Which Web Development Training Format Is Right for Me?

Web development covers everything that goes into building a website. It’s an exceptionally beginner-friendly field because the skills you need for entry-level positions are among the easiest to learn in the programming field. More importantly, it’s a field in high demand, and you’ll be able to find a job with few issues.

When it comes to web development training, you’ll want to choose the format that resonates best with your learning style and preferences. This guide will walk you through the different methods you can use to approach learning web development and help you identify which one is best for you.

What is Web Development?

Web development is the art of creating a website and ensuring it’s consistently usable. Web Developers use various coding languages to achieve this goal, and it’s common for coding teams to have a person—or multiple people—entirely dedicated to web development. It’s commonly broken down into three types: front end, back end, and full stack development. Each type has a unique role that contributes to the website’s operations.

Front end web development works with the website's client-side, referred to as the “front end.” This part of the website contains the sections people can see, such as sliders, banners, text, and other visual information. On the opposite side, back end web development works on the website's server-side, or “back end.” This part of web development controls the website's functionality and is where all its data resides.

Full stack web development is a fusion of the two and takes on their best qualities. A Full Stack Developer will have skills in each category and can seamlessly maneuver between the front and back end. Teams will often have at least one Front End Developer, Back End Developer, and Full Stack Developer readily working on the website regularly.

Read more about what web development is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Web Development?

Web development can bolster your career, highlight your hobby, and possibly evolve into a small business of its own. Every industry, from medicine to finance to education, has adapted to the world’s changes and is relying on the internet to complete its work. This list only scratches the surface—nearly every business has shifted online because they value the easy access the internet brings them and their clients.

You’ll increase your professional value by having web development skills and helping build your company’s website. You can also shift career tracks by using web development as a bridge. Are you in medicine but want to switch to art? First, you can start web development for hospitals and then pivot to creating websites for artists. The internet’s importance to all industries means you can easily change companies as you progress.

While you can showcase your passions on social media, having a website increases your credibility, helps you connect with others without vying for their attention, and creates a centralized location for your work. Most importantly, it allows you to operate on your own terms without worrying about sudden changes to a social media platform’s algorithms or policies. And, if you want to build a network on social media, why not have both?

Training Formats for Web Development

There are many ways to learn web development, and you can benefit from looking into each. The main formats that people use are in-person, live online, on-demand, and video tutorial courses. This section will highlight the differences between them.

In-Person Web Development Training

In-person training is the type of learning everyone is most familiar with– students go to a physical training center and are taught in a classroom. Some perks of this learning method are distraction-free because the building is often intended to be a “learning space.” You’ll also have the opportunity to speak with other people who are equally passionate about web development. The main drawback of in-person training is that you’ll have to commute to your training center consistently, which may not be feasible if you have work, family, and other obligations throughout your week. That includes any traveling fees, such as gas or bus tickets.

If you’re near New York City, you can learn at Noble Desktop’s training centers. If you’re not, you can find a local web development training center using Noble’s Classes Near Me search engine. Some excellent centers include Epicodus, Austin Coding Academy, and any college or university near you that offers web development classes to the general public.

Live Online Web Development Training

Live online courses have been around for a few decades, but they’ve become prevalent within the last few years. They’re as engaging and interactive as in-person classes, but you can take them anywhere. You’ll also learn from the same experts that would teach in-person courses, and you can talk to them in real-time if you ever have questions. The main drawback of live online classes is that you’ll need to set up your work environment by yourself, but thankfully many training centers will provide you with tech support upon request.

You can find live online web development courses through Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me search engine, where you can find popular programs such as the Front End Web Development and the Full Stack Web Development certificates. Other noteworthy providers include Practicum Bootcamp, Nashville Software School, and DeltaV Code School. All of them are solid choices, and you’ll gain practical knowledge in web development that’s worthwhile in the long run.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

Did you know that there are free web development classes too? These courses are ideal for future developers who want to learn some basics before investing in a web development course. Look over this playlist of free web development tutorials from Noble Desktop to help you decide which classes are best for you.

Once you’ve found the topics that match your interests, you can start searching for web development classes. Plenty of free courses are offered directly through Noble Desktop, General Assembly, Udemy, and Coursera to help guide your search. These training facilities have quality overviews of HTML, CSS, and other web development fundamentals.

Read about more free web development videos and online tutorials.

Then find other non-Noble courses.

On-Demand Classes

Learning web development can seem complicated, but many resources are available to simplify the process. You may want to try a class, but personal obligations keep getting in your way. Life happens, and it’s perfectly understandable if you want to reshape your schedule but need to wait a while first. During that time, you can try an on-demand web development class to build some foundational knowledge while you’re getting everything situated. Plenty of on-demand courses are accessible through Udemy, Coursera, and Skillshare.

Read the full guide on how to learn web development.

Comparison of Web Development Training Formats

Today’s most popular training methods for learning web development skills are in-person, live online, and on-demand. In-person classes are taught in a physical classroom, while live online and on-demand courses are conducted with computers. Each of these methods has its perks and drawbacks associated with them.

In-person and live online classes are the most engaging and interactive because you’ll work with your instructor in real-time. You can ask questions and receive an answer instantly, and you’ll be able to get feedback on your work in a faster time frame too.

The significant difference between these two options is that you’ll need to travel to an in-person class while you can take your live online classes anywhere, including your bedroom, kitchen, or sofa. In-person courses also allow you to speak with other students in your class, which may or may not happen in live online courses depending on the instructor.

On-demand courses are an excellent way to get started with web development if you’re on a budget, but most professionals can’t get what they need from these courses alone. They typically have information intended for beginners, and they’re also pre-recorded. That means the information could become outdated if the training center didn’t record the video recently. Given how quickly technology changes nowadays, that can mean a significant decline in the quality of the lesson.

Is it Possible to Teach Yourself Web Development?

Many online tutorials are targeted at complete beginners who are approaching web

development for the first time. There are various ways to approach more advanced web development topics, which can get confusing—and overwhelming—if you’re jumping through multiple videos from different people. There’s also the chance that the online video is either incorrect or inefficiently explained, which is especially true if you find that you can’t ask questions.

You’ll need a mentor you can contact in real-time to guide you to see progress because they’ll be able to adapt their methods to work for you. If you have questions, they can answer them and clarify points that you want to review. In short, you can learn the basics yourself, but you won’t know if you’re programming your site efficiently.

Online tutorials still have their value. They’re perfect for learning more about web development when you’re unsure if you want to pay for a class yet. But once you become serious about your education, you should try to find a training center that can teach you beyond the basics and reliably answer when you need help.

How to Decide the Best Way to Learn Web Development

The best learning method for you will mostly depend on your learning style, preferences, and prior web development experience. Those brand new to web development will benefit from watching free web development video tutorials. Use them to see if web development topics match your interests and career goals, and take notes on which topics you want to pursue first.

Once you have a working knowledge of web development, you can start taking bootcamps that align with your career goals. Web development bootcamps are in-person or live online, and most of them are designed with beginners in mind; you can start with no experience and end with everything you need to apply to web development jobs. That includes resources, professional support, and one-on-one career coaching.

If you’re planning to switch careers and enter a web development role, certificate programs are where you may want to start. These programs generally contain a bundle of classes taught by web development experts who will help you land a web development job, and they’re cheaper than taking all of the classes individually. The biggest perk is the certificate you earn after completing them—it’s a permanent reminder to your employers that you’ve mastered the necessary skills.

Learn Web Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers high-quality web development classes and bootcamps that are flexible to your learning needs. These courses, taught by experts in web development, are available in-person at their training center in Manhattan and live online internationally. Noble ensures that you will work in small groups with your instructors to help you receive individualized attention, support, and career mentorship. All Noble courses are also available for a free retake up to one year after completion.

Beginners might be interested in the Front End Web Development certificate program because it gives them the practical knowledge needed to become Web Developers. This program has two tracks depending on how quickly you want to learn: the full-time option takes four weeks to complete, while part-time students will complete the course in four months.

For those that are interested in learning more about web development as a whole, the Full Stack Web Development Certificate will show you all of the significant concepts associated with client-side and server-side web development. This course is another excellent option for beginners since you can take it with no prior experience. Noble’s courses come with certificates that you can proudly display on LinkedIn or send to employers alongside your resume.