Welcome to Cultural Coder! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start your coding journey with us. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced developer looking to learn something new, we have made the process simple and intuitive.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Getting started takes less than two minutes. Visit our website and click the "Start Learning Free" button on the homepage. You can sign up using your email address or with your Google or GitHub account. If you choose email registration, you will need to verify your email address before accessing the dashboard.

Once you sign up, you will be taken to the onboarding wizard. This is an important step because it helps us personalize your learning experience. The wizard asks you about your coding experience level, your learning goals, and your preferred language. Based on your answers, we recommend a learning path that matches your needs.

Step 2: Complete the Onboarding

The onboarding process has several steps designed to understand how you learn best:

Experience Level: Tell us whether you have never coded before, tried a few tutorials, can build basic projects, or write code regularly. This helps us recommend the right starting point.

Learning Goals: Choose whether you want to switch to a tech career, pass exams, supplement your university degree, build personal projects, grow your business, or learn a new technology. Each goal maps to a different learning path.

Language Preference: Select English, Shona, or Ndebele. You can always switch later using the language selector in the top navigation. Your AI tutor will explain concepts in your chosen language.

Learning Style Quiz: Answer four quick questions about how you prefer to learn. Are you someone who charges in headfirst, or do you step back and think? Do you learn best by watching, or by reading? These answers help us classify you into one of sixteen learning profiles.

Totem Discovery: In Zimbabwean culture, your totem defines who you are. Answer three cultural questions to discover your totem — this becomes your identity on the platform, and your AI tutor will address you by your totem praise name.

Step 3: Take the Placement Quiz

After onboarding, you will be directed to a placement quiz. This is not a test you need to pass — it helps us understand what you already know so we can skip concepts you are familiar with and focus on what you need to learn.

The quiz generates four to five questions based on your experience level and learning history. If you score above 70%, you can start from a more advanced point. If you score below, we recommend starting from the beginning — there is no shame in building a solid foundation.

Step 4: Explore Your Dashboard

Your dashboard is your learning command center. Here you will find:

• AI Recommendations: A personalized suggestion for your next lesson, based on your progress, learning style, and totem
• Stats Cards: Your experience points, lessons completed, packages finished, and AI usage
• Learning Progress: A table showing all packages with percentage completion
• Activity Heatmap: A visual representation of your daily learning activity
• Leaderboard: See how you rank against other learners
• AI Tools: Quick access to the AI tutor, code playground, and explainer

Step 5: Start Your First Lesson

Click on any package to see its modules and lessons. Start with the first lesson in your recommended package. Each lesson includes:

• Python for Beginners — 24 lessons with Zimbabwean analogies
• AI Tutor — Ask Tafadzwa to explain any concept
• Review quiz: Test your understanding at the end of each lesson
• Audio: Listen to lessons in your preferred language

Tips for Success

1. Learn a little every day: Consistency beats intensity. Even 15 minutes daily builds strong habits.
2. Use the AI tutor: When you are stuck, ask Tafadzwa. The AI uses Zimbabwean cultural analogies that make abstract concepts concrete.
3. Track your XP: Every lesson earns experience points. Watch your progress grow.
4. Join a classroom: If you are learning with a group, ask your instructor to create a classroom for you.
5. Complete your profile: The more we know about you, the better we can personalize your experience.

Start your journey today at Cultural Coder. The future of coding education is here — and it speaks your language.

Related Resources

• Start Learning Now — Create your free account
• Browse All Packages — See the full curriculum
• Python for Beginners — Recommended first course
• AI Tutor — Try Tafadzwa, our AI tutor
• Glossary — 58 programming terms in English, Shona, and Ndebele
• Placement Quiz — Test your current knowledge
• Premium Plans — Upgrade for unlimited AI access