App Development for Beginners

You probably have heaps of apps on your mobile phone. So which one do you use the most?

But here’s a different question, of all the apps you wish you had on your phone, which one does not exist yet?

If you wish you could build it, do you know that you could certainly learn app development for beginners?

Even before COVID made remote working and learning a possibility, information technology and computer programming were the career fields set for exponential growth! Once lockdown began and the Zoom boom happened, the thing that analysts had always predicted became obvious.

Of all the technology fields mentioned, none grew faster than the hot app industry. Testament to this must be Wordle which is everyone’s favourite word game.

Wordle which was designed by a software engineer called Josh Wardle was originally intended to be a fun way to pass the time for his family during lockdown. He and his partner gathered and reviewed 250 000 five letter words and then distilled it down to 10% of that.

In 2021 Wardle made the app public. Since then many variations have surfaced. Yeardle (history), Heardle (music) and Numberle (maths).

This is what can happen when you have both programming skills and time on your hands.

If this appeals to you, it could be closer to reality than you think. On Superprof, for instance, you could find app development lessons.

Computer Programming Courses at University

At university level, programming courses and app development learning are all a part of computer science degrees. If you’re a computer science undergraduate, you can be sure that you will be exposed to an app development course, mobile app development course, web apps design and much more. But if not, there are also other ways to take app development learning seriously!

Fortunately, most tertiary institutions have seen the overwhelming need for these programmes and have catered for short term workshops and courses in all kinds of app development for beginners.

These include classes for learning popular programming languages like Python, C++, Java and more.

If your tertiary institution doesn’t offer these extra classes, you could find a private tutor to take you through anything from a mobile app development course to web apps design.

Online Programming Courses

It makes sense that most programming courses are done online. In fact, top universities cater for this by offering Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which are strictly for online learning.

MOOCs are usually open to the public. Depending on the institution and course, sometimes they are even offered for free. Other times you can usually register for a small administrative fee which gives you access to any course they have on offer.

MOOCs need not even be taken through your local university. Several international educational sites have gathered MOOC courses from other universities to add to their platforms. Even from South Africa, you could access:

• Coursera: an American subscription MOOC offering
• FutureLearn, a UK equivalent, offers courses from the UK's top-rated universities (courses are free and certificates cost)
• edX, an American MOOC managed by Harvard and MIT
• Alison, free Irish MOOC courses the Irish MOOC provider's courses are free
• The Khan Academy, register a free account
• Udemy offers free courses under two hours long; alternatively, fees vary according to the instructors.

Choosing to pay for a certificate, or an entire programming course is up to you. However, if you need the certificate to show your proficiency in that subject matter, you will have to pay the fees.

In South Africa and, in fact, anywhere in the world, if you are specifically looking for an app development course, you could also turn to Superprof tutors who could offer you:

• App development learning
• App development for beginners
• An app development course
• Web apps design courses
• A mobile app development course.

Take an App Development Course at Work

The trend over the recent past has been for companies to upskill their employees through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses. These are often excellent opportunities for I.T, and even employees from other departments, to learn about web apps design or take a mobile app development course.

Often, a course like app development for beginners can be put forward by employees for the company’s consideration.

In many cases, job training courses and seminars can bridge small gaps in app development learning.

Most companies willingly cover Microsoft courses and so it is certainly not that impossible that something as relevant as an app development course be added to training department initiatives. This is especially the case when an IT department intends to expand by adding a software development section that includes a hot web apps design component.

Taking on any extra app development learning can be expensive if it is done outside of work, yet you could be surprised at the affordability of private Superprof tutors where the average hourly rate for app development for beginners is around R198 an hour.

Learn Through a Programming Group

Another way to tackle app development learning is to find a group of like-minded people who are willing to share their experiences and breakthroughs when it comes to the kinds of topics you would cover in an app development for beginners course.

Start asking around within your network at work or university and you may be surprised at how many other people are out there with the same idea to get inspired and learn from each other.

If you dig hard enough, you are bound to find out that these groups do exist and that anyone with an interest in programming, coding, and IT is invited to join. A good idea is to try online communities like Python forums which are known to be generous for sharing knowledge and supporting new developers.

On a side note, did you that Reddit is Python-based and is an excellent language to build any app category from gaming to finance.

Take an App Development Course with a Private Tutor  

We have already mentioned how difficult it can be to continue one’s education when already employed full time. Add to this by accounting for family and other obligations and it is easy to see how tricky it can be to find the time to commit to a course.

Hectic schedules that put pressure on individuals are often the greatest barrier to bridging the knowledge gap with a few key learnings. For busy people who need more flexibility than others, a private tutor who specialises in app development and programming languages can provide the perfect solution.

Imagine if you were working all day and still had children to tend to in the evenings. When would you be able to attend a fixed schedule class?

When you have a private tutor, the hours, location and even budget all become much more flexible. Not only that, but you can hone in on the topics that are relevant to you and skip subject matter where you are already proficient. This way, you can tailor your learning and not waste time and money on things that are generally not relevant to you.

Furthermore, you could take your lessons online via Zoom or Google Meet from the convenience of your own home which will save you even more time. When it comes to programming courses and app development, learning online via platforms such as these is absolutely ideal.

In South Africa alone, Superprof has hundreds of 1 on 1 coding classes with tutors who could assist you to break into the world of mobile app development.

A key benefit to using Superprof tutors is that in most cases the first lesson is offered for free. This is an excellent time to discuss your needs in detail and also find out if you and the tutor are a good personality fit or not.

Remember that you are not limited to South Africa, so if you are a night owl you could find a Superprof tutor in another time zone to suit your schedule and give you more hours in your day.

You may be pleasantly surprised to find that private lessons are more affordable than you imagine. Besides, you could factor in your lesson fees as part of the budget for developing an app.