Microsoft Virtual Academy
For some time Microsoft has been bringing development tools, videos, tutorials, and other learning materials to the market for free, but this year Microsoft brought all this together in an organized, high-quality way and launched MVA (Microsoft Virtual Academy) completely free of charge in January, following the trend of using distance learning (EAD) to disseminate knowledge and expertise in advanced features of its corporate solution suite.
MVA is a virtual academy where users have access to a vast amount of content, videos, presentations, and articles. As they access information, their points or ranking increase relative to other users in their country or across the entire MVA (globally). Users participate in a ranking system, with the option to take assessments to prove their learning. Initially, a user is classified in the ‘Bronze’ category. Upon qualifying, they advance to ‘Silver’, ‘Gold’, and can reach ‘Platinum’.
I started following some development-related learning paths and liked the material presented. I proceeded with other topics, such as virtualization, Windows Azure, Windows 8, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 7 Game Programming, HTML5, SQL Server 2012, Active Directory, Office 365, among others, totaling more than 26 learning paths so far. The material presented features excellent didactics, presented by experienced professionals, with an average duration of 9 minutes. Some learning paths are divided by levels such as: Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced. All of them have a test at the end of each module, and passing the test unlocks new modules.
The goal of this article is not to advertise for Microsoft, but to show that we have alternative, free, and high-quality learning options. For this reason, I suggest that everyone who likes to study and stay up to date with new market and Microsoft technologies should use MVA. Enjoy! It’s free, you just need a Windows Live login (your Hotmail account).
Access: https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com
Happy learning everyone.
Flávio André
Systems Developer at Teclógica
