Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

JavaScript JavaScript Basics (Retired) Introducing JavaScript JavaScript Everywhere

Taylor Dolan
Taylor Dolan
5,134 Points
Posted by Taylor Dolan
Taylor Dolan
5,134 Points

This course vs Javascript Foundations

Right now I'm in the middle of the Javascript Foundations course. How does this course relate to that one? Would you recommend I switch to this course, stick with Foundations, or do both?

3 Answers

James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points
James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points

From Dave McFarland in another forum thread

While there is still good material in JavaScript Foundations, I really recommend taking my JavaScript Basics course: http://teamtreehouse.com/library/javascript-basics

It's been updated in many ways, and the lessons are all integrated with Workspaces so you can follow along as I teach.

Taylor Dolan
Taylor Dolan
5,134 Points
Taylor Dolan
Taylor Dolan
5,134 Points

Thanks James! I had searched to see if someone had asked the same question, but apparently I didn't search hard enough. Feel free to delete my question if you wish.

James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points
James Barnett
James Barnett
39,199 Points

I had searched to see if someone had asked the same question

You aren't the first to ask this question but you certainly won't be the last.

Paul Jackson
Paul Jackson
8,943 Points

James Barnett,

Jim Hoskins' Javascript Foundations course is the one on the Front-End Web Development track. If it is outdated and doesn't have Workspaces integration, then why is this one not there instead? Are there enough differences to the two courses that both need to be taken?

Sorry to piggy-back off a month old question... but here I am just getting started with Javascript :)

Aaron Chiandet
Aaron Chiandet
9,826 Points
Aaron Chiandet
Aaron Chiandet
9,826 Points

Here's my $0.02 on the matter. (Full Disclosure: I just did 2/5 sections of this course so my perspective is incomplete)

I took Jim Hoskins course about a year ago, it was my first exposure to learning JS from the ground up. I found the course itself to be more complicated than it needed to be. Some of the quizzes and code examples were poor and caused a lot of confusion in the forums. I recall one instance where my code was printing the correct answer but the app/quiz insisted it was wrong. Most importantly I finished that course feeling like I knew nothing new and this prompted me to check out some of the competitors courses on JS.

I've been a long time subscriber but that specific course always left a sour taste in my mouth. So when I saw the announcement for this updated course, I was thrilled to check it out. Treehouse has come a long way since then and many aspects of the courses have changed. I would highly recommend everyone start with this course over Foundations. If you have time then go ahead and do Foundations after this. Here's why:

  1. The approach seems to be different and more useful in this course. In Foundations, they kind of approach it through the eyes of a programmer where as this course is much more from the perspective of a web developer. I realize there's a lot of overlap with these two titles but as a front end designer, I can relate and understand this course much more than I did with Foundations.

  2. Treehouse has vastly improved the education process on all courses. I love that they've improved the reinforcement of knowledge by quizzing and doing code challenges following a video. This alone would make me suggest taking this course over Foundations.

  3. I feel bad saying this because I genuinely like the guy, but Hoskins can be hard to understand at times. When you're learning a complicated topic, it really helps to have a teacher who you can verbally understand.

Great job Treehouse, I can't wait to finish the course.

JUSANG YOU
JUSANG YOU
7,857 Points
JUSANG YOU
JUSANG YOU
7,857 Points

Great guideline! Thanks!

Dwain Aiolupotea
Dwain Aiolupotea
10,350 Points
Dwain Aiolupotea
Dwain Aiolupotea
10,350 Points

I was the same too. I actually gave up on JavaScript foundations and went to search for another place to learn the basics. That was a mistake because I got confused even more, so, I almost gave up web development all together because I felt it was just too difficult to understand JavaScript. So I'm glad they updated it and hopefully it is for the absolute beginner like myself. My only problem is practising all this stuff after going through the videos. SO MUCH TO LEARN!

rachaelhampton
rachaelhampton
3,352 Points

Thx great feedback!

Ruth Henry-Ovid
Ruth Henry-Ovid
4,437 Points
Ruth Henry-Ovid
Ruth Henry-Ovid
4,437 Points

I must confess I stopped using Treehouse after reaching this point in the track. I even started on a complexity different track and then lost motivation. The update has got me motivated again, I do like the pace of this course.