Computer Science

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC) is a searchable dictionary of acronyms, jargon, programming languages, tools, architecture, operating systems, networking, theory, conventions, standards, mathematics, telecoms, electronics, institutions, companies, projects, products, history, in fact anything to do with computing.

A dictionary of algorithms, algorithmic techniques, data structures, archetypal problems, and related definitions.

GitHub offers students access to an extensive community of programmers, developers and aspiring computer scientists along with an array of coding examples and completed projects. These resources can help students complete their own projects by providing examples of code used in comparable situations by professionals in the computing field. Members can access public repositories of code and projects or create their own private and shared repositories for a small monthly fee.

Stanford Engineering Everywhere is a free resource designed to provide students across the U.S. with access to some of the courses and tools used by Stanford undergraduates to master the basics of computing, artificial intelligence and electrical engineering. These materials are also available to educators for use in classroom settings and are covered under a Creative Commons license that ensures they are freely accessible to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. Available courses include programming methodology, abstractions and paradigms, machine learning, introduction to robotics, convex optimization and an introduction to linear dynamical systems.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides free online access to teaching materials for nearly all of its courses, allowing students and teachers to enjoy unrestricted access to these resources. General categories represented on the MIT OpenCourseWare website include mechanical engineering, mathematics, electrical engineering and computer science, economics, management and liberal arts. These resources can provide real support for students across a wide range of disciplines. Because MIT is primarily known for its science, technology and engineering courses, however, these online course materials can be especially important for students pursuing careers as computer scientists and software engineers.

Self-directed study and basic coursework is available for free through the website. Students who want more active guidance, a customized learning plan and help from professional academic advisors can upgrade to Codecademy Pro for a monthly fee. For newcomers to coding, however, the free coursework available through the basic Codecademy site can deliver a solid grounding in computing basics with minimal expense, allowing students to explore this field without making a major investment in time and money.

For students interested in practical help for programming and coding languages, w3schools.com offers easy-to-understand examples and in-depth tutorials on AJAX, SQL, ASP, CSS, JavaScript and HTML markup code. This diverse range of educational materials ensures that students at all levels of proficiency can obtain the information needed to complete their projects and to achieve success in their chosen profession.