Announcing Operator Academy: A new way to learn web development online for free.

Announcing Operator Academy: A new way to learn web development online for free.

In the TwilioQuest Operator Academy, you will embark on hands-on learning journeys with the support of instructors from Twilio, and the incredible TwilioQuest community.

Operator Academy builds on the fun and adventure of TwilioQuest, to give you the structure and motivation you need to make your learning stick.

The first Operator Academy course, web application fundamentals, starts November 7th. In this 6-week course, you’ll learn how to create your own web applications with Node.js, learning about the Javascript language, how HTTP makes the web work, REST APIs, and more.

Click here to learn more and register for the course.

Operator Academy brings together our favorite ways to learn

TwilioQuest, Twilio’s free educational RPG, helps players learn about coding and web development in an engaging, interactive way. Tens of thousands of players take their first steps into TwilioQuest, and into coding, every year. TwilioQuest missions guide new developers in their journeys, with fun characters, informative objectives, and challenging puzzles to solve along the way.

However, we know that learning is better together. The growth of the TwilioQuest Discord, where players go to get help and advice with missions they are stuck on, shows that there’s no substitute for having a supportive community to learn along with. Meanwhile, Superclass, Twilio’s hands-on, instructor-led training, continues to be a smash hit with developers. We asked ourselves: how can we offer new developers an experience that brings together the adventure of TwilioQuest, the expertise of knowledgeable instructors, and the support of our incredible community, in one place? The answer is Operator Academy.

As a learner on an Operator Academy course, you will follow a curriculum designed by engineers at Twilio, with weekly live classes, exercises to practice what you’ve learned in TwilioQuest, and opportunities to meet your fellow learners. Operator Academy courses will cover a variety of topics, and the first course, Web Application Fundamentals, is open for registration now.

What do learners think?

This year, we trialled Operator Academy with a group of 200 students, in an alpha of the Web Application Fundamentals course. Here’s what some of the graduates had to say about their experience:

I wanted to try Operator Academy to gain a new experience in my learning journey as a beginner in coding. The Operator Academy gave me a different level of satisfaction with my learning due to its unique approach. It allowed me to openly understand the tech industry and how the real world operates with tech.

For me, web development was a topic I previously had no particular interest in. However, TwilioQuest easily slid the basic concepts of web development in a unique manner that made me change my perspective. As the weeks went by, I gained a lot of knowledge I never thought I'd learn. I learned Javascript, API usage, and a lot of other things. By the time five weeks passed, I never knew I'd be capable enough to build a web app. But here I am, having built a working web application from scratch. It has become one of my greatest achievements, made possible by The Operator Academy.

Should you join an Operator Academy course?

There are so many wonderful, free, and accessible ways to learn how to code. With so many choices, it can be hard to tell if a course is the right one for you. To help answer the question “Is an Operator Academy course the right course for me?”, we’ve put together the below list. Check out the list and see if this sounds like you:

• You find it hard to motivate yourself to complete online tutorials on your own.
• You find it easier to complete tasks when there is structure, such as due dates and a predictable content schedule.
• You like to share what you’ve learned with others, and you find it helpful to discuss with fellow learners and teachers.
• You’re comfortable with online platforms like Twitch and Discord, or are willing to learn about them.
• You enjoy video games.

Here at Twilio Education, we try to offer ways to learn tailored to all kinds of developers, whether you’re just starting out as a bootcamp or college student, or are already an experienced professional developer. If the above list doesn’t sound like you, and you want to check out the other ways you can learn with Twilio Education, check out 5 ways to grow as a developer with Twilio Education.

Keep up to date with news about new courses

Web Application Fundamentals is the first Operator Academy course, but we’ve had great feedback from learners about what courses they’d like to see next. If you want to hear about new courses as they open, you can:

• Sign up for our monthly newsletter, The Operator’s Manual.
• Follow TwilioQuest on Twitter.
• Join the TwilioQuest Discord, where you can ask questions and meet fellow learners.

Tune in to TwilioQuest Tuesday on Twitch.