No matter what your age, the internet has a lot to offer for everyone. There seem to be limitless resources available online to enhance learning and education. The best part is that many quality resources are freely available. Here are some of the best websites to educate yourself on multiple fields and skills.
iTunesU Free Courses
This is a very convenient application for users of Apple devices. It provides free online education by seamlessly integrating with all Apple mobile devices like iPhone, iPad, or iPod (if you still use it). You only need to download the app to get started.
People who use computers can also use iTunesU by accessing it from the iTunes Store. It is categorized just like iTunes so it should not be a problem for anyone familiar with Apple devices and software.
Leaning material has been classified by topic and genre. The material includes both paid and free content.
There are courses available on a wide selection of topics. However, iTunesU is only compatible with other Apple mobile platforms so it is off-limits to users of Google, Android, and Windows mobile devices.
Stanford Online
Stanford is an Ivy League college, so it has a well-established reputation as an institute for learning. Stanford Online offers both session-based as well as self-paced learning courses. Although Stanford courses are available on other platforms, like Coursera, they do not offer all of their courses. Some Stanford courses are only available through iTunes. However, you can get access to most of them from any web browser.
Stanford Online is an excellent resource to get access to some very high-quality courses. However, they offer courses in a limited variety of topics, especially when compared to platforms that offer courses from multiple colleges.
Open Yale Courses
Like Stanford, Yale is also an Ivy League school. So in a way, Open Yale Courses can be described as a clone of Stanford Online, except that they offer Yale courses. Like Stanford Online, Open Yale Courses also only offers learning material that is taught at Yale. However, they do have a differentiating feature. They upload videos of actual on-campus lectures conducted by their faculty. So if you learn better through an audio/visual medium, rather than reading only, then this is your go-to option.
UC Berkeley Class Central
This is another platform for free learning launched by a college. However, UC Berkley has a far limited variety of courses on offer when compared to the online platforms of Stanford and Yale. However, they do have webcasts, supplementary lectures, and RSS Feeds, so it still has plenty to offer for those willing to learn.
MIT OpenCourseWare
MIT is another top institute for higher learning, like Stanford and Yale. The volume of courses offered by MIT OpenCourseWare rivals that of the online platforms of both Stanford and Yale. The courses are quite in-depth, as one would expect from an institute like MIT. They also offer free RSS feeds of their courses so it is another good place for online learning.
Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative
Carnegie Mellon has also kept up with the trend of top colleges offering their courses on online platforms. Their topic selection is not as diverse as on the other platforms mentioned in this list. However, whatever topics are on offer, have been covered in-depth.
Summing Up
The e-learning industry has opened up seemingly unlimited career opportunities, without even leaving the comfort of your bedroom. There are so many skills available online, both free and paid, that you will always have a job to bring food to the table. However, before you exploit multiple online learning avenues, you must ensure you have a reliable internet connection like Windstream Internet Service. Get a stable and swift internet connection only with Windstream.
