As non-coding Product Manager here is some feedback:
The issue at the moment seems to be that Codecademy focuses on syntax rather than problem solving. For example most of the JS exercises, if I remember correctly, focus on the command line rather than effect on the DOM (the vast use case).
Aside from that, the environment doesn't really give a great feel for how these languages map to their hardware counterparts.
For example Python runs on a server but how does one get a python instance running on a server? How does one even acquire as server? What IS a server?
HTML/CSS/JS run partly on a server and mostly in the DOM. What is the nature of when to run what where and why?
These questions are answered by running through a full stack product problem like starting a website by getting the server ready, pushing code to it, ensuring its live, ensuring you aren't working on the live version, etc.
I'd imagine it would be wonderful if a set of icons functioned as a dashboard and active parts of what you are working in the hardware-stack on are lit up. When code is run, arrows clearly point to where the code is running and where information is being sent. For example when running some webcode you could see it being pushed from the server to the DOM, the DOM running it then displaying the content. When actions are then performed, you could see them being sent back to the server, the server processing it, then sending a result back.
This would go a long way to helping people understand how code really functions to make the products they use every day.
Regarding your first bit of feedback, there is a Javascript track which focuses on the language itself and then there is a JQuery track which teaches DOM manipulation, events, animation.
The issue at the moment seems to be that Codecademy focuses on syntax rather than problem solving. For example most of the JS exercises, if I remember correctly, focus on the command line rather than effect on the DOM (the vast use case).
Aside from that, the environment doesn't really give a great feel for how these languages map to their hardware counterparts.
For example Python runs on a server but how does one get a python instance running on a server? How does one even acquire as server? What IS a server?
HTML/CSS/JS run partly on a server and mostly in the DOM. What is the nature of when to run what where and why?
These questions are answered by running through a full stack product problem like starting a website by getting the server ready, pushing code to it, ensuring its live, ensuring you aren't working on the live version, etc.
I'd imagine it would be wonderful if a set of icons functioned as a dashboard and active parts of what you are working in the hardware-stack on are lit up. When code is run, arrows clearly point to where the code is running and where information is being sent. For example when running some webcode you could see it being pushed from the server to the DOM, the DOM running it then displaying the content. When actions are then performed, you could see them being sent back to the server, the server processing it, then sending a result back.
This would go a long way to helping people understand how code really functions to make the products they use every day.