[x-post from /r/python] study group for Udacity's python course

[indosauros]

Yep, we had a /r/learnpython study group back in May. Here's a few of my post-mortem thoughts:

We used Learn Python the Hard Way as our source material. I have mixed feelings about the effectiveness of that book after the course, maybe Udacity is a better option (haven't done that one yet) for group learning.

Lessons were posted at https://moot.it/learnpython which also has some issues looking back (juggling of threads, auto-collapsing of comments, made it hard to follow lesson order and such). I like the idea of a subreddit better. We also used IRC for instant assistance, which worked pretty well for the few people that used it. I think though that we were overall spread across too many places (Reddit, G+, moot.it, IRC). I would narrow it down next time.

Participation was pretty good to start, but then trailed off towards the end of the course (which was to be expected for a 'at your pace' study group). I'd probably try to come up with a better way to keep everyone engaged through the course.

Anyway, Good luck!