How to Learn HTML & CSS Online

If you’re just starting to learn a new skill, you can find dozens of tips and resources online; learning HTML & CSS is no different. HTML & CSS are the programming languages used to tell web browsers how they should display information and assets on your computer screen. These languages tell the web browser you have open now how to distinguish these words from the rest of the web page and in what size, font, and color they should be displayed. If you’ve always wanted to learn HTML & CSS, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. From free tutorials to live classes, your options are outlined here so you can decide how to learn in a way that works best for you. 

What is HTML & CSS?

HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are the two primary programming languages upon which all modern web infrastructure is built. These two programming languages tell your computer how to display a web page and distinguish one web element from another. HTML uses a system of tags and breaks to communicate to web browsers how a given web page should be displayed for users. It is what tells the web page you are looking at right now what the difference between a header and a paragraph is so that the web page knows when to separate the two blocks of text. CSS informs the web browser how it should display some aspects of content, assigning fonts, sizes, colors, and other visual data to web page elements. It tells the web page to display these words in a specific font, size, and color. Together, these two languages help build simple web pages composed of text, images, and hyperlinks.

Since their adoption in the mid-90s, HTML & CSS have become the most commonly used programming languages for web development, as virtually all web pages run on a skeleton built using these two languages. While the output of HTML & CSS is rather unimpressive by modern standards since it only deals with the production of visual elements, text, images, and links. However, modern web pages would be impossible to design for all their complexity without HTML & CSS. This means that anyone aspiring to work in web development must learn how to code in HTML & CSS before they can begin to learn more complex languages. 

Read more about what HTML & CSS is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with HTML & CSS?

Using HTML & CSS, you can design rudimentary web pages and begin the process of learning how to create dynamic and evocative web pages. While most modern web page design programs like WordPress allow novice users to construct more elaborate web pages than with HTML & CSS training alone, learning how to work with HTML & CSS prepares students for complex coding processes using programming languages such as JavaScript, React, or Python.

Learning HTML & CSS is also an essential first step in learning how to code web pages professionally. As more and more businesses, companies, organizations, and groups seek to establish an online presence, skilled Web Developers are in high demand. While any professional Web Developer will also need additional training, learning the fundamentals of front end web development will ensure that students have the foundation to build into a profitable future career.

Live Online HTML & CSS Training

Students who cannot attend a class in person due to scheduling or travel concerns may want to consider live online instruction as a viable alternative. These courses maintain many advantages of in-person instruction, as students can still work directly with experienced instructors who are there to answer their questions and provide them with assistance and feedback. In addition, students can take classes from anywhere in the county, meaning they won’t face limitations to the courses offered in their local area. Students will miss out on networking opportunities, however, and even with the advent of modern online teaching applications, it can still be cumbersome to have an instructor reviewing your code from a distance.

Noble offers the same HTML & CSS classes provided in-person as live online instruction classes. All of the benefits, from the ability to interface with an expert instructor, to the small class sizes, to the free retakes, remain in place, so students aren’t missing out on the benefits of enrolling in a Noble course if they enroll online. Most service providers, including Ledet Training, CTS Training, and Coursera, offer HTML training. Please consult Noble Desktop's Classes Near Me tool to compare your options for live online HTML & CSS classes.

On-Demand HTML & CSS Classes

Students looking to learn HTML & CSS but who want more flexibility in their schedule and learning style may wish to consider on-demand classes. Some students have work or family obligations that prevent them from attending a live training course, or they may feel like they want to learn coding at a more relaxed pace than they would experience in a bootcamp. Regardless, on-demand classes can give students greater peace of mind and reduce the pressure associated with enrolling in a live course. The drawback to these courses is that learning how to code can be tricky for new students, and without a live instructor to help, it is easy to get lost and potentially be unaware of why problems arise in your code.

On-demand courses are the most varied of the HTML & CSS training options. Some of these courses feature paid lectures, while others are free modules. Some are for beginners with no coding experience, and some assume a basic knowledge of coding practices. Some classes will have an upfront fee, while others require a premium service subscription. To find out more about your options for on-demand HTML & CSS classes, look no further than Noble’s on-demand class search feature.

Free Intro Courses & Tutorials

Looking for an overview of HTML & CSS without investing in a professional training course? Start learning HTML & CSS for free online. In these free introductory courses, you will learn the basics of tagging elements in HTML to allow web browsers to distinguish between elements of a web page and how to use CSS to alter the size, font, or color of text and other visual elements.

Noble Desktop offers a few online course options on its website and its official YouTube page. Users can visit their Web Design and Development playlist to find videos introducing students to the essential elements of front end web development using HTML & CSS and associated programming languages. Noble also provides a free Intro to Front End Web Development course on their free seminars page. Similar to other free tutorials, this class will teach students both the basics of coding generally alongside introductory lessons on using HTML & CSS.

Numerous other free HTML & CSS training courses are available through service providers like Coursera and UDemy. Since HTML & CSS is so ingrained in web development, free resources for helping ease new programmers into coding are plentiful.

Read about more free HTML & CSS videos and online tutorials.

Comparing Online Methods with In-Person Learning 

Students may feel intimidated by the number of options available to learn HTML & CSS. However, one of the advantages of so many different available training options is that students have greater control over their own learning and can make more informed and practical decisions about how they want to learn HTML & CSS. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so students should be informed in considering which course is right for them.

The most immersive learning environment will usually be in-person instruction. These classes, which skilled instructors teach, are ideal places for students new to programming since they can get immediate feedback and assistance on their work. They also have the opportunity to work directly with instructors and colleagues, providing valuable networking opportunities and the ability to collaborate and learn from their peers. These courses also tend to be the most expensive options, and since they are taught in classroom spaces, students will be limited to attending the classes to which they can physically travel, which may restrict some of their options.

For students who want live instruction in HTML & CSS but cannot attend an in-person class, live online instruction may be ideal. These courses give students many benefits of in-person education, most notably the ability to interact directly with an instructor. Still, they have the advantage of letting students pick the instruction provider that is most appealing to them rather than the one with a campus in their area. These courses are also ideal for students who don’t value networking as much as they value the convenience of learning online, mainly since it will save on the cost of transportation. The drawback to these courses is that even with new online learning software and developments in synchronous learning tools, it can still be difficult and cumbersome to receive feedback on problematic code relative to learning in person.

Some students may find that live instruction doesn’t mesh with their schedule or meet their needs. These students may wish to consider on-demand, asynchronous HTML & CSS training. These courses are the most varied in their content, and many free options are available to students who want to learn in this manner. In addition, these courses let students learn at their own pace, which can be incredibly valuable to students seeking this out. However, since coding can be very challenging for first-time programmers, lacking a live instructor makes it much easier for students to get lost or find themselves unable to solve a problem in their code. This can be discouraging for new coders, and more importantly, it can be difficult for students to overcome these early obstacles, compelling them to stop learning.

Tips to Succeed when Learning HTML & CSS Online

Students with minimal experience learning in an online environment may find it difficult to transition out of a traditional classroom. There are a number of subtle ways in which in-person learning is built to assist students, and they may find that they need to compensate for these changes once they start taking classes online. Students may wish to reconstruct their workspace to minimize the potential of becoming distracted. In the case of coding work, they may want to spend more time taking advantage of free tutorials and other training resources to better acclimate themselves to learning how to code.

One of the significant advantages of in-person learning is that the classroom space is built to concentrate students' attention on the material and minimize outside distractions. This can be a difficult transition for students working from home, especially if they are not the only people living in that home. Students worried about this aspect of online learning may want to spend more time ensuring that their workspace accounts for the potential for distraction. This can be as simple as closing doors and windows or as labor intensive as finding someone to babysit while taking an online class. This won’t be an issue for some students, so doing a self-assessment is key.

Similarly, students should assess their learning habits and judge whether they will face the temptation to try and multitask or do other work during an online HTML & CSS lesson. Particularly for new students, it’s easy to zone out while lying in bed or open up other tabs and start browsing the internet while an instructor teaches the process of tagging paragraphs in a code editor. This can significantly hinder a student’s ability to learn, so students should be honest with themselves and take steps to minimize the likelihood that they will start doing other things during an online lesson.

Finally, since HTML & CSS are often the first coding languages that students learn, this is an ideal time to spend a bit more energy outside of class learning tips and tricks for novice programmers. The coding process can be daunting at first, and in online classes, particularly asynchronous ones, it can be easy to fall behind early and have difficulty catching up. The outside study can be time-consuming, but it will pay dividends in the long run as students attempt to learn more and more complex coding techniques and languages.

Key Insights

• HTML & CSS are the coding languages responsible for informing a web browser how it should display the basic components of a web page. Since these are coding languages that have been used for decades and are vital for building online content, there are many online HTML & CSS instruction options.
• Students can enroll in live online classes that mirror in-person classes. In these courses, students will learn HTML & CSS from live instructors who can provide them with assistance and feedback.
• On-demand and asynchronous courses offer students greater flexibility in the style and content of their HTML & CSS training. They give students without the ability to attend regular coursework a way to learn these languages.
• Students looking to succeed at online HTML & CSS training should take the time to organize their workspace to minimize distractions, assess how they can avoid the temptation to multitask during a lesson, and take advantage of other free training resources to become more comfortable with the process of programming.
• Students looking for live online HTML instruction should consider exploring their options through Noble Desktop.

Learn HTML & CSS with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Students looking to learn HTML & CSS can find several specialized training courses through Noble Desktop. These courses, available both in-person at Noble’s Manhattan campus and through live online instruction, will provide students with in-depth training in HTML & CSS and many programming languages built off of HTML & CSS. Regardless of the course they enroll in, students will benefit from being able to work directly with Noble’s experienced instructors. Even online, class sizes remain small to ensure that students aren’t competing for their instructor’s attention. As a bonus, all of Noble’s courses have an option to retake the class for free within a year of enrolling, giving students extra opportunities to get hands-on HTML & CSS instruction and experience.

Noble offers an introduction to web development bootcamp through their Web Development with HTML & CSS and Advanced HTML & CSS courses. These courses are designed to give students a taste of front end web development by teaching them the essential practices of coding web pages using HTML & CSS. These courses are ideal for students with no coding experience who are interested in learning the fundamental processes of learning the syntax of a programming language and translating that knowledge into the construction of a practical project. Students will learn the basic principles of using HTML tags to differentiate between elements of a web page and how to use CSS tags to apply fonts and styles to text. In the more advanced courses, students will learn how to build multi-page websites that link to one another.

Most students with aspirations of learning web development aren’t going to be content learning how to design web pages that look like they were last updated in 1997. These students may wish to enroll in Noble’s Front End Web Development Certificate program. This course will teach students the vital HTML & CSS skills they need to know to build web pages. After mastering those skills, students will learn how to use programs and languages built on top of HTML & CSS to design more complex, interactive web pages. This course will teach students how to use JavaScript, one of the most popular front end programming languages, to add interactive elements and seamless animations to their web designs. Students will also receive training on how to utilize and build WordPress templates. Nearly 40% of all modern web pages use WordPress in some capacity, so learning these skills is an ideal way to start down the path of a career in web development.

Students interested in learning more about the HTML & CSS classes and bootcamps available should consult the web development section of Noble’s website (which they can easily view and navigate thanks to developers with HTML & CSS training).