What distinguishes Adalab front-end course from the other front-end courses available today?
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In this article I would like to talk about my experiences and the major differences I noticed between the two front-end courses I studied. I will compare two courses: Adalab front-end course and Google’s digital talent program. I am currently studying in the course of Adalab in Spain, which is intended for women only. I took the Google’s digital talent course in Elevation Academy in Israel and finished on October 2018.
Length and intensity
The first point I would like to relate to is the length and intensity of the two courses. Adalab’s course lasts 3 consecutive months, 5 days a week with a mandatory presence. It is divided into two classes, from 8 to 14 in the morning or from 15 to 21 in the evening. It is not possible to work during the course, and requires about four hours a day beyond the lesson times. On the other hand, Google’s course lasts about six months, twice a week from 17 to 21:30 in the evening, also with a mandatory presence. It is possible to work during the course and it requires a few hours at home, every week, for practice the material.
Regarding the practice process during the lesson and the organization of the class, in the Adalab’s course, students sit in the class as groups of five girls, and each week they practice the material with another classmate. In contrast, in Google’s course students sit alone or in pairs and do most of the exercises at home.
A Taste of the Syllabus
In terms of the material learned during the course, both courses teach the basics of web development: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript (ES6), Sass, Bootstrap, working with APIs and Git. The main difference is that Adalab’s course is only front-end, whereas Google’s course covers the entire MERN stack and beyond. In terms of more than technical content, at Adalab’s course professional development is emphasized, such as the ability to speak in public, presence in social media, and participation in technological events.
Projects, Projects, Projects!
Regarding course projects, in both courses the students complete three large projects during the course, each project after completing about a third of the material. In both courses students work with version control (GIT) and the projects are done in groups. The group can choose the project in the Google course, but in Adalab the projects are identical to all the groups. In Adalab the final project is done in collaboration with a real company to simulate as much as possible what working on a real project is like.
There was a big difference in the methodological approach to the planning and teamwork on the projects. At Adalab, students learn from the start to work according to Agile methodology and Scrum implementation. Each project is divided into two sprints, each one starts with a planning process during which one member of the group is elected to be the Scrum master. After every sprint, students go through a process of retrospective and presentation of the project in front of the class. During the project, the groups work regularly with Trello and Slack. In the Google course students did not follow a certain methodology and without managing tasks. Rather, each group conducted the project in a way, which suited the members of the team. Most of the work on the projects was done from home.
HIRE ME!
What happens after the course? In the Google course, the job search is done by the students and there is little support for finding work and helping with the preparation of the CV. In Adalab course there is substantial support in the process of searching a job, as well as a large number of job offers from which you can choose where to apply (they commit to five job interviews for each student). Also each student has a mentor who helps in the entire process, even after finding the job. Each student is required to complete home-based projects through the process of finding a job to revise the material (The process in Adalab is described here as it was presented at the beginning of the course, because I have not completed the course yet).
So… Is it worth it?
In conclusion, in comparing the two courses, it seems to me that Google course covers more technical material and gives more “freedom” in projects and the process of learning. On the other hand, in Adalab course, it seems that there is a significant emphasis on learning additional content that can help in the process of finding a job. I noticed that every decision in the course design was made in order to prepare the students for the day they will start working in a real company.
I am excited that I had the opportunity to study in both of these courses. Especially, I’m proud to be a part of the Adalab community and to be able to complete my learning process. Hopefully, I will incorporate soon in the world of high-tech with Adalab’s help.
