The Internet is one of the best places to learn new things. Various educational and learning websites can help you learn myriad skills.
Today, we will share with you seven best learning websites. Instead of going through trial and error when you want to learn something, you can join any of these top learning platforms and hone your skills.
1. Lynda
Lynda.com is popularly known as the Netflix of education. It consists of a library of video tutorials. The cost is $ 25 per month, which means that it is pretty affordable. With over 80,000 different videos, spread across various topics and skills, you cannot go wrong with this one. Some of the subjects which the website covers are:
• 3-D animation
• Architecture
• Audio + music
• Big Data
• Business
• CAD
• Programming & Development
• Marketing
• Photography
• And so on
It covers numerous topics, and therefore, learning new skills isn’t a problem. The fact that it relies on video content means that it is easy to pick up a new skill. With a plethora of tutorials and videos, you will never be short on the courses that you can learn.
It is arguably the largest learning website that you can join. It requires you to pay just a small fee of $ 25 per month to access unlimited content. As a result, the number of courses which you can get access to is virtually unlimited for the small fee. Thus, when looking for the best learning sites, this one should be on top of your list.
Pros:
• Covers a lot of different topics
• Small fixed monthly fee
• Unlimited access
• Expert teachers
• Free trial on offer
Cons:
• Number of highly specific courses is low
2. Coursera:
Coursera is a curated platform that offers you selected courses from various universities as well as educational institutions. Some of these institutions include:
• Duke
• Stanford
• University of Michigan
• And many more
The top instructors of the Institute teach the courses. It means that if you’re looking for learning websites that are similar to the traditional educational infrastructure, this is the one for you.
The duration of each course and the commitment which you need varies. Also, Coursera requires you to complete assignments, and you receive grades on these assignments. It will work in your favor since you are more likely to complete the course that you have started.
Coursera offers you single courses, specialized courses, and even degree programs. The course price varies from one to another. There are free courses on offer. That is why; Coursera stands out among the other learning sites.
Pros:
• 3 different course options
• Courses by reputed companies and educational institutes
• Variety of course options
• Courses available of different duration
• 7-day free trial available
Cons:
• Bit expensive than other websites
3. Udemy:
Udemy is a course marketplace. It works as a facilitator between the course creator and the students. The students can read the courses with a maximum of 5 stars. The platform consists of more than 100,000 courses. Approximately 1/3rd of these are free. There are various topics covered by the creators like:
• Business
• Design
• Programming
• Development
• Digital marketing
• And so on
Since the creators have complete freedom to create the courses within the designated available categories, you will find general courses covering the entire category or skills specific ones as well. Due to a large number of courses available, chances are it will become easy for you to find the one which you are looking for.
The cost which you will incur will be on the per course basis. As a result, it will become easy to choose the courses according to your budget. The platform offers a 30-day money guarantee, which means that you are at no risk. Besides, once you go through the feedback of the existing students who have taken that course, it will become easy to choose the right one.
A large number of courses, as well as over 50,000 instructors, make this platform an excellent choice when you want to learn a new skill or improve your current one.
Pros:
• Over 100,000 courses
• Money-back guarantee
• More than 50,000 instructors
• Covers a wide range of topics
Cons:
• Requires some research before picking the course
4. Khan Academy:
Khan Academy is a non-profit platform that offers a library of free lectures. It provides not only text-based materials but also video lectures. It covers the topics that are more inclined with our traditional academic system like:
• Mathematics
• Economics
• Humanities
• Science
• Programming
• And so on
It can be a great supplemental tool when looking to improve your knowledge of these subjects. That is why, if you’re looking for learning websites that can help you with the traditional subjects, this one is a must-visit.
Pros:
• Offers micro-lectures
• Text as well as video-based teaching
• Non-profit company
• Supplements traditional academic system
Cons:
• Sticks mostly to traditional subjects
5. Udacity:
Udacity is a platform that primarily focuses on new IT skills. You can learn more about self-driving cars, AI, machine learning, and so on. It has a limited range of topics on offer, but all of them are relevant to the current technologies in use. It offers free as well as paid courses. The paid courses are known as Nanodegrees.
The courses on Udacity require you to complete a lot of programming work to complete it. Moreover, when you opt for the paid courses, you get mentor support, as well. That is why, if you want a comprehensive learning experience, Udacity is a perfect choice.
The leading companies like IBM, Google, and Amazon create the courses. If you’re looking for IT-related courses, this is the platform that you should go with.
Pros:
• Courses created by leading companies
• Free as well as paid courses available
• Requires you to complete extensive programming work
• Focuses on new-age skills
Cons:
• Focuses only on IT courses
6. Skillshare:
Skillshare can teach you a large variety of skills across different domains. Some of the categories on offer are:
• Business
• Technology
• Creative
• Lifestyle
The courses can be as small as 10 minutes and can be as large as 8 hours. Also, under each of these categories, you can come across different types of courses like Photoshop tutorials, painting tutorials, and even web development.
The platform charges a fixed monthly fee to access all of these courses. That is why it is affordable. Moreover, you can look at the course reviews and the number of students enrolled. It will allow you to pick the right one easily.
The creators have complete freedom regarding the topic and skills which they want to teach. Also, you get to know more about the creators as well so that you can make a better decision before going through the course. The content is in the form of video tutorials, which makes it easy for you to grasp.
Thus, if you’re looking to learn particular skills, Skillshare is the right choice.
Pros:
• Affordable
• Wide variety of courses from different creators
• Easy to check the credibility of the course
• Consistent addition of new courses
Cons:
• Limited categories
7. Codeacademy:
Codeacademy, as the name itself suggests, revolves around coding lessons. It takes a hands-on approach when it comes to programming. It offers tutorials covering different languages like:
• Python
• Java
• C++
• Ruby
The best thing is that you have to create programs and run them before moving to the next step. The site comes with its compiler. That is why; you learn to develop programs and instructions. It is the highlight of this learning website.
It offers free as well as pro plan. If you’re interested in programming, this is one of the best learning sites.
Pros:
• Covers various programming languages
• Helps you learn through trial and error
• Offers free plan as well as Pro subscription
• Easy to understand interface
Cons:
• Occasional bugs in compilers
Now that you are aware of various learning websites which you can use, it is time to understand how to choose one.
What should you consider while choosing a learning website?
You have to check a few factors while choosing a learning website. These include:
• Type of topics covered
• Credibility
• Cost
• Duration of the course
• Medium of instruction
Once you look at these five factors, it becomes easy to choose the right learning website among the seven options highlighted above.
So, if you want to develop new skills, these are the best learning websites which you can use. Once you from these sites, you can be sure that finding useful lessons will be pretty easy. It is time to use the Internet for something productive and develop skills that can help you in real life.