ARCHIVE: IT CAREER EXPERT
Learning Visual Basic -- Part 1
John Smiley
07.06.2000
Rating: -3.50- (out of 5)
Learning Visual Basic -- Part 1
I'm often asked my opinion as to the best way to learn a new
programming language.
The answer to that question depends on many factors: Do you already
know a programming language? How much time do you have to learn one?
How do you learn best?
Are you one of those people who learn best in an instructor-led
classroom environment? Can you read a good book or books on a
programming language and learn that way? Can you benefit from an online
learning experience, where you can take advantage of an instructor or
mentor who can answer questions if and when you have them?
In this article, I'm going to examine the classroom environment, and in
future weeks I'll be discussing self-learning and online learning.
As far as classroom instruction, one alternative is to take a Visual
Basic course at a Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center
(CTEC).
(For more information on Microsoft Certified Training, check out this
web site: http://www.microsoft.com/train_cert/)
There are two main advantages to taking a course at a CTEC.
First, you are assured of taking a course developed by Microsoft and
part of the Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC). MOC courses can only
be taught by a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), who must be certified
in the subject matter he or she is teaching, and must demonstrate the
instructional skills necessary to deliver the material. Secondly, these
courses do a good job of preparing you to take the corresponding
Microsoft Certification Exam in that subject.
However, there are also disadvantages to the CTEC alternative...
First, the courses are expensive. For instance, you can expect to pay
approximately $2000 for a week long Visual Basic course. Secondly, the
courses are geared toward computer professionals---so if you are a raw
beginner, the material is likely to be over your head. Finally, the
courses themselves are very intense, even for someone who has a
programming background. For a Visual Basic course, you can expect to be
in the classroom 7 hours per day for a solid week---and that can make
learning difficult.
Next time -- classroom alternatives to the CTEC...
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Written by John Smiley, MCP, MCSD and MCT, is an adjunct professor of
Computer Science at Penn State University in Abington, Philadelphia
University, and Holy Family College, and has been teaching computer
programming for nearly 20 years. He also teaches a number of very
popular online courses at SmartPlanet and ElementK. In addition, John
is the author of four very popular Visual Basic books, and is
reportedly the first guest to write a computer program live on ZDTV's
Screen Saver's show.
John Smiley is president of Smiley and Associates,
http://www.johnsmiley.com/smass/smass.htm a computer consulting firm
located in New Jersey.
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