In the last few years, online course has significantly evolved & changed the face of modern education. Online learning is cheaper, more efficient, & needs less time commitment than traditional education. That explains why more & more people are opting for online courses in some Best Online Course Platforms.
There is nothing like taking control of your educational life & learning at your own speed without feeling like someone is holding a revolver in your head. There is no better and easier way to do that than by enrolling in online classes.
Best Online Course Platforms
1. Canvas Network
Canvas Network focuses on professional development classes for teachers, school administrators, & other education staff.
Topics offered here include leading & applying assessment in student affairs, supporting women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics) areas, & research data management for librarians. Students can access MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) in languages like English, Chinese, Portuguese, & Spanish.
Like other platforms, Canvas Network offers primarily free & self-paced online classes. Educators take advantage of open licensing options that let them freely share & reprocess content as well as combine third-party tools for their own purposes. This benefit enables teachers to create & run their own MOOC to strengthen traditional classroom teaching.
2. Skillshare
Skillshare is one of the most popular & Best Online Course Platforms. It has an enormous collection of over 30,000 classes that are divided into three categories: Thrive (Lifestyle, Efficiency), Build (Business Analytics, Freelance & Entrepreneurship, Management & Leadership, Marketing), & Create (Animation, Graphic Design, Film & Video, Music, Creative Writing, Web Development, Photography & many more).
Skillshare takes a project-based approach to learning that lets students develop creativity & pertain new skills in life. All courses contain two parts: a video presentation (typically 20-60 minutes long) & a class project.
Remember that although there are many excellent courses on Skillshare, none are recognized by any institution & Skillshare does not provide certificates of completion. It’s a website to learn new skills & increase your knowledge, not get a degree.
3. Cognitive Class
Previously known as Big Data University, Cognitive Class is an enterprise by IBM to extend data literacy through free classes for students & experienced IT professionals equally. Users can follow coursework at their own pace with no time limitations for completion. These MOOCs offer separate topics like Python for data science, reactive architecture, & digital analytics & regression.
Alternatively, learners can register for more general learning paths, taking a series of classes on extensive subjects like deep learning & Scala programming.
Cognitive Class offers more than pre-recorded lectures, facilitating students to practice their knowledge through a virtual lab environment. Instead of a certificate, candidates can earn confirmed digital badges, which reflect shareable & industry-acknowledged forms of recognition.
4. Mindvalley
Mindvalley is known to be one of the best personal growth & transformation platforms. Their goal is to aid students to succeed at work while unlocking the full potential of their body, mind, & spirit. Mindvalley is the best option for people who want to develop different areas of their life in a limited period of time.
They provide over 50 courses in Mindvalley’s library, taught by top experts in the fields of their expertise: CEOs of famous companies, best-selling authors, celebrity coaches, well-known therapists, successful entrepreneurs, & international speakers.
The courses are divided into various categories: Mind, Body, Soul, Career, Entrepreneurship, Relationships, Teens & Parenting, & Performance. Each course lasts 30 to 50 days, & it generally takes less than 30 minutes per day to complete a video lesson & a practice session.
5. Coursera
Coursera was founded in 2012 by two Stanford professors & is famous for being one of the world’s largest MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) providers.
The platform has a partnership with more than 180 companies & universities to offer fully remote & self-paced learning opportunities offering digital certificates at the undergraduate, graduate, & postgraduate levels. Coursera has a high satisfaction rate, with 86% of students reporting career benefits.
The catalogue contains more than 3,800 courses & specializations that cover subjects like business, computer science, physical science & engineering, arts & humanities, & language.
Coursera also provides reasonably priced online degrees through its partner schools. Students can earn a master of degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois or a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Toronto, Canada.
6. Udemy
Udemy is yet another reputable online learning platform. It has an enormous library of over 150,000 courses which makes it one of the best ones when it comes to content. With Udemy, you can develop your knowledge & skills in any possible field, from business & marketing to hand weaving & other crafts. The goal of Udemy is to disturb & democratize the traditional educational system.
Udemy became one of the best learning platforms in 2019. Unlike Skillshare, & many other online platforms, Udemy doesn’t offer unlimited subscription plans; you have to buy each course individually, which is obviously a bummer. Though, the courses are very cheap, starting at just $9. If you don’t like a course you bought, you can get a full refund within 30 days.
7. FutureLearn
FutureLearn is yet another MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) provider founded in the UK in 2012 by 12 university partners, including King’s College London, The University of Leeds & Imperial College London.
Students can enroll in one of 418 short courses to learn new skills in fields like digital product management, ecology & wildlife science, & the future of globalization. They may also attain micro-credentials from foremost universities & major companies.
Moreover, FutureLearn offers low-cost online academic programs that allow candidates to earn a bachelor of arts in international business or a master of science in food science. Dissimilar to other platforms, FutureLearn constructs its courses through narrative, with weekly to-do lists that help students to stay on top of coursework. Learners can also get one-to-one support from a network of tutors.
8. Khan Academy
Khan Academy founds its organizational mission on the notion that education is a fundamental human right. To this end, the platform provides totally free online courses that combine instructional videos, practice exercises, & a customized learning dashboard.
Unlike many other MOOC providers, Khan Academy fundamentally supports K-12 students, with contents like pre-algebra, English language, AP chemistry, U.S. government & civics.
Learners may also access preparation materials for standardized tests, including the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), ACT (American College Testing), GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses), & even the Praxis exams.
Moreover, Khan Academy offers resources for teachers & parents, who can allocate standards-oriented course materials & track student progress. Through networking features, users can connect with students & teachers worldwide.
The Rise of Online Learning
There are several Best Online Course Platforms in the market, like Udemy, Coursera, Canvas Network, Skillshare, Mindvalley, that serve millions of students. While Skillshare is generally for creativity like animation, photography, and lifestyle, Coursera is mostly educational, giving access to traditional courses.
Major universities are also democratizing education by making courses accessible online. Stanford University & Harvard University offer online courses in computer science, engineering, business, art, & personal development.
This trend shows a massive demand from people who want to learn online. The reason for this demand & speedy growth of the market with a wide array of platform options for different groups of people may be the fast change of the world.
We are in a world that’s changing so rapidly that skills that were appreciated some years ago are no longer significant. People are confused & don’t know which skill they should adopt. Online learning is becoming a significant catalyst for people & companies to help adopt this rapid change in the world.