Starting Up: Resources For Learning Programming, The Software Business And Design

Learn how to program, what software businesses are, and how to design – through free classes online!
By Frances Advincula (Former Platform Development Intern, Accenture Software)

Someday I will get through all of this – the courses here are free, through endeavors such as iTunes U and MIT Open Courseware.

For The Programmers

Multi-core Programming Primer Course – When PSN was down, I was so happy because I had my guy all to myself. If you’re dating or have dated or are a gamer… Well, now you can say you’ve programmed on the Play Station 3 development platform.
Stanford’s iPhone Application Development Course – One of the most popular courses in iTunes U. I’ve worked with Android before, and currently developing an app using Appcelerator Titanium, but I’ll definitely check this out.
Ruby – Funny, I’ve worked with most major languages, aside from Ruby and Python. So this month, Ruby it is.
Mashable’s Ruby on Rails guide for beginners – This lists solid advice from industry experts.
Sitepoint’s ultimate guide for Ruby on Rails
Mashable’s Ruby on Rails guide for more experienced developers

For The Techno-preneurs

Lectures on the business of software (courses). These might be helpful whether you are starting your own crazy-awesome startup (I bow down to you!) or you are working for a company whose business is software (understand how the behemoth works, right?).

For The Designers

Here are user experience and other “more creative” topics:

Creating Interactive Multimedia Course – a crash course on interface design.
Stanford’s Course On Human Computer Interaction – There are actually a few of these, but I watched the Winter ’11 one, and I loved it.
Mastering Tech-Artistry – a collection of TED talks, focusing on the intersection of software engineering, new media, etc. and the creation of digital art.
Joel Spolsky’s reading list for software designers… here are a few of my faves:

This post was originally published at Frances Advincula’s blog.

About the guest blogger: Frances Advincula is about to graduate with a degree in Computer Science with specialization in Software Engineering. Previously, she interned for six months as a Platform Development Intern for Accenture Software. She also is the self-appointed roundup ninja at The Levo League. A proud geek girl, she’s sure she is the only one who can’t play video games. Follow her on Twitter at @FranAdvincula.