According to researcher Scott Freeman and his team, the traditional lecture method of education is significantly less effective than the method referred to as “active learning” wherein students engage in lessons via activities pertinent to the material at hand. Despite active learning’s superiority as a teaching method, its champions remain few and far between, with lectures still dominating the majority of courses.
Romanian entrepreneur and investor Alexandru Cocindau stands out as a leading adopter of active learning in his education initiatives, chiefly that of the TeachMeCode Institute based in Dubai. However, these innovations in education are not his first, as Cocindau also runs companies in a number of different IT sectors, such as real estate, fintech, gaming and information technology.
Cocindau’s career began in 2006 with the founding of his first IT company, whose services have included web design, marketing, e-commerce development, and search engine optimization, among others. As the company continued to succeed and grow, Cocindau went on to start and support a number of additional companies, such as educational structure Active Academy, card customization site CustomCards.com, and coding school and boot camp TeachMeCode.ae Institute.
A Vanguard of Technical Education
Despite its relative novelty, computer science, including coding and AI, remains underutilized in many industries. That being said, it has recently begun to explode in terms of usefulness and widespread application, leading to massive demands for experienced workers proficient in IT programs. Supply is limited, however, as general computer science education does not always sufficiently prepare students for the jobs they seek. Fortunately, Cocindau has solutions to these issues.
According to the TeachMeCode Institute, their program stands out among the crowd of tech education in several ways. The program specializes in several types of code applications, including web and mobile UX/UI design, front-end development, back-end development, cyber security and robotics, meaning students can focus on what interests them most and play into their strengths.
TeachMeCode also employs highly skilled professional software developers as instructors, ensuring students learn from the best and have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the information needed to succeed beyond their journey in education.
Additionally, Cocindau himself has employed a new model of job placement wherein he works with students and companies directly to facilitate connections and help both parties find gainful employment, greatly benefiting everyone involved.
Investing in Oneself
According to Cocindau’s informational page, his guiding principle for the TeachMeCode Institute is to emphasize the importance of investing in oneself in order to achieve long-term success, especially in a field growing as quickly as the IT industry.
This idea is likely borne out of TeachMeCode’s beginnings as a project to take advantage of sudden movements of talent in the IT industry. As developers flocked toward big names like Intel and Oracle, Cocindau and his remaining team of developers started an educational program to prepare the next generations of tech professionals, fostering growth in the IT sectors and beyond.
Their efforts continue to impact many, and as computer science continues to grow as a field, Cocindau’s vision for TeachMeCode and other tech education programs can go on to empower others for years to come.
