Last year’s socio-economic events by reason of coronavirus pandemic have led us to adopt a new approach to life. The way we see and do things has been changed to the level that I recently had a dental examination remotely. If that is not shocking enough, a Japanese university used remote-controlled robots to conduct a virtual graduation ceremony. Such instances depict something important about human nature, one is that we can adapt to different situations rather easily, and the second is that technology is going high and researchers are coming up with new inventions, even as you are reading this.
We were confined to our houses for the most part of the last year and while that had been one of our fantasies, it did not pan out as well as thought. After making dalgona coffee and baking banana bread, there wasn’t much to do and then I stumbled upon the idea of online learning. Online learning websites have been around for so long but their importance was recognized the most, last year. There are thousands of courses that can be taken through these sites, aiding you to be skillful and knowledgeable from the comfort of your bedrooms. The only thing you need is a computer and a sound internet connection. Most people own a computer or a laptop, however, if you do not have one at hand, you can use your smartphone for this purpose too. As for the latter requirement, you need super reliable internet, you can click here to find details on the one I use.
After researching a lot about the best e-learning websites, I have put in a list for your reference.
At a glance
- Udemy
- Coursera
- Khan Academy
- LinkedIn Learning
- Skillshare
- MasterClass
- Treehouse
Udemy
Number of Available courses: More than 130,000
Accredited: No
Free Trial: No
Price: 19.99 USD to 199.99 USD; select free courses available
Subject Domains: IT, Software, Development, Marketing, Design, Business, Music, Photography, Personal Development
Availability of enterprise/team plans: Yes – Udemy for Business
Whether you want to polish your soft skills or hard, you can trust Udemy any time of the day. It is an immensely famous e-learning site with thousands of free classes; the paid ones are reasonably priced starting from 19.99 USD. There is great room for you to choose from. The best thing about Udemy is that you are granted lifetime access to all course material. For paid classes, completion certificates are available.
Coursera
Number of Available courses: More than 4,600; More than 500 specializations, 25-degree programs, 45 certifications, and 1,000 guided projects
Accredited: No; however, some classes are
Free Trial: Yes
Course Price: Free to 99 USD
Specialization Price: 39 USD to 99 USD
Degree Price: 9,000 USD to 45,000 USD
Professional Certification Price: 39 USD to 99 USD
MasterTrack Certification Price: 2,000 USD to 6,000 USD
Coursera Plus Price: 399 USD yearly
Subject Domains: Business, Arts, Data Science, Computer Science, IT, Math, Health, Logic, Physical Science, Engineering, Language Learning, Social Sciences, Personal Development
Availability of enterprise/team plans: Yes – Coursera for Business
From short courses to full-time degrees, there is nothing you cannot achieve through this website. Coursera has partnered with major top-tier universities and offers a combination of accredited and non-accredited learning programs. Furthermore, you can avail yourself of scholarships and financial aid via Coursera as well. It offers a 7-day free trial and has a 14-day money-back guarantee for Coursera Plus. All the certifications offered under its name are valid and can be very well flaunted on the resume.
Khan Academy
Number of Available courses: Not quantified
Accredited: No
Free Trial: No
Price:Free
Subject Domains: Science, Maths, Computing, Arts, Test Prep, Economics, Language Arts, Reading, Life Skills
Availability of enterprise/team plans: No
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational website. It provides free learning resources, online classes, STEM preparation, and interesting topics for students to learn about. Some of the courses are taught by the founder, Sal Khan, himself. One of the best things about Khan Academy is that it offers courses in over 45 languages. You can download its application on Android as well as iOS for quick learning. No completion or professional certificate is available.
LinkedIn Learning
Number of Available courses: More than 16,000
Accredited: No
Free Trial: Yes
Price: 29.99 USD monthly or 239.88 USD yearly; free for LinkedIn Premium members
Subject Domains: Programming languages, Project Management Institute (PMI), Drawing, Illustration, Leadership, NASBA Continuing Professional Education (CPE), Design Thinking, Data Analysis, Data Science, Big Data, Web Designing, Spreadsheets, Creativity, Personal Effectiveness
Availability of enterprise/team plans: Yes
LinkedIn Learning is one of the best e-learning sites if you want your resume to outshine. It offers a one-month free trial and the opportunity to make your own time schedule for learning. Most of its courses provide you with a badge that can be flaunted on your LinkedIn profile. Every week, almost 50 new classes are introduced. All the courses are available in seven languages for ease and convenience.
Skillshare
Number of Available courses: More than 29,000
Accredited: No
Free Trial: Yes
Price: 19.99 USD monthly or 99.99 USD yearly; select free courses available
Subject Domains: Design, Lifestyle, Business, Animation, Illustration, Film/Photo, Writing, Technology
Availability of enterprise/team plans: Yes – Skillshare for Teams
If you are into crafts and skill-building, Skillshare is where you should stop. This online learning platform covers all the bases centered around arts. It also shares personality grooming and strategical classes. Almost 2,000 classes are offered without any charges, however, you can access all of its courses in just 20 dollars per month. It does not offer any professional or completion certificates.
MasterClass
Number of Available courses: More than 100
Accredited: No
Free Trial: No
Price:15 USD yearly
Subject Domains: Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Gaming, Music, Food, Design, Lifestyle, Writing, Science, Tech, Business, Community, Government, Wellness
Availability of enterprise/team plans: No
As the name suggests, MasterClass gives you a chance to learn from the masters, the ones you have been admiring all your life. With this learning website, you get a chance to study under the best of the best, A-list instructors. You can learn writing by ShondaRhimes or cooking by Gordon Ramsay. With just a minimal annual fee of 15 dollars, you can have access to unlimited courses.
Treehouse
Number of Available courses: 93 practice classes, 285 individual classes, 196 workshops, 5 tech degrees, and 41 tracks
Accredited: No
Free Trial: Yes
Price:29.99 USD monthly for courses and tracks, 199 USD per tech degree
Subject Domains: Android, Business, APIs, Computer Science, C#, CSS, Design, Databases, Development Tools, Data Analysis, Digital Literacy, Go, EDI, HTML, Learning Resources, Java, Machine Learning, Python, PHP, Ruby, Security, Quality Assurance
Availability of enterprise/team plans: Yes – Treehouse for Teams
Treehouse is a dream come true for tech geeks. It offers technical and technological courses ranging from beginner to advanced level. The 7-day free trial allows you to understand the scope of classes and if you decide to continue, you can learn at your own pace. All the instructors are their in-house teachers and can be accessed at any time. The only thing that I did not like about this online learning site is that it does not provide any certificate of completion for tracks and individual courses.
