If it’s time to improve on some of your skills, the below list of free or low priced online training platforms can really help.
If you want to learn more about why these courses are free and how they work, check out our article: What is a MOOC?
Feedback or recommendations on these resources is always welcome -info@findyourpath.com.au
Future Learn has a catalogue of hundreds of free online courses on a multitude of topics all provided by top international universities and specialist organisations. Many of their courses are aligned with further accredited study by the universities that provide them. They also provide paid courses up to degree level, so they are well and truly worth having a look at. Universities such as the University of Wollongong (UOW) use this platform to showcase their free education options.
Open 2 Study is a free training platform affiliated with Open Universities Australia. They provide structured education on key topics to allow students to gain some basic understanding of key topics with the endeavour of being a bit of a taster on study topics for their degrees. I have done a couple of their courses and this is not a marketing ploy, there is no sales pitch or marketing contact after enrolling or completing a course, they provide it purely for the benefits of participants. The courses include videos and quizzes as well as supplementary reading and they even provide a certificate of recognition once complete.
Lynda.com is an international platform providing online learning in the areas of business, technology and creative arts. You can buy a membership directly or go through many arrangements made to make the platform free to users, for example many public libraries offer free access with their library membership as do some schools, other education providers and employers. Lynda provides mostly video based training that is broken into smaller lessons. Lynda also has an app, to allow you to access content anywhere on a multitude of devices
An international platform with courses provided by some impressive universities and organisations from around the world, Coursera gives you access to a vast number of training opportunities on a multitude of topics. At completion you will get a certificate of recognition and along the way the courses provide videos, quizzes and projects to build your knowledge. Coursera also has an app to allow you to study just about anywhere on various devices.
Funded by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Edx offers quality online learning opportunities from some of the worlds best universities and institutions. With what seems like endless courses that can be categorised by topic, provider or level of competency required, there is bound to be a course here that meets your needs. Australian Universities such as University of Queensland (UQ) use this platform to showcase their free courses as well.
Udacity is primarily focused on technology education and provides both free and paid courses in these areas. You can quickly filter the catalogue by free courses to get your hands on some courses provided by some pretty high end providers. Learn about webdesign from google, for example.
OpenLearning is a platform designed to engage students and encourage social interaction while learning. While providing both free and paid options, anyone can create a course on this platform so be sure to check out the authors if you’re interested in a particular standard of education. Many universities still use this platform so don’t discount it because its open to anyone.
Alison courses are free to complete and once you have registered for your free account, you can gain quick access to courses that you have enrolled in as well as those you have completed. Alison courses will also use your profile to suggest other courses that you might be interested in. They have indivudal modules, learning pathways, certificate courses and diploma courses with each level requiring more time than the one before it.
Class Central is a search engine for free courses published by universities from around the world including Australian Universities such as University of Queensland (UQ), University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Curtain University and Griffith University. This site will link you to other platforms once you have found the topic and university you are interested in.
Udemy is an international platform that provides training courses for as little as $14.99 (as at September 2018) a course. With over 80,000 courses to choose from, you can learn skills and theories that relate to your professional or life or out of personal interest. Udemys delivery is primarily video based and allows learners to study at their own pace.