Worldwide sales of smartphones are set to exceed that of feature phones. For the first time in 2013, Smart phones are predicted to account for 54 per cent of new mobile handset sales worldwide. For us in the developing world or emerging markets, a computing revolution is underway with low-cost devices running Android, iOS, and similar operating systems, becoming more affordable.
Since 2009, In the US alone, an estimated 400,000 jobs have been created in software development for mobile phones.
Success in the modern era, regardless of occupation, requires knowledge of technology.
Yet, where PCs are available in classrooms or training centers, curriculum often focuses on teaching students the competent usage of software applications such as Microsoft Office, rather than teaching them how to work with the building blocks of computing and gain related problem-solving skills.
The perception is that teaching of these subjects requires university classrooms or highly-qualified instructors.
After Stanford University instructors offered two free computer science courses online that attracted over 100,000 students, one of them left to start Udacity, a company that would offer such courses online.
An online education revolution is underway and is set to change the model of how workers in a technology economy learn and acquire skills. A host of sites are now available online that offer to teach computer programming for free.
Below are links to sites where students of any age can learn cutting-edge programming languages and their practical applications by working on real-world exercises and challenges like designing a search engine and creating a web browser.
Next Installment: How to tap online marketplaces for work opportunities
* Krishneil Maharaj is a graduate of the University of California, where he was involved in classroom IT education initiatives in East Oakland, California.