Online education was regarded as somewhat undesirable but since then the quality of online courses has come a very long way. And now, besides conventional universities introducing online courses to their programs, loads of online platforms are offering a different perspective on the modern learning style. The trick is to find the one that matches you and your needs for education.
There are plenty of ways to educate yourself from home with social distance becoming the norm and many universities moving to online classes.
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They are often referred to as massive open online courses (MOOCs); they’re subtly different from paid platforms. If you are an instructor looking to make some money with your knowledge, rather than just hosting your own contents, your courses can get into a global market where students can pay directly for them.
The advantage is that these platforms can be leveraged to reach a new public. The downside is that you’re not going to earn as much money per sale, and there’s harder competition on the market.
To get you started, here are some of the best online education platforms to check out as an undergraduate, even if you’re searching for a supplementary course or a one-off college courses or even creative-specific opportunities or would like to obtain a degree.
- LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning platform (formerly Lynda) is a marketplace tailored to business professionals’ online course. With more than 1,000 business courses on topics such as product development, digital marketing, and business development, they are an amazing platform for undergraduates to learn business skills they will require for their future.
They also give certifications that you can add to your profile on LinkedIn, showcase your skills and boost your digital resume.
What does it cost to study on LinkedIn?
Monthly subscriptions are attached to a LinkedIn premium membership, which is $29.99 / month or $24.00 / month if you pay each year.
- Coursera
Coursera is a professional online course platform with the online classroom by some of the finest universities in the world, including Michigan University, Duke and Stanford.
Lecturers hold classes at some of the leading universities worldwide, take about 4-6 weeks to finish, which included video lectures, peer-reviewed assignments, and forums for community discussion.
What does it cost to study on Coursera?
Coursera is free to join, but you need to log in to see individual course pricing information. Coursera offers three-thirds of classes.
- Major Courses Run under premium membership and cost $29-99 / month. These take the usual 4-6 weeks to finish, and upon completion, you receive a digital course certificate.
- Specialization Courses are designed to master a specific career skill and cost between $39-79 per month. You are tackling actual business issues with hands-on projects and more rigorous coursework in these online courses.
- Online Degree Programs; if you are searching for a more advanced degree, you can also enrol in online degree programs approved by the universities. These take 1-3 years to complete and you will have to pay anywhere between $15 to $25,000.
- Skillshare
Skillshare is a massive platform specializing in creative education. Topics can be anything from motion graphics and music production to fine art as well as cooking.
They have courses on more advanced subjects, such as data science, analytics and e-commerce. Skillshare has much more than 24,000 courses, and over 4 million students and more than $5 million in teacher payments.
Each Skillshare course is split into shorter lessons of 20-60 minutes, with assignments and a group discussion board to communicate with other students.
Open dialogue is also helpful to their innovative ideas, because students may share their achievements and get input from others.
Skillshare can help premium members with production, course scheduling, and could even help with the creation of online courses at their New York studio.
What does it cost to study on Skillshare?
Skillshare is free for establishing a premium course experience. They pay teachers $10 for premium membership referrals and monthly royalty payments for each minute of content watched.
Advantages of Skillshare
They have a larger customer base for developers and entrepreneurs. When you’re delivering content that’s tailored to a creative market, Skillshare is a perfect place to get heard.
Courses on web design; email marketing, photography, painting, personal branding, and creative subjects are the most popular.
The quality of the class is credible. Skillshare is proud of its professional, high-quality courses. They can help outline your course depending on the requirement of their audience, and then they can also help with the production process.
More Fact on Skillshare
Skillshare is a standard online course market with over 4 million students. With such a large number of users of creators and entrepreneurs, Skillshare is a great opportunity for creative students.
Their courses are all of excellent quality, and they can help ensure that your class is best suited to the needs of their audiences for maximum effectiveness.
Nevertheless, based on the revenue royalty system and live support, as a teacher, you may be capable of making a lot more sales with a platform like Skillshare. If you’re the creator of a creative course and want to reach a new audience, their online courses are worth the investment.
- Udemy
Udemy is one of the largest educational course platforms in the industry with more than 24 million students, 35,000 professors and an impressive 80,000 + courses. As a teacher, the first step in creating an Udemy course is to sign up to be a premium instructor.
Once your account has been accepted, it’s very easy to get your courses started. Bear in mind that the material must be at least 30 minutes long and include five lectures while making the video content.
What does it cost to study on Udemy?
Udemy is free to use it. They charge 3 per cent rev share for sales via teacher coupons, 50 per cent for students who have completed their course through organic search (SEO) and 75 per cent for transactions made through paid search marketing activities.
- Treehouse
Treehouse is a relatively new platform which believes in the democratization of education. Their agenda is “committed to making education available to students of all races, genders, sexual preferences and socio-economic backgrounds.”
They include more than 300 technical courses on coding and development, more than 50,000 students, and more than 27,545 minutes of video (and counting).
Treehouse collaborates with a number of big names, such as Microsoft, IBM Watson, Amazon Alexa and Google Developers.
What does it cost to study on Treehouse?
Treehouse offers students a 7-day premium membership free trial. Then you can pick from three separate packages, varying from $25 to $199 a month.
Their basic plan includes on-demand courses, interactive practice sessions and access to their online community.
The pro package would allow you access to rewards, test apps, and downloadable content.
But if you’re seeking to develop a real portfolio and get your skills ready for work, their Techdegree program offers you personalized feedback, real-time support, and a personalized curriculum.
Benefits of Online Classes for Undergraduates
- You have the luxury to choose from a large reservoir of courses and programs
From classical four-year universities to purely accredited career colleges, higher education now offers a diverse range for students. This implies that whatever students study, from nursing to neuropsychology, they could indeed find the courses or programs they require online. Students can also earn any academic degree online, from a career certificate to a master’s degree.
- You get a comfortable learning environment
Commercials that highlight online students learning in their pyjamas just scratch the surface of one of the advantages of online education: no physical class sessions. Students attend lectures and submit assignments sent to them digitally, without having to fight traffic, leave work early for class, or miss important family time.
- You get a great deal of convenience and flexibility
Online courses allow students the chance to plan study time around the rest of their day, rather than the other way around. Students can study and work at a convenient time. Course content is also accessible digitally, rendering extra visits to the library needless. Every one of these advantages helps students stabilize work and family obligations with their schooling.
- Opportunity for career advancement
Students may take online classes and even complete full degrees while working, in-between jobs, or while taking time to raise a family. This academic work will also explain any discontinuities or gaps in the attached resume. Winning a degree will often demonstrate motivation for potential employers and a willingness to be educated and trained for new challenges.
- greater ability to concentrate and More interaction:
Even when conflicting evidence exists, the level of online student involvement versus participation in traditional courses, one thing remains predictable: online courses offer shy or more reluctant students the chance to participate in group discussions more conveniently than face-to-face class sessions. Some students also record stronger focus in online classrooms due to lack of classroom operation.
In conclusion, undergraduate students who wish to take advantage of education can sign up for one of these learning platforms above. Benefits that these platforms are enormous and can be used as very good support for traditional university courses.
