There are all sorts of reasons why online learning can be immensely useful and why it is used by so many different students for all types of contexts and purposes. Sometimes it can be integrated into classroom learning, as in the Flipped Classroom model, where online learning is used to enable students to familiarize themselves with topics during homework time. This leaves them free to attempt the more challenging practical task of tackling questions or putting the theory into practice in the classroom with the teacher present to help them iron out any issues and perfect their techniques. In other cases, students may use online learning to gain long-distance qualifications, or to top up existing knowledge and learning.

Some parents find online learning resources incredibly helpful to keep their kids topping-up their learning during the school holidays without getting too rusty and out of practice! And for students who struggle with a particular topic, online learning can be an invaluable way of supplementing school lessons with that extra bit of help and support they need to really make sure they have grasped the key facts and feel confident with the subject.

Whatever the reason, there are a vast and rich array of resources for online learning available – some very well known, others less so, but all offering an engaging and efficient way for students to widen their knowledge. Here are some of our top picks…

 

Resources for Online Learning

1. Khan Academy

Probably the best-known of all online learning resources, and with good reason, Khan Academy is a juggernaut of online knowledge – a massive online classroom with tutorials and lessons on every subject imaginable available for absolutely anybody, anywhere, to use completely free of charge.

 

2. Watch Know Learn

This fantastic collection of online educational videos is arranged into a directory by subject, with an impressive 50,000 topics to choose from. The site stands out because it is curated by teachers, who recommend, add and rate videos to the site according to what they find helpful to use in their own classrooms.

 

3. MIT Open Courseware

Ideal for older students, this pioneering programme from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, makes MIT courses available for the first time to anybody with internet access.

 

4. Open Learn

Also geared towards older students, this fantastic online resource from the Open University is ideal for topping up or refreshing existing knowledge, or taking a whole new course altogether. Interactive aspects, games, podcasts, videos and articles make it a diverse and rich resource.

 

5. Udemy

Udemy is a learning platform that allows anyone to create an online course and deliver it to the world. It does not matter whether you are looking to learn Yoga, Advanced Mathematics or Wine Tasting, there is someone on Udemy offering the course. This is actually the platform we (Fractus Learning) use for delivering our online courses for educators. If you like the look of Udemy then one of the best places to start is with our 8 Great Udemy Courses for EdTech Teachers.

 

6. Coursera

This company partners with leading universities worldwide to enable students to take free courses around the world. The courses include lectures by world-class professors and interactive elements to test understanding. Users are able to progress at their own pace, making this an ideal resource for those with other commitments who need to learn part-time.

 

7. Udacity

Another website for free, interactive college courses, Udacity is different because its courses are categorised by level of difficulty rather than subject. This is particularly helpful for those looking to use online learning to master a completely new skill like computer science or coding, as they can find a beginner’s course well-suited to their needs and abilities.

 

8. EdX

This resource offers free online courses and content, but is also committed to conducting and publishing research about how students learn, to help empower educators around the world.

 

What are your favourite resources for online learning? Let us know below!

 

Image courtesy of Flickr, JuditK.

7 Comments

  1. Laura, great list. Can I introduce you and your readers to RedHoop? It is a search engine for online learning. Out of the 8 resources you mentioned, RedHoop already aggregates courses from 5 of them. In total, we get courses from 17 websites. So you and your readers can go to RedHoop to search instead of visiting these websites one by one. Would love to get feedback from you and your readers, Michelle@redhoop.com (a fellow self learner)

  2. The MOOC provider with big ambitions is https://iversity.org/courses (I must disclose I work for them!). We are aiming to become the coursera of Europe-we have 19 great (and free) MOOCs launching in October, and we are working with universities so students can get credit for taking our courses. Do please check them out and let me know your thoughts!

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