Online learning is a growing industry, with many Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) available on a wide variety of subjects from educational organisations around the world. If the range of subject matter wasn’t impressive enough, the fact that the vast majority of these video, text and interactive learning tools are free is incredible.
Whether you’re exploring a subject out of sheer curiosity, or looking to re-train, the following MOOC providers are a great place for inspiration and education.
FutureLearn
An enterprise owned by the Open University, Future Learn has a wide range of subjects from universities across the UK and global cultural institutions. Classes begin on set dates and are presented in a “step” system with weekly reinforcements such as quizzes, essays and tests. Comments and class forums are available to exchange ideas, and at the end of the course you have the option to purchase a “Statement of Participation” to add to your educational portfolio.
EdX
Originally founded by MIT and Harvard, EdX courses are now provided by those institutions and a vast number of renowned global educational institutions. Boasting a massive choice of subjects and courses, the site also give a handy overview of how much work and time is expected for completion.
Coursera
Similar to EdX, Coursera has a wide range of subjects delivered by many global educational institutes. It also provides an timeline/workload overview. Coursera also has a “Signature Track” program where users can pay a fee to undertake an officially certified course, with certification awarded upon completion.
Udemy
Udemy provided courses more focused on practical skills, which are a mixture of free and charged courses. Courses can be uploaded by users, with overviews and student reviews available to see whether signing up is worth your time or money. These lesson vary in price and come with a 30-day money back guarantee.
Academic Earth
A rabbit hole of online education, Academic Earth’s curative nature means that it’s less of a MOOC provider and more of a library. A hub of information and links to course material on a large variety of subjects, it also hosts overview information on what to expect from online degrees, although bear in mind that it is very US-centric.
Code Academy
This online learning site specialises in teaching all kinds of computer coding skills. Learn how to make various types of website, or pick up another programming language. Programming and understanding computer language can be useful in many ways, and this site is perfect for beginner-level introductions and lessons into the subject.
Khan Academy
Designed to be accessed by everyone from children to parents to teachers, Khan Academy focuses more on interactive exercises than courses. Subjects range from various mathematical disciplines to art appreciation, all of which can be added to a personalised online learning dashboard.