You may be considering reskilling or upskilling in data analytics. You’ll probably have discovered that there are lots of ways you can do this, from self-directed learning using books and online tutorials, through online MOOCs, to university courses and immersive bootcamps such as CodeClan’s Data Analysis course. There’s lots of choice.
One deciding factor for you may be the amount and quality of support you need to make your learning enjoyable and productive. Or perhaps, like me until recently, that’s not something you’ve given much consideration to. In this post, I’d like to share some thoughts on how important I think that support can be. Even if you haven’t given it much consideration yourself, it’s worth reading on, because I think it is something that’s worth considering when you choose a learning journey that is right for you.
The different ways that we learn
We all learn in different ways. We need different things for our learning to be successful. For some of us, what appears to be the least expensive option (self-directed book-based or online learning) may be the way to go – you plan out what you want to learn and work your way through it on your own. Simple! Or maybe not. Whilst appealing financially, I don’t actually think this method suits many people. How do you know you’re on the right track? What do you do if you need help? Doesn’t it make a more enjoyable experience to bounce ideas around with others? What about university? University courses can be great (I should know – I’ve done enough of them), but can be expensive and take a long time to complete, time you could be using for your career and be earning. Immersive courses, such as our Data Analysis course, take less time (ours is 14-weeks), are tutor-led and are team-based, where you learn with others. What does our immersive course offer that sets it apart from other methods of learning?
I started at CodeClan a few months back, to help with the data courses we offer. One of my first jobs was to evaluate the courses. I had expected the content of the courses to be up-to-date, relevant and interesting. Happily, this is what I found! I had expected the courses to be delivered by the instructors to a really high standard, in an engaging and informative way. I also found this was true. Finally, I expected that the immersive course would be challenging and require commitment. This was true too. What I didn’t expect to find, and what really delighted me, was the level and quality of support provided to students.
I’ve been involved in education for a long time. I taught for fourteen years and studied at university for eight. I’ve seen how challenging it can be to meet the needs of learners and I’ve seen examples of how this can be done really well. That said, I’ve never seen learners given such good support as I’ve seen at CodeClan, where instructors and the student support team go above and beyond to deliver exemplary support. As well as giving a strong focus to student wellbeing, the team is superb at working with students in advance of the start of the course to plan their learning journey and identify any needs they may have. Should students experience challenges during the course, the team is ready to step in to help, professionally and with care, and get back on track. I’ve watched it in action, and it’s a wonderful thing to behold. I’ve seen the difference it makes to our students.
Personally, until recently, I haven’t really considered myself to be someone who’d benefit from support in my learning. Maybe you feel the same. But it’s not true! We all benefit from support. It makes learning better. It gives us the reassurance that someone else has got our back and is ready to step in and help if that’s what we need. From my experience in teaching, I think it’s fair to say that some learners need more support than others (that’s natural) but it’s also true that we don’t always know what support we will need in advance. As we all know ‘stuff happens’, and when it does, it’s good to know you have a team around you to help you progress to the next step in your learning journey.
So as you consider the best form of learning for you, think about what you may need from the experience in order to make it a positive, enjoyable and successful one. And think about how having a supportive team around you can make all the difference.
It’s a great time to get into data…
From demand, to salary and career flexibility, there are many reasons why it’s a great time to change career or upskill into data. CodeClan’s Professional Data Analysis course will cover all of the skills discussed above. Need something more bitesized? Why not join one of our FREE Coding for Data workshops.
