Learning Programming: Videos vs Interactive Coding Courses
Video and interactive courses are both great, effective ways of learning to code. But, if you are a programming beginner, one has a distinct benefit for you.
Learning Programming: Videos vs Interactive Coding Courses
So, which one is best for you? In this blog, we will discuss which of these two approaches is best for you, according to your needs.
Note: Nowadays, you can find video courses that incorporate interactivity and interactive programming courses that can contain video lessons. However, in this blog, our recommendations are based on whether videos or interactive elements dominate your experience.
Videos vs. Interactive Courses: The Main Considerations
| Point of Consideration | Video Courses | Interactive Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Casual and hobby learners who learn through demonstrations and observation | Complete beginners who require structure, interactivity, and a push to keep learning |
| Hands-on Experience |
Video courses often do not force you to write code as you learn. This means there is a lack of hands-on experience. | Interactive courses often force you to write code as soon as you learn a new concept. |
| Engagement Levels | Video courses are usually less engaging unless the instructor is really interesting and insightful. They are often a passive learning experience. | Interactive courses make you solve quizzes and coding challenges, which is a more active and engaging learning experience. |
| Availability of Free Resources | You can find plenty of free video resources to learn programming compared to interactive courses. | You will find few free interactive courses and even fewer good ones that provide a well-rounded learning experience. |
Who are Video Courses Best For?
Considering all the above factors, here are the kinds of learners videos and video courses are best for:
Audio-visual learners
If you learn best when you see demonstrations, hear explanations, and are inspired by watching someone create cool things, video courses are best for you.
These can be anything from YouTube tutorials about a particular programming language to a YouTube speedrun of someone creating a website, or a programming course from platforms like Udemy or Pluralsight.
Those looking for a community experience
If you want to learn programming through resources that make you feel like you are a part of something bigger and that has some personal touch, video courses are better at this.
Courses on platforms like YouTube and Udemy are often created by fellow programmers who feel like giving back to the community. These courses have a sense of rawness to them, a feeling of passion to teach and share knowledge, which can, in turn, fuel your passion to learn.
Plus, the comment sections, discussion forums, and conversations with the creators and fellow learners further enhance the feeling of personal touch and community.
Interactive courses usually cannot replicate these experiences, and if you consider them important, video courses are your best bet.
Casual and hobby learners
Videos give you the flexibility to learn anywhere — all you need is a device.
This makes video courses on platforms like YouTube and Udemy perfect for casual learners and someone already working in the tech sector. You can learn on your own time — no daily time commitments and need to be at your desk to learn.
Plus, if you are a casual learner, you also want the freedom to explore new concepts and niches. Video courses enable this, too, as the aforementioned platforms contain courses about almost anything you can think of.
Those looking for affordable resources
YouTube and other platforms like Udemy and freeCodeCamp have plenty of free video resources for learning to code, whether that be hours-long, comprehensive courses, or shorter videos explaining particular concepts or use cases.
Despite being free, some publishers, like freeCodeCamp, Harvard CS50, Programming with Mosh, Bro Code, Corey Schafer, etc., produce video materials that rival premium offerings from many platforms. So, you are not deprived of quality even if you do not plan on spending money.
But if free videos do not cut it for you, you can always explore Udemy, which often offers tech-related courses for under $20.
Who are Interactive Courses Best For?
Here are the kinds of learners interactive courses are best for:
Complete beginners in programming
If you are a total beginner committed to learning programming, interactive coding courses should be your go-to resource.
Courses like our Master Python learning path, for example, make you code from day one, give you a clear roadmap to follow, and help you track your progress. They also let you learn at your own pace, something more difficult with videos.
Plus, there are guided projects and coding challenges, which develop your fluency and give you a feel for how coding works in real life.
Someone looking for a hands-on learning experience
Maybe you tried a few video courses, and you quickly realized you wanted to write code yourself immediately after learning something new.
Interactive courses let you do exactly that.
For example, in our Master Python learning path, we have integrated quizzes, coding challenges, and even end-of-course projects — all geared towards giving you a well-rounded, hands-on learning experience.
Because, after all, you cannot learn how to code without actually writing code yourself.
Someone who often finds themselves in tutorial hell
Picture this.
You go to YouTube, find a course for learning Python, and start watching it.
45 minutes in, you feel great about yourself. You have not written any code yet, but you feel like you have learned so much.
Feeling inspired, you try writing a simple Python program.
But, as you attempt writing the program, it hits you — you do not know how to actually write code.
You think maybe the course was not that great. So, you find another video tutorial and watch that for an hour.
And the cycle repeats.
If this is you, you are in tutorial hell. And you need to get out.
How?
It's simple — forced interactivity.
Interactive courses force you to write code after every new concept, plus there are coding challenges to complete and projects to build.
Further, many courses, like our Python learning path, require you to solve all the quizzes and challenges related to a chapter before you can move past it.
All this ensures you actually read, understand, and apply your learning — the best way to stay out of tutorial hell.
Final Thoughts
Whether to choose video courses or interactive courses mostly depends on whether you learn better by watching videos and absorbing knowledge or actively writing code while learning new concepts. If you know this, there is only one more step: pick a resource and start learning.
If you are only just getting into programming and looking for something interactive, start by learning Python, the most in-demand programming language, now with our Learn Python Basics course.