Have you ever thought of learning online? Then I will advice you take time to read this comparison of top online learning platforms. They will determine if you wasted your time, energy and resources or not
Online learning platforms are digital platforms where resources are provided for participants to learn new courses/skills online without going to a classroom. The benefits of online learning platforms for professional development is to provide a flexible platform for career growth and their services are affordable compared to physical classrooms.
It is important for employees to upskill as AI is now on the increase and professional development enables employees to gain a new skill.
Benefits of Online Learning Platforms
Online learning platforms provide a great importance for both the learners and institutions. The following include the benefits:
- It offers different course
- Their cost is affordable
- It provides a platform to network and a community
- It gives learners the privilege to upskill
- It makes learning easier and at a self-paced
Top Online Learning Platforms for Professional Development
These online platforms give the employee the ability to gain new skills while still working. The following include top online learning platforms:
1. edX
This is a great choice for employees who want to increase their skill in some areas and gain a Micromaster or Professional certificate because edX offers courses from both universities and institutions around the world. This platform is founded by Harvard and MIT which provides courses with academic excellence in different fields. Though some of the courses are free to access and a certification course starts at $50.
It provides interactive learning features like group discussion, project, and quiz and some of the courses give the students the opportunity to learn at their own pace.
2. Udemy
Udemy is one of the popular online learning platforms that offers various courses on different topics making it a good course for professional development. The platform is user-friendly and the courses are regularly updated and also the standard of the courses differs. Udemy is a great choice for those who want to learn directly from the best instructors and the courses are flexible and it also provides opportunities for students to learn at their own pace.
The courses are affordable with discounts and free coupon code, you can preview courses before going ahead to purchase it, it also provides a lifetime access to courses bought, and there are some of the courses that allows the students to interact directly with their instructor and the courses are available in different languages.
3. Coursera
This platform is one of the best online learning platforms we have. Though the price of some of its courses can be very high, but it’s a great choice for those that want an accredited education but not a great choice for those who need practical skills.
It offers courses from different top universities like University of London, Yale, and Stanford. The courses are also self-paced and the deadline is flexible.
4. Skillshare
This is also another online learning platform that provides a broad range of video classes which are taught by professionals in the field and it gives the student the opportunity to learn directly from tutors in their field.
This platform focuses mainly on creative skills, like photography, graphics design, digital marketing, entrepreneurship and many more. The platform also provides access to live workshops and sessions that can be downloaded by the tutors, it also encourages interactions among the students by its community.
The students can take many courses at the same time but it does not offer certificates at the end of each course.
5. LinkedIn Learning
This platform is a great choice for those who want to take a course on professional development to improve their career/skill, and some of the courses include technology, creativity and business. And with the certificate you received you can easily share it on your LinkedIn profile, which will increase your chances of getting a job interview easily as it will show you have a skill in that field.
This platform has courses like data science, web design/development, project management, data analysis and many more to increase your career skills. It has a one month free trial period, learners can easily download the course and take them later and the courses are in different languages for international students.
6. Codecacademy
This platform is a great choice for those interested in coding, that is, developers, and it provides step-by-step guides in different programming languages for those who want to build programming skills. The courses are available from beginners to intermediate levels, the courses that are available in different programming languages include, JavaScript, Python and Ruby.
It provides a platform to write and execute code directly on the platform website and it also guides students through their coding career path.
7. Khan Academy
It is a platform that offers courses, in mathematics and science, that are free for students who are of different ages. It provides resources for students at different levels that are of high value and covers a range of subjects with a great focus on K-12 education. The student can learn at their own speed and the platform provides help when it is needed.
Its interactive features cannot be compared to other platforms because it is lesser and it’s a great platform for those preparing for exams like SAT, LSAT and more.
Conclusion
The benefits of online learning platforms is to provide opportunities for learners to improve their career skills without going to a classroom but they can learn at their own pace and have access to retake again because the courses are downloadable and they have a higher chance for a job interview as they boost their career skill.
Online platforms enable the learners to have access to educational content and tech courses like web design, data science, data analysis, front-end and backend development and many more and it gives the learners access to their instructors to ask questions, have hands-on projects and be able to network. And they can do some of the courses online for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does LMS stand for?
LMS, a learning management system, allows schools to have a control over their online materials and put them in a file/drive/excel sheet. They use AI to evaluate the training needs of an organisation and also track learning.
Which device is best for online learning?
To have a great learning experience it is important you need to use a good device. Teenagers or youth can use a tablet or even phone but tablet is a great choice because it is portable and easy to use. A laptop is also a great choice for those that can afford it as it provides a better function and it’s flexible to use.
How much does canvas LMS cost?
The students can access their free course on canvas LMS if their school uses it through their canvas school account and the courses are free.
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