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🚶‍♀️Self-Directed Learning Roadmap

Start here if you want to learn parts of TechUp in your own time, at your own pace.

For those of us who may not have the time to undergo the full month-long TechUp, here are some curated, readily-available resources that the TechUp team recommends that you can get started with immediately.

The objectives of this learning roadmap are to:


Week 1 (2 hours): How does the Internet Work?

a. How Computers Work

This playlist is an educational series of short videos that explain the fundamental concepts of computer science in an accessible and engaging way for beginners. Key topics include:

b. How the Internet Works

This playlist is a series of educational videos that explain the fundamental concepts and mechanics behind the internet. Key topics include:

  • What is the Internet?: An introduction to the internet, its structure, and how it connects millions of devices worldwide.

  • IP Addresses and DNS: Explains how IP addresses and the Domain Name System (DNS) help devices find and communicate with each other.

  • Packets, Routing, and Reliability: Discusses how data is broken into packets, how they are routed across the network, and methods to ensure reliable data transfer.

  • HTTP and HTML: Covers how the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) are used to deliver and display web pages.

  • Encryption and Public Keys: Introduces encryption methods and public key infrastructure to secure data transmission.

  • Cybersecurity and Crime: Examines potential threats on the internet and strategies to protect against them.

c. What happens when you type a URL in the browser and press 'Enter'?

This Medium article (login required) explains the technical processes that occur when you type a URL into a browser and press enter:

  1. DNS Lookup: The browser checks the URL to find the corresponding IP address using DNS.

  2. TCP Connection: The browser establishes a TCP connection with the server.

  3. HTTP Request: The browser sends an HTTP request to the server.

  4. Server Response: The server processes the request and sends back an HTTP response.

  5. Rendering: The browser renders the HTML content, along with CSS and JavaScript, to display the web page.

d. How the Internet Works (a round-up lecture)

Justyn Oh, Software Engineer at Open Government Products, shares a crash-course framework on How the Internet Works, and some takeaways for policy-makers.


Week 2 (4 hours): Selected presentations from TechUp 2.0 and reading materials on Product Thinking

a. ProductUp slides

ProductUp is a half-day workshop conducted by Open Government Product's Product Managers on the overall product development process, from problem statements, to identifying target audience, to user journeys, all the way to iterating and funding successful projects. While this workshop is most effective in a hands-on setting, the slides and exercises will give you an overview of the thinking behind the product process.

b. Product Management in Software Development: How it Works

To expand on ProductUp, this video explains what product management means, including product market fit, product vision, strategy, understanding customers, product execution and product KPIs.

c. Products 101: What is 'good' product?

Conducted by Director/Products Directorate Chen Kaiwei, this session explains the outline of how to pitch a successful product, what a good problem statement is, and how to define outcome metrics.

d. DesignUp

The following presentations by Design Manager Mike Chen & Lead UX Researcher Darren Ng cover:

  • What is good design?

  • How do you design your prototype?

  • How do you test your prototype?

e. Agile product ownership in a nutshell

This video provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of a Product Owner within an Agile development framework. It highlights key concepts such as prioritizing the product backlog, defining user stories, ensuring clear communication with the development team, and maintaining a focus on delivering value to the customer. The video emphasizes the importance of collaboration, iterative progress, and adaptability in the product development process.

f. Product Metrics: How to Measure Product Success

This video explains which North Star metrics report on the product’s successes and failures. Key topics covered are: What is success for you, What are metrics (KPIs)?, user acquisition metrics, user engagement metrics, and financial metrics.


Weeks 3-6 (20+ hours): Web Development

a. Selected modules of the Complete 2024 Web Development Bootcamp on Udemy

The Complete 2024 Web Development Bootcamp on Udemy is a comprehensive course designed to teach students everything they need to become professional web developers. It covers front-end and back-end development, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, React, PostgreSQL, and more, including practical exercises to build real-world applications. The course is suitable for beginners, with step-by-step instructions and explanations.

We have selected a few of the more important modules (marked with "❗") that we recommend learners to focus on:

💻Mandatory Course (Udemy)

b. Primers to understand Web Development

The TechUp team has also prepared primers to break down key concepts related to front-end development, Git/GitHub, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, back-end development Databases and APIs. These are short lectures with some hands-on exercises.

📃Programme Materials

CS50 for Lawyers is a highly-rated and well-acclaimed version of Harvard's renowned introductory computer science course tailored specifically for non-technical professionals. It provides a broad overview of computer science and programming, aimed at helping lawyers understand the technology landscape. Key topics include algorithms, data structures, cryptography, cybersecurity, and the basics of programming languages like Python and SQL. The course focuses on practical applications in the legal field, enabling lawyers to better navigate tech-related cases, communicate with technical experts, and understand the implications of technology on law.

CS50 for Lawyers is designed to be completed in about 10 weeks, with an estimated time commitment of 6 to 9 hours per week. It is particularly beneficial for policy officers who interact with technology but are not directly responsible for tech policy, strategy, or planning.

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