Ask IH: Ideal Tutorial Examples?

For me, one of the best sources I have watched is Laracast.

Jeffrey way goes direct to the point, without all the fuzz a lot of people tend to put in their videos.

Personally, I prefer the book format (online courses can be in this format too) for theoretical learning (but this isn't too popular), and video tutorials for especific things

I really liked the tutorials on https://www.howtographql.com/

I think they really listened to their potential users, as the introduction very quickly explains common misconceptions. I also like how they have a small test at the end of every chapter to unlock the next one. You can skip the question, but it's a great feature. The repetition is what makes you remember.

They also have an optional line of tutorials, after the first introductory ones. After that, they have 10 practical hands-on tutorials where you get to actually build something with your preferred language/framework.

The intro to Rails has always been a favorite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaDhY_y8WTo

I use Lynda for learning courses. There courses are made by professional so they are much better then YouTube and Udemy videos.

I prefer video-free methods like codecademy coding environment or text tutorials with pictures. I think part of it is my own learning style, where I find it hard to just watch someone else doing something. I also like that text tutorials are searchable.

I also love examples! As many as possible, with interactivity if that's also available. I like the React ones that have Codepen embedded examples.

Teaching is where I want to be, fulltime.

I believe a good teaching environment provides a mixture of video and text; exercises and Q&A with the tutor. I don't really have an example to show, but I'll talk about these aspects and why I think they're important.

Videos are repeatable and can be viewed anytime, anywhere, by anyone. They're a great way of containing a lot of subject matter into a small amount of time, and they deploy an important part of human communication: visual communication. Eye contact and hand movements go a long way.

Text is also important, however, because it's the most accessible form of communication we have (as a species.) It can be translated into other langauges, read in different colours or font sizes, offline and online, on a screen or in print. It's also a preferred method of some students.

And finally Q&A is critical too. Being able to ask an expert questions and get 1-2-1, direct answers helps learning immensely. A lot of online courses don't offer this because they're saturated with students: there's no way an educator can cope with 200,000 students.

I'm working out the specifics of an online training system that enables me to deliver both video and text for the masses, and Q&A for those looking for a 1-2-1 approach.

I'm going to answer your question in a somewhat annoying way and suggest that the best tutorials aren't just tutorials. Whenever you have a set of instructions to follow, it's so easy just to follow them and leave it at that without really learning the subject.

The best online learning experience I've had is with Treehouse's Techdegree programme. (Referral link but I do really believe in the product anyway!). The trick is that they give you the tutorials, but then force you to build things with that knowledge afterwards. You can't have one without the other.