CodeMonkey Review

How CodeMonkey meets the 2 criteria?

Fun factor

CodeMonkey is actually an online game for the youngest students, which teaches coding through step-by-step tutorials, in a number of different levels. When CodeMonkey were designing the product, they focused on engagement and user experience in order to achieve a more fun and effective learning process.

Codemonkey provides good coding practice and uses a real programming language called Coffeescript: a coding language similar to JavaScript, which is being used frequently for Web applications and is much easier for kids to understand.

CodeMonkey uses gamification in its user experience: jolly graphics, carefully constructed puzzles, and more. The coding game the company uses is not only teaching users programming skills but also is improving their math skills since users must use a ruler to calculate their monkey’s steps and do the math to figure out how to make the next step towards a banana.

However, while this game is invaluable to an educator’s arsenal, it isn’t so well-adjusted for self-paced students, since they will need technical support and help, as they might get stuck on various challenges. Without guidance, the students will probably just get frustrated and lose the value of the game in the education process.

How it works

In the CodeMonkey world, a gorilla has stolen the Monkey’s bananas, and now it’s your mission to get them back. Students sign in to their accounts and immediately begin using CodeMonkey. CodeMonkey is divided into levels and the goal of each one is to guide the monkey to collect all of the level’s bananas. If you do it right, you’ll receive 3 stars.

You’ll go across almost 400 challenges where you’ll learn how to write a simple code phrase to make CodeMonkey move across the screen to get its bananas back. Each new level introduces an additional piece of code or a new function or even challenges you to put the pieces together by yourself.

After you get the essence of the interface and puzzles, the focus is on getting each solution not only to work but to work well, so that you receive the maximum number of stars in each level. With every challenge you got through, the coding level increases, so when you get to the last level you’ll probably be well-known with CoffeeScript.

Each level is viewed from a top-down perspective, and users need to write code snippets or choose from possible commands on the right side of the screen — to make CodeMonkey move on the left side of the screen. This Split screen provides users with an instant way to see their work in progress.

The CodeMonkey world’s map shows all the levels and allows you to return to any previously completed lesson. There is also a graph with the number of solutions you have created over time.

* CodeMonkey is a browser-based tool that requires an internet connection

Course Utility

CodeMonkey best of all fit students with zero knowledge-base of coding. The company’s programs teach students all the basic concepts of computer science and how to create their own games. The company teaches its students Coffeescript — a coding language which is very similar to JavaScript, but much easier for kids to understand. CodeMonkey offers three program options which include the same learning materials and ‘game’, but fit different users:

Homeschool
This program is suitable for private tutoring and small groups. The program includes one year access to all CodeMonkey levels, one group with up to 3 students, 400 fun challenges, online Support, teacher account, teacher dashboard, lesson plans, challenge builder, game builder, 91 game builder exercises and future releases.
Cost $109 per year.

Super Teacher
This program is suitable for teachers which want a taste of coding for large groups. You’ll get an access to a CodeMonkey certification and upgraded classroom management abilities.

The program includes 30 coding adventure challenges, all CodeMonkey HoC courses, online Support, teacher dashboard, lesson plans, teacher account, certified CodeMonkey, instructor course, and future releases.
Cost $49 per year.

School
This program is suitable for school and school teachers. Includes: 20 or more individual students, 400 fun challenges, online support, teacher dashboard, lesson plans, multiple teacher accounts, challenge builder, game builder, 91 game builder exercises and future releases.
Cost: quotes under request

Extras

• Users can share their solutions and create challenges for other users
• Teachers can track their students’ progress through levels, and see their solutions
• Free trial (30 challenges/14 days)