Last Updated on December 22, 2024 by George Palmer
Online learning is education that takes place over the Internet.
It is often referred to as “e-learning” among other terms.
However, online learning is just one type of “distance learning” – the umbrella term for any learning that occurs across distance and not in a traditional classroom.
Formal education has evolved greatly in the past years.
Being physically in a classroom is no longer the only way to learn especially with the advancement of the internet and new technologies.
Nowadays, as long as you can get online, you can get a quality education whenever and wherever you want.
4 Reasons Why Online Learning is the Future of Education:
1. It is flexible.
Online education allows the teacher and student to work at their own pace, and there is the added flexibility of setting a schedule that fits everyone’s needs.
2. It offers a wide selection of programs.
The internet is an extensive space with an unlimited amount of skills and subjects to teach and learn.
3. It is accessible.
Online education allows you to study or teach from anywhere in the world.
This means there’s no need to commute from one place to another or follow a strict schedule.
4. It allows for a customized learning experience.
Flexibility in online learning allows students to study at their own pace and customize their education experience to their individual needs and abilities.
15 Websites to learn online skills for free
1. Coursera
Apply your new skills to real-world projects using the latest industry tools & techniques.
Master the latest skills from industry experts at companies like Google, IBM, & Facebook.
Earn a Credential. Achieve Your Goals. Advance Your Career.
2. Udemy
Find the right instructor for you. Choose from many topics, skill levels, and languages.
Shop thousands of high-quality on-demand online courses.
Courses in 60+ Languages. Lifetime Access. Over 204,000 Courses.
3. Udacity
Master real, in-demand tech skills from home with Udacity’s 100% online learning platform.
Stay ahead of the curve and get the skills you’ll need for the jobs of the future.
4. Edx
Master in-demand skills and learn online.
Find the right course for you.
Join 39+ million learners. 3000+ courses. Advance your career. Learn new skills.
5. Instructables
Instructables is a website specializing in user-created and uploaded do-it-yourself projects, which other users can comment on and rate for quality.
6. TedEd
The TED-Ed platform allows users to take any TED Talk, TED-Ed lesson, or educational video and easily create a lesson plan of personalized questions and discussions.
7. Khan Academy
Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more.
8. Skillshare
Skillshare is an online learning platform with thousands of creative courses and classes taught by experts to help you learn new skills.
9. OpenLearn
OpenLearn organizes collections of courses created by teachers, colleges, universities, organizations, and individuals from around the world.
10. FutureLearn
Learn new skills, 100% online and in your own time, with world-class universities and experts.
11. Google Skillshop
Develop skills you can apply right away, with e-learning courses designed by Google product experts. Learn at your own pace and get Google product certified.
12. Codecademy
Codecademy is an online learning platform that teaches coding skills in an accessible, flexible, and engaging way.
Codecademy is an excellent place to learn anything related to the IT industry.
13. Hubspot Academy
Learn everything you need to know about the most sought-after business skills.
HubSpot Academy is the worldwide leader in inbound marketing, sales, and customer service/support training.
14. Semrush Academy
Learn SEO, PPC, social media, and content marketing tactics and strategies tried and tested by the best-in-class marketing experts.
15. Facebook Blueprint
Facebook Blueprint helps you learn the digital skills you need to move your business forward.
16. LinkedIn Learning
Unlock thousands of business, creative, and tech-related courses to advance your career.
17. Alison
Offers free certified courses in areas like IT, languages, business, and personal development.
18. Duolingo
Learn a new language in a fun, gamified way.
19. Memrise
Enhance your vocabulary and language skills with interactive lessons.
20. SoloLearn
Explore coding and programming languages with an interactive learning experience.
21. Academic Earth
Free access to top-tier university courses from MIT, Stanford, and more.
22. Codewars
Learn to code by solving challenges in different programming languages.
23. Class Central
Find thousands of free courses and MOOCs from universities around the world.
24. Pluralsight
Free skill development in tech, creative, and business fields (limited free courses).
25. MIT OpenCourseWare
Access MIT’s course materials in subjects ranging from engineering to humanities.
26. Harvard Online Learning
Offers free and paid courses from one of the world’s top universities.
27. Open Culture
A curated list of free online courses, language lessons, and eBooks.
28. FreeCodeCamp
Master coding and build projects with free tutorials and exercises.
29. Library of Congress
Explore free educational resources on history, science, and more.
30. Quizlet
Create and study custom flashcards for topics ranging from language to biology.
31. Microsoft Learn
Build technical skills with Microsoft’s free online training platform.
32. OpenStax
Access free textbooks and resources for high school and college-level education.
33. Study
A variety of free lessons for students from elementary school through college.
34. Project Gutenberg
Download free eBooks and resources to learn literature, history, and more.
35. LingQ
Learn languages with interactive audio and text lessons.
In conclusion, learning skills can be done online or in person.
Online learning is a great way to acquire the skills you need without leaving home.
Many websites provide learning opportunities.
You can find learning opportunities for everything from basic math skills to computer programming.
You can also find learning opportunities for specific skills, such as writing or web design.
There are also many online courses that you can take.
Online courses are a great way to learn new skills.
You can take them at your own pace and they are often available on a flexible schedule.