Some of our students wonder and even have complained why we use Google in our bootcamp curriculum. Therefore, we thought we’d share our thinking behind it.
A good part of being a professional software developer is having the ability to reason and think through various topics as they occur. Examples are using an algorithm, design pattern, data structure, etc. We view Google, Stack Overflow and others as productivity tools. For many, being a great Googler is what separates the Mid-and-Senior-level developers from a Junior developer. Mid-and-Senior-level developers are able to find answers to their problems on their own.
We believe you should know the underlying technologies as thoroughly as possible versus just searching, doing a cut and paste, and not understanding what you just did. At devCodeCamp we endeavor for our students, who for the majority are new to coding, to learn, understand and build a foundation in coding principles and their associated technologies. This is what you can find at our Boot Camp. We want our students to have an understanding at all times of what they’re doing.
Where we see Google being useful: software technologies are constantly being updated or changed. Since most developers don’t use everything on a daily basis, recalling from memory becomes increasingly difficult.
Ability to use Google is important on the job
Prior to Google, developers relied on software manuals in which they couldn’t do without. Isn’t the information archived on the internet really just one big electronic instruction and information manual? Also, many developers would save all of their “code” to use or reference in future projects prior to having access to the internet. Lastly, much of the coding developers write can be somewhat repetitive and not as challenging. Nevertheless, it still must be done. Freeing oneself from mundane tasks allows developers to focus on more difficult challenges while maintaining their productivity as well as having a predetermined way of finding proven solutions to common problems.
Teaching students how to effectively use Google shouldn’t be questioned. The better question: can a developer be as productive if they’re not a good Googler and researcher?
Reach out now if you’re ready to learn how to code and launch a career in code.