I\'ve been considering taking some web-related programming courses from an onlin

Question

I've been considering taking some web-related programming courses from an online technology school (it's probably best if I don't name names). When I read the syllabi of the different courses on their website (which included courses on HTML, JS, PHP, Perl, DB admin, and Unix/Linux system admin), I was a little concerned that some of the content and descriptions sounded a bit dated. I emailed my concerns to their representative, who responded promptly. I hope I'm not outside the scope of this forum, but based on the rep's responses (below), I have two questions that I think only experienced programmers can answer:

Does the rep have a good point when she says that teaching earlier versions of technology is justified because "most people/sites/businesses do not change quickly"?

Is there such a thing as PHP in the SQL style? (I couldn't find anything on that)

Discussion with representative:

Hi, I'm wondering how much effort is taken to keep these courses up to date? Computer technologies and best practices change fairly quickly and I would obviously want to be taking courses based on current standards.

Yes you are correct that technology & practices change quickly, most people/sites/businesses do not change quickly. Most often the systems are several versions behind current upgrades. Our courses are kept as up to date as possible. However, we find the earlier versions are still in use and a good foundation for the majority of systems out there.

For example, is your web programming certificate based more on HTML 4 or HTML 5?

We are still teaching HTML/CSS from 5 years ago. We are currently in the process of creating a new HTML/CSS course for the newer technology, however it is not available yet.

Do you teach PHP in an object oriented style?

We are teaching PHP in the SQL style. Hopefully this answers your concerns. If not, please do not hesitate to contact us with more specific questions.

Wishing you all the best,

Explanation / Answer

Answer 2.) is okay in my book. Fancy HTML 5 and CSS 3 is something that a good student can explore on their own later. Using a well-established CSS standard that is supported by (well, almost) all browsers as a basis for learning the fundamentals sounds fine to me.

However, 1.) and 3.) I find worrisome and they need additional checking.

However, we find the earlier versions are still in use and a good foundation for the majority of systems out there.

This of course is true in general. The latest new technologies are rarely a good basis for teaching basics. But if it means that they are still using PHP 4, then run away screaming. Check out what exactly they mean by this.

We are teaching PHP in the SQL style.

This may be a very unusual way of describing a specific programming style, but I personally have never heard of it. As @sirlancelot says, it might be just the representative not knowing what they're talking about - but if it's an euphemism of "we don't do OOP", run away. The server-side programming curriculum needs to be in tip-top shape.

You could consider requesting some sample learning materials. They are likely to give a very clear picture of what kind of technologies are being taught there.

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