Sounds like I might as well not pay them a penny though if its research that I can do myself instead.
Providing a structured path and (automated) test means can be stimulating, and can make the difference between (deciding to) learning something or not.
Some people are certainly entirely autonomous, but at the very least, there is a spectrum of need for stimulation when approaching a topic of study.
Exercism is the closer service I can think of, but it's based on simple exercises, not real-world projects.
There are a few books that have a similar target (build X), but much narrower in scope (either a single language or pseudocode, and certainly no automated testing/team features).