Treehouse is an offering of over 1000 videos created by industry experts. In addition, there are also supplemental materials to help you further absorb the material being presented. These videos have been used by almost 200,000 students in 190 different countries. Some offerings of Treehouse are:
- Web Design
- Coding
- Game Design
- Swift
- Android
- HTML
- CSS
- Jquery
Every lesson is taught by an expert in the industry. These experts have years of experience in their fields and are skilled at sharing that experience with passion in a way that makes it interesting to the learner. They are there to help students achieve their goal. It does not matter whether the goal is a career, promotion, or simply learning to develop for yourself.
Each lesson is broken into smaller portions, called Stages, which make the information easier to take in. Their learning method is so successful that many businesses use Team Treehouse. They teach further technical skills to their own employees. Small companies all the way to Fortune 500 companies source their tech education from Treehouse.
In today’s world, almost everything is Internet-connected or has become more technological than ever. The common theme in this world is the code that is written to run all the devices we use in the ever-evolving tech world. To make all this code work, there will need to be programmers to write and maintain the huge base of code that is behind everything. The tech industry leaders estimate that in the next few years the number of unfilled and newly created programming jobs will continue to increase. Learning the skills necessary is vital to being part of this market.
Treehouse is there to help provide that skill set. The alternative is a college education in an on-ground or online campus. However, most of us do not have the resources or time to get a college degree while trying to work and maintain a family. Treehouse fills this niche, making it easy for everyone to get the skills they need to learn to code. From absolute beginners to advanced, Treehouse has a course path and online learning for you.
Founded in 2011, Treehouse uses their expert created videos to make their education accessible to the masses. Their premise is that in just 30 minutes a day, the time it takes to watch a video, you can be working towards mastery of a new concept. And, unlike a traditional on-ground education, it can be accomplished without any books, hardware, or software—just your computer and an account at Treehouse.com.
Whether an individual seeking an education or a corporate entity seeking employee training, Treehouse claims that they can have you building websites and applications in approximately 30 days or 45 hours of lesson time. Compared to on-ground study, this is extremely fast, as the average college course takes 16 weeks to complete and is paced by the instructor and course schedule.
Everything is contained within the Treehouse website itself, so there are no purchases necessary to complete your lessons. The only caveat is that to learn iOS programming, you will need to own a Mac. With Windows ports of Swift, this is becoming less true, but running the finished project will require you to have access to a machine running OS X or iOS. Treehouse also has an iPad application that gives you full access to your account and all learning materials while you’re mobile.
You can even complete the coding lessons on the iPad, without the personal computer. All this means that Treehouse is giving you the ability to gain all the knowledge you need at a fraction of the cost of an on-ground college tuition. Treehouse’s mission is to provide this knowledge to you in any way possible in the most convenient way they can.
Pros
- One of the key advantages with Treehouse is the fact that it is very clear and detailed. As such, learning has a lot of reinforcement and you will be taken through each step at your pace, until you understand the concept.
- Treehouse adapts teaching methods that are easy to follow and understand. This makes it easier for the teachers to interact with the students.
- All the teachers are friendly and will be willing to answer any type of questions that you may have in regards to the course that you are taking.
- You will have access to the forum with frequently asked questions about any class, which can be very helpful. You will also have access to high quality videos with worthwhile content.
- The graphics that teachers use to explain details are clear and neatly done, such that everything is visible.
- The teaching process is quite interactive with many coding quizzes and challenges. As such, this breaks the monotony and allows you to take up some practical coding challenges.
- With the Treehouse platform, the objective is not just to teach you how to write a code and let you go; you will learn how to code. The main objective is to ensure that at the completion of the course, you can start your career right away.
Cons
- Some of the courses are outdated and the structure of learning can be limiting since you have to pass a particular unit before advancing.
- The choice of classes is quite limited and the library cannot compare with similar platforms like Udemy or even Lynda.
- The courses on Treehouse only revolve around mobile and web development. Other components of programming are not included.
- Most classes are only suitable for beginners, not those who want to advance.
Pricing Plans
Treehouse has two main types of pricing plans. You can evaluate and look for the package that suits your needs. The price options that you can choose from are:
1. Basic Plan
With the basic plan, you will be required to pay $25 per month to start learning. There are a number of features that you will get with this package, with the main ones being:
- Access to over 1000 video courses in with top notch graphics
- There are interactive tools, which you will use for learning
- Offers on-demand learning for the students
- Grant access to the supportive community of students.
If you are not sure if this is the plan that suits your needs, you should start with the 7 days free trial.
2. Pro Plan
The Pro package will cost you $49 per month and has a free 7 day trial period. The main features include:
- Over 1000 video courses
- Allows you to practice live coding with the Code Challenge Engine
- Get access to member-only forums to get help
- Watch talks from leaders in the industry
- You will get exclusive content as a bonus
- Download videos, which you can watch offline.
Conclusion
Treehouse is certainly a great platform for software and web development. This is a great platform for the beginners who are interested in coding. There is a good level of student engagement, and the platform also allows the teachers and students to interact. The courses are clearly outlined, and each student learns at their own pace.
Treehouse is a great place for students to not only learn the skills but start their career. However, it is limited in terms of the courses, and the library is not as equipped as the one on Lynda or Udemy. Over and above, this is a platform that is worth giving a shot.