Xamarin University: Free Access For Students?

Xamarin University was a handy resource for students to get to grips with cross-platform development. The platform was acquired by Microsoft in 2016 and offered free accounts for self-guided learning. However, Xamarin University closed down in 2019, and students lost access to their profiles. Microsoft planned to make the main courses available on Microsoft Learn, and recordings of courses that did not make the transition were to be uploaded to YouTube. Microsoft Learn is a free platform where students can learn how to build cross-platform mobile applications on Android and iOS.

Xamarin University closed in 2019

Xamarin University was a fantastic resource for students and teachers in the higher education community. The university offered a wide range of training materials, including live instructor-led courses, self-guided training, and guest lectures. Many of the introductory materials were available for free, with the option to purchase a full subscription.

However, in December 2018, it was announced that Xamarin University would be closing its doors in 2019. The university was a handy resource for those learning the intricacies of cross-platform development using the Xamarin toolkit, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2016. The closure was part of Xamarin's absorption into the Windows giant, with the site and its Xamarin DevConnect profiles completely turned off on 28 June 2019.

The good news is that Xamarin University joined the Microsoft Learn family. Users could transfer their progress to Microsoft Learn and continue their learning journey. Microsoft Learn offers free interactive learning, hands-on learning, and quizzes to help build skills. While the closure of Xamarin University may have been a sad loss, users could still benefit from the new opportunities provided by Microsoft Learn.

Free access for students

Xamarin University was a handy resource for students to learn the intricacies of cross-platform development using the Xamarin toolkit. While the university closed down in 2019, Xamarin offered free access for students to its platform, Xamarin Studio, for those enrolled in a degree or diploma-granting course. This allowed students to develop native apps for iOS and Android.

Xamarin also offered a Student Ambassador programme, where students could help their peers build mobile apps in C# and receive recognition and rewards from Xamarin. Benefits of the programme included working with Xamarin engineers, receiving complimentary Xamarin Business subscriptions for iOS, Android, and Mac, and getting free access to Xamarin University.

Additionally, Xamarin offered free and discounted software, educational materials, and other resources for educators at accredited academic institutions teaching mobile development courses.

After Xamarin was absorbed into Microsoft, the company made the "main courses" available on Microsoft Learn, and course recordings were uploaded to YouTube. Microsoft Learn is a free platform where users can learn to build cross-platform mobile applications on Android and iOS with Xamarin.Forms content. The platform offers badges, trophies, and levels to incentivise learning, and users can share their progress on social media platforms.

Self-guided learning

Xamarin University offered self-guided learning via a free account to students enrolled in a degree or diploma-granting course. The platform was handy for students getting to grips with cross-platform development using the Xamarin toolkit. Xamarin University was shut down in 2019, with its resources migrated to Microsoft Learn.

The new and completely free platform, Microsoft Learn, offers students a chance to earn points, badges, and trophies while advancing their skills. The modules are collected into two learning paths, with each module teaching step-by-step techniques. The first learning path, "Build Mobile Apps with Xamarin.Forms", teaches students the first steps of creating a project and an app's user interface. It also provides details on connecting your app to web services or locally saved data.

The second learning path, "Customize and add advanced features to Xamarin.Forms apps", consists of eight modules. It teaches students concepts such as data binding and Model-View-ViewModel and how to customize their user interface with renderers and effects.

Microsoft Learn also offers dozens of modules for Microsoft tools and services, enabling students to connect their Xamarin.Forms mobile apps to cloud services. Additionally, there are modules for adding more features and customizations to Xamarin.Forms apps. Completing enough modules can prepare students for the Microsoft Certified Azure Fundamentals certification exam.

Certification and 1:1 instructor access

Xamarin University offered students the opportunity to gain certification and spend quality 1:1 time with instructors for a fee of $83.25 per month. The university also offered free self-guided learning via a free account.

The Xamarin Student Ambassador program was created to bring cross-platform mobile development to campuses worldwide. Student ambassadors were offered complimentary Xamarin Business subscriptions for iOS, Android, and Mac, as well as the opportunity to attend Xamarin University for free.

Xamarin University was closed in 2019, with the site being completely turned off on 28 June 2019. The Xamarin Certification programme was also discontinued, with the last day to get certified being 30 April 2019.

Since the closure of Xamarin University, Microsoft has offered free Xamarin training through Microsoft Learn. This platform allows users to earn points, badges, and trophies for completing modules and learning paths. While Microsoft Learn does not appear to offer 1:1 instructor access, it does provide a comprehensive free Xamarin training programme.

Xamarin U forums

Xamarin University offers a wide range of training materials, including live instructor-led courses, self-guided training, and guest lectures. Many of the introductory materials are available for free or are included with other programs.

Students can access self-guided lessons from Xamarin University for free by visiting the relevant webpage and creating a Xamarin account. These self-guided lessons include videos, exercises, and quizzes and can earn students credit towards becoming a Xamarin Certified mobile developer. Signing in for the first time will also start a free trial that includes 30 days of access to Xamarin University's Guest Lectures and two live instructor-led courses, in addition to the self-guided lessons.

Xamarin University's Lightning Lectures are short, focused sessions covering various challenges, tools, and topics around mobile development. They are available for anyone to watch without a Xamarin account.

The Xamarin forum on Telerik features a variety of questions and answers on UI for Xamarin. For example, one user asks about the possibility of editing the colours and fonts of the DayItemFormat of AgendaViewSettings. Another user seeks advice on how to style RadNumericInput control.

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