International Conference “Media in Transition 4: The Work of Stories” at the M.I.T. in Cambridge (MA), USA, May 6-8, 2005.

(4) Friesen, N. (2007). The Microlearning agenda in the age of educational media. Micromedia and Corporate Learning: Proceedings of the 3rd International Micro-Learning 2007 Conference. https://www.academia.edu/2817875/The_Microlearning_agenda_in_the_age_of_educational_media

(5) Jahnke, I., Lee, Y. M., Pham, M., He, H., & Austin, L. (2020). Unpacking the Inherent Design Principles of Mobile Microlearning. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 25(3), 585–619. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-019-09413-w

(6) Rettger, E. (2017). Microlearning with Mobile Devices: Effects of Distributed Presentation Learning and the Testing Effect on Mobile Devices [Ph.D., Arizona State University]. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1901899014/abstract/4122AA6F8CF84AFAPQ/1

(7) Buchem, I., & Hamelmann, H. (2010). Microlearning: A strategy for ongoing professional development. eLearning Papers, 21(7), 1-15.

(8) Neelen, M., & Kirschner, P. A. (2017, June 13). Microlearning – A New Old Concept to Put Out to Pasture. 3-Star Learning Experiences. https://3starlearningexperiences.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/microlearning-a-new-old-concept-to-put-out-to-pasture/

(9) Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and Instruction, 4(4), 295–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/0959-4752(94)90003-5

(10) Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years Later. Educational Psychology Review, 31(2), 261–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5

(11) Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of Instruction: Research-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know. American Educator, 36(1), 12.

(12) Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266

(13) Clark, J. M., & Paivio, A. (1991). Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review, 3(3), 149–210. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01320076

(14) Mayer, R. E. (2014). Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. In R. E. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed., pp. 43–71). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369.005

(15) Tufan, D. (2021). Multimedia Design Principles for Microlearning. In J. R. Corbeil, B. H. Khan, & M. E. Corbeil (Eds.), Microlearning in the Digital Age (1st ed., pp. 58–79). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367821623-6

(16) Agarwal, P. K., Roediger, H. L., McDaniel, M. A., & McDermott, K. B. (2018). How to use retrieval practice to improve learning. https://pdf.retrievalpractice.org/RetrievalPracticeGuide.pdf

(17) Sachdeva, N. (2023). Designing evidence-informed microlearning for graduate-level online courses [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto]. University of Toronto T-Space Repository.

How ChatGPT Can Help You Learn More Programming Languages

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How ChatGPT Can Help You Learn More Programming Languages

At Codecademy, we like to think of ChatGPT as an overconfident study buddy. The AI chatbot will answer your prompts with ease and speed, but it’s also known to get facts wrong or blatantly make things up. That’s why ChatGPT alone can’t teach you how to code — you need tutorials, hands-on practice, and insight from other human developers to truly grasp programming concepts. 

That said, a cocky chatbot tutor can come in handy in certain situations. For example, if you know one programming language and are trying to pick up another. It’s common for developers to work with a handful of languages throughout their career. You might switch between several languages depending on the demands of a particular project or the tech stack your team uses. 

Learn something new for free

Once you have one language down, it’s much easier to pick up another. And with ChatGPT, translating code concepts into different languages or learning the language-specific nuances becomes NBD. Here are some unique ways that developers can play around with ChatGPT to speed up the process of learning a new programming language. Not sure which language to learn next? Take a look at our full course catalog for some inspiration.

Compare concepts side-by-side

When Codecademy’s Curriculum Director Zoe Bachman was learning to code, she started with JavaScript and then took a Python course. “Learning a second language really helped ground me in the basic principles of programming topics like conditionals and loops,” Zoe said in a recent livestream tutorial. 

Many languages utilize the same features — like variables, conditionals, loops, lists, and functions — just with different syntax and structure. You can ask ChatGPT to translate a concept from one language to another and compare how core programming principles come across in different languages. Seeing the differences and similarities laid out can help you gain perspective and adapt to a new way of thinking. 

For example, maybe you’re working with a NoSQL database management system for the first time and can’t remember the syntax for a certain operation. You could ask ChatGPT to show you what SQL operations look like in a NoSQL database to help refresh your memory and get started. (BTW, if you are a NoSQL newbie, we have a free course Learn MongoDB that’ll give you hands-on practice.)

Get a hand debugging 

In the 2023 Stack Overflow survey, almost half of developers who use AI tools said they use them to debug code. A tool like ChatGPT can help you comb through and debug thousands of lines of code in just seconds, streamlining a frustrating (but necessary) part of the development process. In our new case study Debug Python Code with ChatGPT, we’ll provide you with a code snippet to practice resolving errors with the help of ChatGPT. 

If you’re running into bugs as you code in a new language, but you’re not sure what to look for, you can feed your code to ChatGPT to review. The chatbot can help you find solutions or offer debugging strategies in multiple languages, which hopefully takes some of the headache out of debugging.   

Quickly create a code snippet

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are awesome for, well, generating content. In this case, you can ask ChatGPT to spit out some code examples and explanations in different programming languages. This can help you understand the syntax, data structures, and common practices for each language.

Another option is having ChatGPT show you some real-world examples of programming languages in action. That way, you can explore how applications that you’re familiar with handle various tasks in different languages. For example, ask ChatGPT to show you a list of popular apps that are built using Python. 

Ask all your questions

We’re of the belief that there’s no such thing as a “stupid” question. But when you’re a beginner in any programming language, it can be nerve wracking to take your questions to Stack Overflow or a more experienced dev you met on Discord. 

ChatGPT can be a good sounding board to use when you need something explained or clarified. You can even ask ChatGPT to explain concepts to you in several different ways or for a variety of audiences until it clicks. And, as a large language model that can’t emote, think, or reason, you can ask questions as many times as you need without worrying it’ll get angry at you or annoyed.

These are just a few ways that you can take advantage of AI throughout your learning journey — you can also use ChatGPT when it comes time for networking and applying for jobs. For courses and tutorials that’ll teach you everything else, be sure to check out our full catalog. We recently added new AI courses and case studies that’ll teach you not only to use these tools like ChatGPT, but also to build them. 

Codecademy’s 5 AI Principles & What They Mean for You

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Codecademy’s 5 AI Principles & What They Mean for You

At Codecademy, we’re committed to making sure that all the work we do is ethically sound. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, particularly now, as AI profoundly transforms our world. There’s a lot at stake, and we want the next gen of developers and people learning to code to understand what it means to be responsible, thoughtful, and informed AI practitioners. That’s why today we’re announcing Codecademy’s principles for using, building, and improving AI systems.

Fun fact: The initial idea to codify our AI principles came out of a recent internal hackathon project. As you can imagine, AI is top of mind for folks here at Codecademy, so the project resonated. From there, a diverse group of people across Codecademy — including Engineers, Data Scientists, Instructional Designers, and more — worked together to establish these AI principles and adapt them for everyone in the Codecademy community.

Our philosophy and our actions have always been guided by our learners. How can we help them achieve their coding goals? Our approach to AI is guided by the same belief, ensuring that people can interact with AI systems in a safe and fair way. These principles guide our work here at Codecademy, so that all our learners and community members can experience AI in a safe and fair way. Everyone who interacts with an AI system should feel empowered to use these ideas as a compass to navigate whatever comes next.

Read on and click each principle to see the full details. For our learners and team members, we believe that we should pursue:

1. Safe and effective systems: We make sure our tech works as intended before we ship it to you. We use AI thoughtfully and only when it makes the product better. We test it rigorously.

Our products are designed intentionally with cross-functional input and tested rigorously. We think deeply when we implement AI and carefully consider the possible impacts of the algorithms on our learners, on our team members, and on the world — beyond immediate profit. We won’t use AI for AI’s sake; instead, we clearly define the purpose of AI in a project and seek to limit the scope of its use in delivering the intended solution.

2. Algorithmic discrimination protections: We research existing algorithms to the best of our ability and investigate our own tech stack with an eye toward addressing potential risks and eliminating bias.

We take proactive and continuous measures to protect our learners and team members from algorithmic discrimination. Whether we build our own models or use models built and trained by other companies, we are clear about the potential risks and address them through our QA process. We assess algorithmic impact, evaluate results for disparities, and mitigate potential bias and discrimination whenever possible.

Algorithmic discrimination occurs when automated systems contribute to unjustified different treatment or impacts, specifically disfavoring people based on their race, color, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, gender identity, intersex status, and sexual orientation), religion, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by law.

3. Data privacy, notice, and explanation: We are transparent when we use AI. We give everyone the opportunity to understand our policies and opt in or out of having their data used to improve our models.

We strive to improve our learners’ experience, but not at the expense of our learners’ right to control their data. We win as a team, and our learners are part of that team. We communicate clearly if we intend to use learner data to inform future models and products. Learners can choose to opt out if they would prefer not to have their data used in product development.

4. Human alternatives, consideration, and fallback: While we might collaborate with some helpful robots, there is always a team of humans ready to answer your questions and support your learning journey.

We always keep humans in the loop. We improve relentlessly, and AI is part of that improvement. But even the most helpful robots need guidance. We think deeply as humans, and build products for our learners that are guided by human support and decision-making.

5. Learner-centered experiences: Our goal is not just to “do no harm” with our tech, but to create learning tools and content that help our learners be thoughtful, informed, and responsible AI users.

When we use AI, it is to improve our learners’ experience. Additionally, we create a culture of learning around new technology. We invest in our team members by giving them the time and means to keep up with current technology, including AI.

With these principles always in mind, we’re prepared to embrace AI’s opportunities. Let us know what you think about our AI ethics principles and check out our catalog of new AI courses and case studies to start learning today. You can also read more about our approach to AI on the blog.

AI Won’t Kill Programming — But It Will Transform How We Code

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AI Won’t Kill Programming — But It Will Transform How We Code

In 2013, Codecademy’s Co-Founder Zach Sims appeared on The Colbert Report to talk about our mission to teach everyone to learn to code. An incredulous Stephen Colbert posed a prescient question: “Why do I need to understand that? Can’t I just say, ‘Siri, code for me.’”

Fast forward 12 years, and it’s still a daunting question. Why learn to code when you can just ask ChatGPT or another AI tool to code for you? We have a few thoughts.

It’s no exaggeration to say that a transformative industry shift is underway. AI is laced into practically all the tools we rely on to work, live, and interact with the world. Learning how to confidently navigate the AI-driven world is absolutely essential for anyone hoping to thrive in it.

At Codecademy, we’re taking everything we learned from creating the best possible coding education platform to create the best possible AI education platform. This month, we’re launching new courses and case studies that break down the algorithms and systems powering AI innovations — so you can practice the skills you’ll need to get ahead and embrace new opportunities. We’re also leveraging AI within our product. We’re adding new features that make it easier to pick up concepts, get feedback, and reach your coding goals.

Read on to learn more about our approach to AI, why we’re convinced that coding is not dead, and how we’re preparing the next generation of developers (like you) to visualize and shape the future.

AI will make working with computers more accessible

Programming, at its core, is just the mental process of thinking up instructions to give to a machine. Computers today can understand lots of different kinds of commands, from English-like statements that you write in Python, to drag-and-drop Blockly blocks, and even your own speech.

Working with computers has become highly accessible and much more intuitive over the years — and thank goodness for that. Can you imagine if you had to feed a machine physical punch cards with rows of numbers every time you wanted to write a line of code? An engineering sprint would feel like a marathon, and learning to code would seem like a monotonous chore or a deeply obscure hobby.

Learn something new for free

A detail that tends to get lost in the conversation about AI and development is that there’s a difference between coding and programming. Coding is transforming ideas into a written language that a computer can understand. Programming is the broader task of determining instructions to give to a computer so it can execute a task. Programming languages are the medium that humans use to “talk” to a machine.

AI is just the latest technological advancement that humans have unlocked to improve programming efficiency. Human-machine interactions now feel much smoother and practically seamless, because AI can simplify complex tasks and streamline our experiences. And coding, a key step in the programming process, has an ease and clarity that didn’t exist before. Someday in the future, coding by typing letters and symbols on a keyboard one by one might look as old fashioned as using punch cards. But that doesn’t mean that programming is dead — in fact, it’s quite the opposite.

Learning to program is more important than ever

Coding as we know it now could fade into obsolescence, or at least change drastically to the point where it’s unrecognizable. Learning to program, on the other hand, is becoming an increasingly vital skill, because it enables us to participate in the world around us. When you think about it, interacting with an AI system could be considered a type of “programming.” You need to know how to engineer a prompt so that ChatGPT can generate the most relevant response and how to assess and contextualize the chatbot’s replies. (We’re launching new courses that’ll teach you the art of prompt engineering, like Prompt Engineering for Marketing.)

Human developers are leveraging AI tools to cut out the tedious parts of writing code, like checking syntax, looking up documentation for a function, or debugging. In the 2023 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, 44% of professional developers said they use AI tools in the software development process. And why wouldn’t they? AI tools boost productivity and can speed up the learning process.

Incorporating AI tools also helps free up your mental resources so you can focus more on the meaningful parts of development, like critical thinking and collaborating. A survey from GitHub found that when developers used the AI pair programming tool GitHub Copilot in their work, they were 88% more productive, and felt more satisfied and fulfilled about their jobs in general.

Using AI as part of your workflow isn’t cutting corners. It’s a sign of resourcefulness, creativity, and problem solving — soft skills that you need to succeed in any technical role. Rather than having these AI systems take over people’s jobs, over time AI could improve a developer’s career longevity and make programming more sustainable and rewarding.

Codecademy’s approach to AI

We’re committed to using AI to benefit our community and learners, all while mitigating the potential risks and negative impacts. We recently published Codecademy’s responsible AI principles that we’re using to guide the work we do in AI. Promoting a culture of fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI is important to us, because we want our learners and community members to be able to experience AI in a safe and honest way.

This month, we’re rolling out brand new courses that cover the most pressing topics in the AI space today, including a beginner-friendly Intro to Generative AI course. You can get started now with our new case studies that teach you how to use ChatGPT to resolve code issues and create unit tests so you can be a more efficient and informed developer. We also have case studies that showcase how people in professions outside of tech can take advantage of ChatGPT to write sales emails and create text that’s suitable for various reading levels.

All the while, we’re using AI to improve the Codecademy experience so we can continue our mission of empowering inspiring careers in technology.

Word of the Day: pheromone

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Word of the Day: pheromone

The word pheromone has appeared in two articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on April 24 in “To Display 500,000 Ants, No Simple Ant Farm Will Do” by Emily Anthes:

To put the ants’ agriculture on display, the museum designed a sprawling, open exhibit made from lab-tested, “ant-approved” materials, from braided stainless steel to old-fashioned Legos. “The ants got to pick a lot of stuff,” said Ryan Garrett, a self-described “ant wrangler” and founder of Leaf House Scientific who collected the ant colony and served as a consultant on the habitat.

… The team needed just a small subset of ants to blaze the path; when the first ants returned from the foraging area, they would leave a pheromone trail that their sisters could follow. The museum began coaxing the ants forward by laying down a trail of apples and leaves.

Can you correctly use the word pheromone in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how pheromone can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

GUEST POST: Some of Those who Wander Are Found

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GUEST POST: Some of Those who Wander Are Found

In an article in the 2012 journal Association for Psychological Science titled “Inspired by Distraction: Mind Wandering Facilitates Creative Incubation,” authors Baird et. al looked at the link between solving problems in creative ways and providing an opportunity for those solutions to occur. Let’s look at what the study examined then what it could mean for teachers. First, imagine a group of adults are given a brick and are asked for a list of possible uses for the brick. Before the group begins thinking of creative building patterns for the brick, they discover the catch; the uses of the brick must be different from the brick’s typical purpose. How many uses can the person list before the well of creativity runs dry? After a short period of time, the group is stopped and divided into four sub-groups. They are either given a somewhat taxing activity that requires them to use their memory, they are given a more laissez-faire activity that allows their mind a chance to wander at will, they are given a chance to rest, or they are instructed to simply continue thinking of new uses for the brick. After a period of time, all groups return to the original task, finding new uses for that brick. Which of these sub-groups created the most extensive list of uses? It is not, as a demanding teacher may assume, the group pushed to continue without a break, nor is it the group, as perhaps the well-meaning teacher might believe, the group given a short rest period. Instead, the group who is given the easier task – not the memory-dependent one – created the most extensive list of possible uses for that very ordinary brick.

Does this mean in order to solve a problem, we simply should allow our minds to think of anything but the problem and roam at will? Not exactly. Instead, if the problem solver believes no further solutions are forthcoming, the problem solver can find success in redirecting attention towards a separate but less daunting task. Imagine an astrophysicist determinedly attempting to measure the diameter of a black hole that lies several thousand light years away. The astrophysicist, struggling with immense computations, may find not only respite and solace in a quick word search but may also become more successful in future calculations because of the mental diversion – the mind wandering.

Classroom Application

How can we put this information to use in the classroom? First, instead of reprimanding students who seem to need those moments of mind-wandering, we should encourage them. We can initiate periodic times in the day or class period to encourage students to divert their mental focus from one more demanding task to one more creative and mentally freeing. Students attempting to power through a lengthy literary essay may benefit from five or ten minutes of drawing or some guided meditation.

Students struggling with one complicated calculus problem may reach the solution with much less stress and much more confidence if they are prompted to hum the words to their favorite song or imagine eating their favorite ice cream. Although this area of cognition has many mazes left unsolved, it seems as if the solution may not result solely from endless hours spent pouring over surveys, test results, and interviews. The solutions to this cognitive query and indeed many others, may be in doing the opposite of what many of our teachers told us. Instead of adhering to the admonition to “pay attention and focus more,” perhaps we should, on occasion, “lose attention and focus less.” Who knows what uses we may all find for those bricks in the process?

7 Steps to Make Yourself Promotable as a Software Engineer

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7 Steps to Make Yourself Promotable as a Software Engineer

For most of us, landing that promotion probably won’t be as straightforward as just reading an annual book. But the example in this tweet above is a useful way to remember that being a shoo-in for promotion starts with distinguishing yourself among your peers. In reality, being a cut above the rest of your team alone won’t earn you a promotion. You also have to advocate for yourself, make your impact known, and continue to learn new things.

Wondering what it takes to get that title change or salary bump? I chatted to Jean du Plessis, Senior Engineering Manager at the cloud platform Upbound, who shared his advice for junior and intermediate engineers looking to go to the next level. Ahead are some traits that make a software engineer promotable, and tips that will help you climb the ladder and reach your goals.

Explore technology outside of work

At work, you and your peers are likely working on similar problems using the same technology. Think about how you can differentiate your skills or bring a novel perspective to your team. You don’t have to start a blog or become a high-profile streamer (although it wouldn’t hurt), but even small, fun side projects or open-source contributions are useful for giving you exposure to technology and different types of problem solving that you won’t get from your full-time role.

Learn something new for free

“At a junior level, you should be trying to expand your exposure to different languages and frameworks as much as possible to get differing views,” Jean explains. “There are so many frameworks that solve the same problem, so why are there different ones? What does each one bring to the table and why would you use one over another? Knowing which language to use for which problem is a skill you only develop if you explore a lot of different things.” 

Want to learn a new programming language or round out your skill set? We have lots of free courses that are specifically for programmers who want to level-up, like Python for Programmers and Rust for Programmers. Or if there are other areas of tech you’re interested in exploring, like UI/UX design or cybersecurity, check out the rest of our course catalog.

Understand (and show) how your work contributes to the business

“You’re not an artist, Peggy. You solve problems.” Don Draper’s tough love in the HBO show Mad Men holds an important truth: Our contributions at work have to support the business. Engineers can sometimes get tunnel vision for the challenge right in front of them, so they lose sight of what comes after you ship a product or feature. Think about how you might get people to adopt the new feature you just fixed, or how you’d market it. It’s not that engineers have to become experts in other departments like marketing, developer relations, or sales, but “if you want to get promoted, one of the best ways to do that is to stand head and shoulders above the rest of your peers,” Jean says.

One way to stand out is to showcase your work and how it contributes to the organization’s bigger picture goals. That could mean writing for the company blog about a problem you solved or a feature you built, volunteering to speak at conferences, or even giving an internal demo at the next brown bag talk. “Talking about your work shows that you appreciate that software is only useful if it’s adopted,” Jean says. “Building something is the first part. Then there’s the part of getting people to use it.”

Develop your communication skills

You need strong communication skills at every stage of your career, but particularly when you’re vying for a promotion. Sharing your work and helping others to understand your impact takes practice. 

The good news is that getting into a habit of writing about or demonstrating your work will, over time, help you get better at articulating the value of your efforts. Pair programming is another great way to practice communication, as you get comfortable talking through the steps to debug an issue with a partner. Your company may also offer coaching or mentoring programs to help you develop your professional skills. 

“Communication in engineering is one of the most underrated skills, and if you can practice this early on in your career, that’ll set you up for success in the long term.” Jean recommends the book Communication for Engineers (C4E) as a good place to start developing those skills.

Show initiative

“The problem that a lot of people have early in their career is they’re waiting to be spoonfed what they should do next and how they can grow,” Jean says. “They should take ownership of that.” 

What does that look like in practice? “Don’t wait to be asked to fix something menial, do it,” Jean advises. “If you find something that’s wrong, open an issue and fix it. Show that commitment to caring and ownership of the product. You’re showing that you’re not just there to tick boxes.”

Another practical way to show initiative is being willing to jump into code reviews, especially for more senior team members. Even if you don’t have corrective feedback, Jean suggests asking the pull request (PR) author questions or to explain a decision they made. “As a manager, any signal you get that a team member is showing a mindset that’s bigger than the task right in front of them is a positive thing,” he says. “It shows the ability to cope with more responsibility.”

Help others

As you advance from junior, to intermediate, to senior, you are increasingly measured not by your own output but by your influence on others’ output. If you want to be considered for promotion, it’s worth showing you’re already thinking about how you can coach teammates or be a force multiplier for others across the company. 

At GitLab, where Jean used to work, collaboration is baked into the company’s values. There’s a specific goal around global optimization, where everyone thinks about what’s best for the organization as a whole, not just what’s relevant to their individual goals, Jean says. While he says this big-picture thinking isn’t strictly necessary to go from junior to intermediate, it would make you stand out. “If two people are exactly the same on all other criteria and I can only promote one, I’m going to promote the one who shows that behavior,” he says. And remember: A rising tide lifts all boats. Your peers will appreciate the work you do for the collective.

Ask for feedback

“From a programming point of view, showing a desire for feedback and a humility to take feedback from others is important,” Jean says. Ideally, you should be asking proactively for feedback from your manager in your one-on-ones. If you build a section for feedback into your regular agenda, it also takes the awkwardness out of receiving critical feedback because it’s expected and normalized. 

In code reviews, Jean recommends avoiding defensiveness if someone gives feedback on your PR. “If the person didn’t give the context as to why they’re asking for something to be changed, ask for it.” It can be hard to feel corrected at first, but the more you approach feedback as an opportunity to help you learn and grow, the stronger an engineer you’ll be. For more tips on how to review someone else’s code, check out this article on the blog.

Team up with your manager

This might seem obvious, but a lot of us are never explicitly told: If going to the next level is your goal, you need to work with your manager, not just impress them. “A signal for me that shows how ready someone is for the next step is whether I have to drive their career progression or if they’re driving it themselves,” says Jean. “As the manager, I’m there to create opportunities for them, but they have to tell me how they want to grow and what they want to do.” 

If you’re not sure how to broach that conversation, start by asking, “Can we evaluate me against the next level to identify where there are gaps that I can go and work on?” Most managers will jump at the chance to collaborate on your promotion plan.  

If you’re surprised at how little your actual programming skills feature in all of the above advice, it’s time to reframe your idea about what makes a great software engineer. Jean has some parting advice: “Coding is like learning a language,” he says. “You learn the rules, the syntax, and the grammar, and you write it. But engineering is about problem solving and most of that is not hard skills. You learn the hard skills once you’ve solved the problem.”

What is ROI in LMS and How to Calculate It?

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What is ROI in LMS and How to Calculate It?

ROI (Return on Investment) is a critical metric used to assess the effectiveness and profitability of any business initiative, and Learning Management Systems (LMS) are no exception. For organisations investing in LMS platforms, understanding the ROI is essential to measure the impact of their learning and development efforts. In this article, we will delve into what ROI in LMS means and provide a step-by-step guide on how to calculate it.

What is ROI in LMS?

ROI in the context of LMS is a quantitative measure that assesses the value and benefits gained from the investment in an LMS platform compared to the overall cost incurred. It helps organisations determine whether their learning and development initiatives are generating sufficient returns and if the chosen LMS is delivering the desired outcomes.

Why is the ROI calculation important?

The ROI calculation is of paramount importance as it provides a clear and objective assessment of the effectiveness and value derived from an investment in a Learning Management System (LMS). By quantifying the returns in relation to the total investment, organisations can make informed decisions about their LMS implementation and training strategies. A positive ROI validates the decision to invest in the LMS, while a negative ROI prompts a reevaluation of the LMS choice and its impact on the organisation’s objectives. Moreover, ROI analysis helps identify areas where improvements can be made to enhance the LMS’s impact, such as optimising training content, addressing employee needs, and fine-tuning learning initiatives.

What to consider when calculating your return on investment on LMS?

  • Elevating employees can lead to better revenue: Training and development initiatives contribute to a more skilled, engaged, and motivated workforce. This leads to improved performance, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency, all of which can directly impact revenue growth for the organisation. Investing in employees is a strategic decision that has the potential to yield significant returns in the long run
  • Improved employee confidence and productivity: Training programmes can enhance employees’ skills and knowledge, making them more proficient in their roles. As employees become better equipped to handle their responsibilities, they can deliver higher-quality work, which translates to improved efficiency and productivity. This increased performance often results in better revenue generation for the organisation.
  • Train all your employees, old and new: This is a proactive and beneficial approach for organisations seeking to foster a skilled, adaptable, and competitive workforce. From skill enhancement and talent retention to fostering a learning culture and gaining a competitive edge, comprehensive employee training is a vital component of long-term success and sustainability.
  • Time-saving: With an LMS, employees can access training materials at their convenience, eliminating the need for lengthy in-person sessions and reducing time away from work. The self-paced learning approach enables learners to progress at their own speed, optimising the time spent on each topic.
  • Improve employee satisfaction: The convenience and flexibility of self-paced learning in an LMS can improve work-life balance and reduce stress, contributing to overall employee well-being. Satisfied employees are more likely to be motivated, engaged, and committed to the organization, leading to improved productivity and reduced turnover.
  • Cut down training expenses: An LMS can significantly reduce training costs compared to traditional in-person training methods. By adopting digital learning, organisations can eliminate expenses associated with travel, accommodation, and venue rentals for training sessions. The LMS allows for the creation of reusable training content, reducing the need for constant updates and reprinting of materials.
  • Save on travel expenses: With an LMS, organisations can significantly reduce or eliminate the need for employees to travel for training purposes. Traditional in-person training often incurs substantial costs related to airfare, lodging, meals, and transportation. By transitioning to digital learning through the LMS, employees can access training materials from anywhere, reducing or eliminating travel expenses altogether.
  • Employees can learn anytime and from anywhere: The ability for employees to learn anytime and from anywhere is a critical factor to consider. An LMS provides a flexible and convenient learning environment, enabling employees to access training materials and courses at their own pace and from any location with an internet connection. Employees can fit learning into their busy schedules, maximising productivity and minimising disruptions to daily work.
  • Your experienced employees can share their knowledge: Employees possess valuable insights into the organisation’s training needs, existing processes, and areas that can benefit from the implementation of an LMS. By involving them in the ROI calculation process, you can gather first-hand feedback on the effectiveness of the LMS, its impact on employee performance, and any challenges or opportunities identified during the implementation phase.
  • Improve employee retention: Offering opportunities for growth and development to employees demonstrates that the organisation values them. This leads to higher employee satisfaction and increased retention rates. Reducing employee turnover saves costs associated with hiring and training new employees and helps maintain a stable and experienced workforce.
  • Save time and spend it on the bigger picture: The LMS streamlines training processes automates administrative tasks, and offers self-paced learning options, saving valuable time for both employees and administrators. With less time spent on manual tasks and managing logistics, organisations can redirect their efforts toward strategic planning, innovation, and business growth. Employees can invest more time in skill development and honing their expertise, leading to improved performance and productivity.
  • Increase your talent pool’s productivity: Employees can acquire new skills and knowledge, leading to increased productivity in their roles. The LMS’s self-paced learning approach allows employees to access training materials conveniently, enabling them to learn at their own speed and revisit topics as needed. This flexibility ensures a more efficient learning process, resulting in quicker skill acquisition and application in the workplace. As productivity rises across the talent pool, tasks are completed more efficiently, projects are delivered on time, and overall performance improves.

How can Alison help with improving your LMS ROI?

Alison is a popular online learning platform that offers a wide range of free and paid courses across various subjects. It can contribute to improving your organisation’s LMS ROI in several ways:

  • Access to Certified Programmes: Alison offers certification programmes that can provide official recognition for learners’ achievements. By integrating these certification opportunities into your LMS, you can motivate employees to complete courses and gain industry-recognised credentials, potentially leading to improved performance and career growth.
  • Analytics and Reporting: Alison’s platform provides analytics and reporting features, allowing you to track learner progress and engagement. These insights can help you assess the effectiveness of Alison’s courses within your LMS and make data-driven decisions to optimise the learning experience.
  • Learning Pathways: Alison’s learning pathways or course recommendations can guide employees on a learning journey that aligns with their career goals. Integrating these pathways into your LMS can promote continuous learning and skill development, leading to better employee retention and performance.

ROI in Learning Management Systems is a crucial metric that helps organisations understand the impact and effectiveness of their training initiatives. By considering factors like training cost savings, productivity improvements, compliance benefits, and employee retention, organisations can obtain a comprehensive view of their LMS investment’s returns. Evaluating ROI not only helps in justifying the investment but also guides decision-making to optimise future learning and development strategies.

Word of the Day: soiree

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Word of the Day: soiree

The word soiree has appeared in 24 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on July 24 in “How Do You Party — Barbie Style?” by Alyson Krueger:

On Saturday afternoon, Shallon Lester, 36, a YouTuber, saw “Barbie” with 20 girlfriends and then headed back to her house in Bozeman, Mont., for a “Barbiecue.”

She renamed her five-bedroom home “Shallibu Barbie’s Dreamhouse” for the soiree and set up hot-pink balloon arches, a Barbie-themed Slip ‘N Slide and a splash pad. When the ladies weren’t playing in the water, they played a game of Barbie trivia. “I’ve been Googling what Barbie’s full name is, how is she related to Ken, which professions she had,” Ms. Lester said in a phone interview.

Can you correctly use the word soiree in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how soiree can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.

The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.

How I Went from Technology Intern to Senior Software Engineer in 4 Years

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How I Went from Technology Intern to Senior Software Engineer in 4 Years

Learning to code so that you can land a job in tech can feel daunting. That’s why we’re sharing inspiring stories from Codecademy’s community — to show how people like you (yes, you!) can embark on a learning journey and end up with a totally new career. We hope these stories serve as a reminder that there’s no single path to a more fulfilling work life.

Today’s story is from Byron Jenkins, a 26-year-old Senior Software Engineer at Capital One and Adjunct Instructor at Temple University, living in Philadelphia. Read more stories from Codecademy learners here — and be sure to share your story here.

Why I chose to learn to code

“My dad is a retired boxing trainer, so I spent my entire childhood boxing. I didn’t know anything about computer science or coding. I just was genuinely fascinated by tech and how computers work. We had one computer in the house that I would get on all the time, and we had AOL dial-up internet. My mom would bribe me with computer access for doing good in school. My high school in the inner cities of Philadelphia didn’t offer any coding courses, unfortunately. So, when I was in 11th or 12th grade, I just was Google searching ‘how to create a website’ and I saw Codecademy and signed up.

I started learning how to code on Codecademy in various languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. I decided to fully commit to go to school for computer science or computer engineering. Once I understood the differences, I realized I was more passionate about software. That’s what confirmed my decision to attend college for four years and study computer science at Temple University.”

Learn something new for free

How I made time to learn

“I would spend about two hours, if not every day, every other day trying to learn how to build a website and just powering through the challenges on Codecademy. At the time, in 2013, Codecademy didn’t have as many courses as they do now. I was just covering how to build a website with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and just getting my feet wet with Python.

When I joined college as a freshman, I thought I could take as many classes as I could and also work 40 hours a week at Best Buy. I failed five classes and bombed a prerequisite, which held me back. I took classes over the summer and during winter break to get credit to make up for the failed classes, because I didn’t want it to prevent me from graduating and impact job opportunities.”

How I saved up money to learn

“I had the completely free Codecademy account at the time.”

How long it took me to land a job

“During my time at Temple University, I interned at TD Bank, and then I transitioned from intern to part-time employee during my senior year. By the time I graduated in 2019, I had two job offers from TD Bank and JP Morgan. I proceeded with TD Bank into a rotational program. It was in the middle of the pandemic, so I had a lot of time on my hands. I wasn’t really satisfied with my growth at the time, and the work wasn’t challenging enough for me, so I started searching on LinkedIn for new jobs. Fortunately, during my time at Temple University, one of my professors was actually the VP at Capital One. I reached out and he helped me move over to Capital One.”

How I got in the door

“Since I was working during college, I didn’t have much time for extracurriculars and groups. I really wanted to join this iOS development class, because I was interested in learning how to build mobile applications for Apple devices. Unfortunately, the class was pretty much full when I tried to register. In my downtime, I taught myself Swift, and I ended up building my own mobile application. 

By my junior year, I attended a college career fair and spoke to every table. I’m naturally shy,* so my delivery sucked for the first five tables.  But once I got the nerves out, I got it down pat. Eventually, I landed an interview with Burlington Coat Factory and TD Bank for software and technology intern positions.”

*Do you dread in-person networking? Read this blog for tips on how to feel more comfortable talking about yourself.

How I nailed the interview

“I did something very nontraditional that was kind of bold. I went to the interview with an iPad, which had a drawing of the idea I had for the app. It was a color-coordination game, where you have to use math equations and geometry to draw a circle. I was just showing them how I went through that process of designing it, and then walking them through how I released it, and continuously built new versions. I explained how I went from an idea, to development, to release. I didn’t realize this at the time, but the app I created encapsulated pretty much what you do every day as a software engineer. You’re putting out new versions and tracking versions of your software.

This is the sketch that Byron used to talk about his app during an interview. “After initial development, I had trouble programmatically splitting the circle into separate parts, while maintaining the position and behavior,” he says. “The sketch helped me understand what math I needed to do in order to achieve the desired behavior.” 

A lot of interview questions are geared towards experience, and I didn’t really have much experience besides that eight-week internship. Being able to talk about building my mobile app helped me answer situation questions like, Name a time where you struggled.”

How I evaluated the offer

“I attended JPMorgan’s Code for Good hackathon to get some more experience. I impressed them and they invited me over for a job interview. As I mentioned, I failed many classes in college, and JPMorgan had a hard GPA requirement that I didn’t meet. I remember thinking, Wow, I didn’t meet the minimum requirement for a GPA but I still had a job offer after going through your interview process. I was a little upset by that, and it’s one contributing factor for why I decided to stay with TD Bank. It’s also a primary example of how networking and attending events can help you bypass many barriers.

I also had to think about the salary difference, which wasn’t much. At the time, I was working at TD Bank part-time while in school, so I was factoring in what I could be making for my senior year of college. I didn’t want the JPMorgan offer to impact my part-time opportunity or a chance to continue full time.”

I explained how I went from an idea, to development, to release. I didn’t realize this at the time, but the app I created encapsulated pretty much what you do every day as a software engineer.

Byron Jenkins

Senior Software Engineer, Capital One

How day one and beyond went

“The day to day for me was going into the office working on what I love to do: code. It was surreal, because I worked very hard to get there and finally graduate college. I felt that joy and relief, like, I made it. I finally got my foot in the door. But I constantly put pressure on myself. I’m not done. I want to contribute more. I have to make a good impact.”

What I wish I knew before I started learning

“I wish I had more awareness and more knowledge about coding events or hackathons that could give me exposure within the tech space. And as an adult, I wish I knew about the alternative paths and opportunities that are out there to learn to code.”

Not sure where to start? Check out our personality quiz! We’ll help you find the best programming language to learn based on your strengths and interests.

Want to share your Codecademy learner story? Drop us a line here. And don’t forget to join the discussions in our community.

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