Digital Future / Technologies / Digital Skills
Overview / Introduction
Main Training resources
Online platforms focused on programming
Online databases with courses offered previously by Universities
Online Laboratory
Learning circles
Publications
Useful Weblinks
Digital Future / Technologies / Digital Skills
Information about and access to a selection of training resources, relevant publications and weblinks about programming, digital skills and digital learning.
Overview / Introduction
The future is digital. Whether you need to expand on and improve your digital skills for your PhD project or whether you wish to learn about coding and other skills to boost your work profile, getting to grips with digital developments can make all the difference for your future success. In recent years the advent of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and an ever growing number of digital learning platforms have made it easy to take a first look at all things digital. In the following sections you will find a selection of training resources for various fields of (digital) interests. While some platforms and courses are free of charge, others may require payment. There is also a compilation of articles and publications on the topic as well as a selection of online databases.
Keywords: MOOC, programming, online, data science, web development, machine learning, statistics, design
Main Training resources
Open HPI
Website: https://open.hpi.de/
Main Topics: Cybersecurity, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, Design, Data Science.
Costs: All courses are free of charge.
Recommended courses:
- A Step-by-Step Introduction to Process Mining
- Künstliche Intelligenz und Maschinelles Lernen in der Praxis
- Programmieren lernen mit Python
Open SAP
Website: https://open.sap.com/courses
Main topics: Business, App Design, Technology advancement.
Costs: All courses are free of charge.
Recommended courses:
- Copywriting: Improve User Experience One Word at a Time
- Software Design for Non-Designers (Edition Q4/2018)
eDX
Website: https://www.edx.org/
Main topics: Business, Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, Design, etc.
Costs: All programs and courses offered are free of charge. Getting a certificate costs extra.
Recommended courses:
- Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
- Website development (HTML5 and CSS Fundamentals)
- App, software development (Introduction to C++)
- Creative coding
Coursera
Website: https://www.coursera.org/
Main topics: Data Science, Programming, Computer Science, Arts, Languages, Business, Social and Natural Sciences, etc.
Costs: All programs and courses offered are free of charge. Getting a certificate costs extra.
Recommended courses:
- Programming Languages (divided in three parts): A, B, and C
- Learn to program: The fundamentals
- Introduction to Virtual Reality
- Responsive Website Basics: Code with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Udacity
Website: https://www.udacity.com/
Main topics: Programming and Development, Artificial intelligence, Cloud computing, Data Science, Business, Autonomous Systems.
Costs: Some programs are free of charge, others require a paid membership.
Recommended programs:
Udemy
Website: https://www.udemy.com/
Costs: Some courses are free of charge, others require payment. The price depends on the course.
Recommended courses:
- Useful Excel for Beginners
- Introduction to Python Programming
- Data Science, Machine Learning, Data Analysis, Python & R
Alison
Website: https://alison.com/
Main topics: IT skills, Business, Mathematics, Marketing, Natural Sciences, Languages
Costs: All programs and courses offered are free of charge. Getting a certificate costs extra.
Recommended courses:
Future Learn
Website: https://www.futurelearn.com/
Main topics: Programming, Computer Sciences, Science, Engineering, Literature, Business, etc.
Costs: Some courses are free of charge, some programs/courses require a paid membership.
Recommended programs/courses:
Kadenze Academy
Website: https://www.kadenze.com/
Main topics: Art, Creative technology, Programming, Digital material development
Costs: All programs and courses offered are free of charge. Getting a certificate costs extra.
Recommended programs/courses:
- Web Coding Fundamentals: HTML, CSS and Javascript
- Introduction to Graphic Design
- Generative Art and Computational Creativity
Kahn Academy
Website: https://www.khanacademy.org/
Main topics: Ground, secondary school basic courses, Computer programming, Economics.
Costs: All courses are free of charge.
Recommended courses:
Linkedin Learning
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/
Main topics: Business, Technology, Creativity, Data Analysis, Programming.
Costs: Some courses are free of charge, other courses require a paid membership, and some courses can be bought individually.
Recommended courses:
- Learning Python
- Introduction to Web Design and Development
- Excel tips (Tips released weekly)
- Introduction to Graphic Design
Open Classrooms
Website: https://openclassrooms.com/en/
Main topics: Business, Design, Development, Data Science, Marketing.
Costs: Paid membership is required.
Recommended courses:
Shaw Academy
Website: https://www.shawacademy.com/
Main topics: Photography, Marketing, Design, Finance, Technology, Arts.
Costs: All programs require a paid monthly membership.
Recommended courses:
- Video Editing & Production
- Microsoft Excel Advanced Training
- Coding & Computer Science for Beginners
Open WHO
Website: https://openwho.org/
Main topics: Public Health
Costs: All courses are free of charge.
Recommended courses:
- Occupational health and safety for health workers in the context of COVID-19
- Introduction to COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control
Online platforms focused on programming
Codeacademy
Website: https://www.codecademy.com/
Details: Access to cheat sheets, a blog and articles with basic information.
Languages: HTML, CSS, Python, Java, JavaScript, SQL, Shell, Ruby, C++, R, C#, PHP, Go, Swift, Kotlin.
Subjects: Web Development and Design, Data Science, Computer Science, Machine Learning, App development.
Modality: Free, Paid Membership for some modalities and certificates.
Advantages: Access to cheat sheets, a blog and feedback.
DataCamp
Website: https://www.datacamp.com/
Details: Access to tutorials, besides courses, cheat sheets and chat for real time feedback.
Languages: R, Python, SQL, Git, Shell, Spreadsheets (Google sheets), Scala, Tableau, Microsoft Excel, Power Bi.
Subjects: Data Engineering, Data Manipulation and Visualization, Statistics, Machine Learning, Applied Finances and Management.
Modality: First chapters are free of charge. For full access, a paid membership is needed. For students and doctoral candidates at the University of Heidelberg, the access to some paid courses are free.
W3schools
Website: https://www.w3schools.com/
Details: Access to tutorials, references, examples and online exercises.
Languages: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, SQL, PHP, Python, Java, JavaScript, C++, C#, R, XML
Subjects: Machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, Web design and development
Modality: All modules are free of charge. Certificates require payment.
Online databases with courses offered previously by Universities
MIT OCW
Website: https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Topics: All courses offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in all fields available.
Costs: The material is completely free of charge.
Important: The database includes online material such as videos, lecture notes, assignments, exams, and recommended material.
Recommended courses:
Online Laboratory
AMGEN biotech experience
https://www.amgenbiotechexperience.com/
Learning circles
P2PU (Peer to Peer University)
Website: https://www.p2pu.org/en/
Description: The platform wraps up courses from different platforms to offer “Learning circles”, which are groups of people who want to take the specific class/lecture/course together and in-person.
Main topics: Graphic design, Programming, Politics, Art, etc.
Costs: Costs depend on the platform from which the course is taken, but most of them are free of charge.
Recommended courses:
Publications
Articles in Scientific Journals
- Understanding the massive open online course (MOOC) student experience: An examination of attitudes, motivations, and barriers. Shapiro et al. (2017). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131517300519
- The MOOC pivot. Reich et al. (2019). https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/363/6423/130.full.pdf
- Massive Open Online Courses: Modelle und Konzepte des Online-Lernens. Robes (2015). https://www.weiterbildungsblog.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/728-moocs_robes_final.pdf
- Embracing Digitalization: Student Learning and New Technologies. Crittenden et al. (2018). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0273475318820895
Articles on computational social science
- Integrating explanation and prediction in computational social science. Hofman et al. (2021). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03659-0
- Meaningful measures of human society in the twenty-first century. Lazer et al. (2021). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03660-7
- Measuring algorithmically infused societies. Wagner et al. (2021). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03666-1
- Thinking clearly about social aspects of infectious disease transmission. Buckee et al. (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03694-x
- Human social sensing is an untapped resource for computational social science. Galesic et al. (2021). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03649-2
Articles in newspapers
- The Year of the MOOC. Laura Pappano (2012). https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/education/edlife/massive-open-online-courses-are-multiplying-at-a-rapid-pace.html
Useful Weblinks
On MOOCS
- 6 practical ways to reap the maximum benefits of MOOCs: https://elearningindustry.com/6-practical-ways-reap-benefits-of-moocs
- How to take advantage of MOOCs: https://medium.com/@yashasbharadwaj/how-to-take-advantage-of-moocs-ed9a02b36ef9
- Benefits of MOOC: https://plexuss.com/news/article/benefits-of-moocs
- Who’s benefiting from MOOCs and Why: https://hbr.org/2015/09/whos-benefiting-from-moocs-and-why
- The advantages and Disadvantages of MOOCs for Learning: https://www.infoprolearning.com/blog/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-moocs-massive-open-online-courses-for-learning/
- The advantages of learning via MOOCs: https://london.ac.uk/news-opinion/london-connection/feature/advantages-learning-moocs
- Online-Lernen boomt: https://www.presseportal.de/pm/22537/4731004
