Using MOOC to Learn the Python Programming Language

Abstract

The article carries out a quantitative analysis of online courses on learning the Python programming language as of October 2022. Such online platforms as Codecademy, Alison, FutureLearn, Udemy, Edx were considered. The main requirements for software engineers training, as well as features of online courses on learning programming languages were highlighted.  The authors analyzed samples of online courses, which were a) generated with an automatic search by the keyword “Python” and b) found manually by relevant thematic sections. The analysis was carried out separately for each sample according to various criteria: a number of courses, an approximate level of student training, the cost of taking an online course, and a possibility of obtaining a certificate/diploma. The largest number of courses on learning Python is presented on Udemy platform. Alison platform offers the fewest number of courses for learning the Python language. All platforms are aimed at different level of student training (beginner, intermediate, advanced). On Alison and Edx platforms, 100% of the courses are free, while on FutureLearn platform, all courses are payable. After completing online courses, students can receive a certificate (all MOOC) and/or a diploma (Alison, Edx). As Python popularity is growing, further research is planned to analyze online courses which are represented on various MOOC and are related to the use of the Python programming language in different areas.