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Career Path Container Standards

Description/Purpose

Career Paths are designed for those who want to develop in-depth foundational knowledge for an entry-level career in web development, computer science, or data science. Like a career advisor, Career Paths guide you through where to start and what to learn next. Each Career Path contains an assorted list of content items to help you learn and practice real-world skills. (From the Codecademy Help Desk)

Place in Content

Career Paths are the highest level of our Curriculum content (Path) and the largest Curriculum product. Career Paths are made up of Tracks, which in turn are made up of Modules containing assorted content items (including, but not limited to Informationals, Articles, Lessons, Quizzes, Videos, Practice Projects, Challenge Projects, and Portfolio Projects).

Quality Standards

The following sections are the standards. They should be presented in a checklist format. There are four primary categories.

Meta Data

  • Career Path titles are consistent with a specific job title or career
    • Data Scientist, Software Engineer, Web Designer
    • Titling standards and rationale can be found in this document.
    • And changes in 2020 can be found in this spreadsheet
  • Time to complete is roughly 6-8 months (Equivalent to 3-5 Skill Paths)
  • Path slug is unique and is easily identifiable

Content/Structure

  • Average amount of content:
    • Between 14-30 Tracks (referred to externally as "Units"), each with anywhere between 2 to ~10 Modules
    • Equivalent to 3-5 Skill Paths
  • Units:
    • Track names are the Unit names, '[TRACK NAME]'
      • Ex: 'JavaScript Syntax, Part I'
    • Slugs are prepended with the Career Path specific slug, [career-path-name]cp-[track-name]
      • Ex: fecp-javascript-syntax-part-i
  • Modules:
    • Module name convention, '[MODULE NAME]'
      • Ex: 'JavaScript Syntax: Conditionals'
    • Slugs are prepended with the Career Path specific slug, [career-path-name]cp-[module-name]
      • Ex: fecp-javascript-syntax-conditionals
  • Introductory Track:
    • The Path starts with a Track that contains a Module with:
      • An informational that introduces the Path and sets expectations for what they will accomplish (learning objectives and projects).
      • An informational with additional resources about community and books to purchase, and any other helpful resources.
      • Read More: Path Introduction Module Content Standards
    • This Track is titled, 'Welcome to the [CAREER PATH NAME] Career Path'
      • Ex: 'Welcome to the Data Scientist Career Path'
  • Next Steps Track:
    • The Path ends with a Track that contains a Module with:
      • An informational that congratulates them on what they've finished
      • An informational that includes resources for what to do and learn next
      • Read More: Path Completion Module Content Standards
    • This Track is titled, "Next Steps in Your [CAREER PATH NAME] Journey"
      • Ex: "Next Steps in Your Data Scientist Journey"
  • Track Introductory Modules:
    • Each Track starts with an introductory module containing one Informational content item, which contextualizes the Track's content, explaining why and how the information contributes to the larger career goal
    • Track naming convention: 'Introduction: [TRACK NAME]'
      • Ex: 'Introduction: JavaScript Syntax, Part I'
    • Read More: Track Introductory Module Content Standards
  • Track Review Module:
    • Each Track ends with a review module containing one Informational content item, which reviews the major concepts/skills covered in the Track, and reiterates why and how they contribute to the larger career goal. It also contains links to optional resources, external content that wasn't previously linked within the syllabus.
    • Track naming convention: 'Review: [TRACK NAME]'
      • Ex: 'Review: JavaScript Syntax, Part I'
    • Content Standards (to be linked in another PR)
  • Challenge Projects:
    • At least 6 (minimum 2 per skill path amount of content) per Career Path
    • Challenge Projects are on the Module level, meaning that each Challenge Project is within its own Module, or several Challenge Projects are grouped in one Module.
    • Module naming convention: '[PROJECT NAME]'
  • Portfolio Projects:
    • At least 3 (one per skill path amount of content) per Career Path
    • Portfolio Projects are on the Track level, meaning that each Portfolio Project is within its own Module, within its own Track. There may be multiple Portfolio Project Modules in one Track.
    • Track naming convention: '[SUBJECT AREA] Portfolio Project(s)'
    • Module naming convention: '[PROJECT NAME]'
  • External Resources:
    • Title matches the name of the content
      • Example: 'JSON Parse and Stringify'
    • Slug will start with ext-[RESOURCE TYPE] and then finish with the name of the content
      • Article: ext-art-
      • Video: ext-vid-
      • Book: ext-book-
      • Documentation: ext-doc-
      • Tutorial: ext-tut
      • Resource: ext-res
      • Example: ext-res-json-parse-and-stringify
      • Content standards (to be linked in another PR)
  • Optional content:
    • Optional content is included in the Review sections of Tracks

Editorial

  • Consistent tone throughout the Path Informationals (specifically, within the Introductory Track, Final Track, and Intro and Review Modules
  • No typos or grammatical errors

Pedagogy/Learner Experience

  • Be a bootcamp replacement: like other coding bootcamps, this content should be oriented towards preparing a person for an entry-level position in the relevant industry.
    • Ex: the Fullstack Engineer Career Path prepares someone for a Fullstack Software Engineer position.
  • Be specific to a career, rather than a domain: Career Paths are not meant to be a compilation of our content for a certain domain. Rather they should be a curated list of content that exists to prepare someone for a specific job. Titles should refer to careers/positions, not domains. Technology should be swappable: We should architect paths so that there is a higher-level architecture that can be repeated with a different technology stack.
    • Ex: we should be able to create both PERN and MERN and MEAN paths, by replacing modules and tracks where necessary.
    • Ex: Paths should include conceptual modules that teach higher-level concepts in a language-agnostic fashion, so these modules can be preserved across career paths
  • Content needs to be contextualized: Learners need additional context to understand how concepts and technologies work together in a larger picture, which is important for replacing in-person instruction. Use Intro and Review Modules on each track to clarify what a learner should expect to learn next and reinforce what they've previously learned.
  • Portfolio Projects: In addition to regular Practice Projects, Quizzes, and Challenge Projects, Learners complete multiple portfolio-worthy projects that prove their mastery (to themselves, and to others).
  • Award Certifications: Learners who complete required content in paths receive a certificate.
  • Quality Standards: all content meets the quality standards of their respective content type.

Examples

Here are several (but not all) of our Career Paths: