Gone are the days when you had to pay a huge sum to learn something. The online learning platform has evolved.

Not to mention, you had to ACTUALLY be present in the class to learn it. Thanks to the online world, things have changed now and for good. Now, all you need is a device and an internet connection to access massive sources of information and learn your desired skills.

And the best part is, there’s no bar for the expertise. You can choose to learn something as little as “making crafts” or as big as “developing software.” There’s something for everybody out there. The following e-learning platforms on this list are what I am talking about.

Before I go on to mention those, let me tell you just a few more advantages of e-learning.

Learn at your own pace

Unlike traditional physical courses, e-learning makes the edge by allowing you to learn at your own pace. This means that once you enroll in a course, you can start and complete it at your own leisure time. There’s no one forcing you to complete it in a specific amount of time.

Cost-effective as compared to physical learning centers

It’s pretty obvious the physical learning centers charge a hefty amount of money. And while that is not wrong, not many people can afford it. That’s when online courses come into play. They cost very little, sometimes the cost of your lunch, and provide the same amount of value, if not more.

Unlimited access to the content

Another great thing about e-learning is, upon enrolling in a course, you get it to keep it for a lifetime. The videos, files, and everything else that comes with it is there for you to learn at any given time.

Frequently updated

Most of the online course instructors care about their students, which is why they regularly update the materials with up-to-date information. And the best part? You get the updates for free. Yes, you read that right.

Comes with helpful community

Online courses usually come with a helpful community so that students can come together and discuss the course. No matter if you have a doubt, a problem, or a win to share, the community is a suitable place for that.

Now, let’s have a look at the platforms.

Udemy

With over 150,000 courses and 50 million students, Udemy stands tall as one of the most popular e-learning platforms out there. They have a huge library of courses divided by different categories, including:

  • Development
  • Business
  • Finance & Accounting
  • IT & Software
  • Office Productivity
  • Personal Development

I’m constantly updating my knowledge whether it’s reading, listening, watching, attending events etc etc

Udemy is a really cool place to refresh and update your knowledge within your market. @ Binfield https://t.co/NADg6y7gXv

— Matt Grady (@DadBodNutrition) March 14, 2020


Each category has its own sub-categories, so you can be sure there’s a ton of options to choose from. While most of them are premium courses, there are also 6500+ FREE ones, and those are actually really worth looking at.

Coursera

Taking things a step ahead, Coursera also has courses from world-class universities and companies that offer certificates and degrees. They’re in collaboration with some of the biggest names, including IBM, Google, and the University of Michigan.

A good thing about this platform is, they have quizzes and hands-on projects in between the course materials so you can implement what you just learned. Their categories of courses include:

If you’re looking to build a skill for a potential future career, then Coursera might be the one you’re looking for. They give a lot of credibility for your learning time.

INE

A self-paced learning environment, the INE platform offers practical lab experiences and interactive lessons. It provides access to live, virtual, and on-demand labs.

Without expensive gear or a complicated setup, the platform enables users to learn new technologies and develop new abilities. The labs can be accessed from any device with an internet connection and are made to be self-paced.

Allowing people to explore various technologies in a secure and sandboxed environment makes learning enjoyable. It is the ideal infrastructure for novice and seasoned users to develop their talents.

The platform offers over 2500 hands-on labs and covers a wide range of capabilities, including networking, Database, Data Science, Cyber Security, Development, and Cloud.

These programs include a wide range of programming, testing, and debugging tools; a cloud-native container environment; and many monitoring, logging, and security services.

Additionally, the platform offers several pre-built connectors with well-known third-party services like GitHub and Slack. Additionally, the platform provides several pre-built connectors with well-known third-party services like GitHub and Slack.

Its uniqueness is it is designed to be versatile and scalable, allowing it to be utilized by individuals or organizations of any size. After finishing the training, the portal also enables users to pursue certification.

The platform can be used for seven days without charge, after which paid editions like Fundamental, Premium, and Premium+ can be selected.

Job Ready Programmer

Do you want to be a programming ninja?

Are you ready to hone your programming skills to land the job of your dreams?

Job Ready Programmer can help.

This learning platform offers a wide range of courses to teach you how to code like a pro. To test your learning skills, they put students in practical programming assignments and then follow a video solution in detail to break down the problems and provide a comprehensive step-by-step answer for better understanding.

Its course offerings are:

  • Oracle SQL
  • Java for beginners and advanced
  • OOP
  • SQL for Data Science
  • Python
  • Tableau
  • Spring Framework 5 + Spring Web + Boot 2
  • Data structure + algorithms
  • Elasticsearch masterclass including Kibana and Logstash
  • Apache Spark
  • jQuery

Prepare yourself with these courses to step in the world of real-world programming and become “job-ready”.

Pluralsight

Pluralsight is a bit unique in their way of teaching. They have courses + data showing you how to put those into practice. The courses mostly range along the lines of software development and IT, but there’s a lot more stuff that you can learn from it.

This platform is the perfect example of “making it happen.” They just don’t leave you overwhelmed with a bunch of courses, but rather guide you to what’s suitable for you and then cracking that.

Cloud Academy

As the name hints, Cloud Academy is all about learning cloud computing and identifying how to solve business problems. They cover a wide range of topics revolving around their core focus, and the best part is, it’s updated each and every month.

They also have plenty of courses like AWS or Microsoft Azure that offer certifications, so it’s totally worth checking those out if you’re looking for exposure. You can get started using their 7-day free trial.

DataCamp

Since data language is high in demand as of now, and will probably stay up there, DataCamp might be a useful resource. They specialize in data science, and their teaching is super-easy to consume, all thanks to their bite-sized lessons.

Last year I had to code a Machine Learning algorithm with only a weeks worth of training. This morning I started the Machine Learning on R course on Datacamp, so far so good.
I highly recommend it

— Vumile Sithebe, APRM (@VumileSithebe) March 9, 2020

In between the lessons, you also have exercise so that you can implement what you just learned. DataCamp has over 100 courses on a number of different topics like Python, SQL, and Spreadsheets. Once you complete any course, you’ll be getting your own certificate to help you back your skills in the future.

Cybrary

A great place to learn Cybersecurity and IT, Cybrary helps you build a career in this industry with their catalog of courses crafted by experts. They build and assemble more than 1,000 virtual labs, practice tests, and assessments in areas like cybersecurity, IT, data science, and more. And mind you, those are fully secured and browser-based.

With the help of their 200+ skill assessments, you can also track your career development and analyze your strengths and weaknesses. All of this combined helps you secure a better career in this field.

Udacity

Aimed at teaching you what tech companies want, Udacity prepares you with skills that are the most desired. Categories of courses include:

  • Data Science
  • Programming
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Business
  • Cloud Computing

Each of their courses comes with exercises, and you get personal help from the support team. The content is geared towards cracking your next job within the tech industry. So, if that’s been your dream, this is a great site for that.

Over 100,000 students have graduated from Udacity, and you could be the next.

LinkedIn Learning

A hub of knowledge, LinkedIn Learning makes it easy for you to learn your desired skills, all thanks to their huge catalog of courses. Some of the categories are:

  • Software Development
  • Web Development
  • Design
  • Business
  • Photography
  • Marketing

With a single subscription, you can access all of their courses on-demand. They’re currently offering a free month to try out their platform, so don’t forget to grab that.

Skillshare

Skillshare works on a monthly subscription basis that includes all of their courses. This platform is fairly new but probably the fastest growing out there. The topics are diverse and include the following:

  • Animation
  • Illustration
  • Design
  • Lifestyle
  • Photography
  • Filming
  • Business
  • Writing

So #Skillshare is about to be my new favorite thing!! ☺️

— ✨Amber René✨ (@_Je_suis_belle_) March 13, 2020

Most of the courses (also known as “classes”) aren’t that detailed at one go. Meaning, you’ll most likely be taking multiple classes on the topic to learn it entirely. All in all, this is a very amazing platform, and undoubtedly one of my favorites.

Code Academy

Coding is highly profitable, and while there are a lot of resources on the internet to learn it, Code Academy is one of the best out there. It has a student-base of over 45 million, and it’s only getting bigger. If you’re unsure about the first step, you can take their quick quiz so that they can guide to towards the right lessons.

Alongside learning, you can test your skills out on their editor and even get feedback from experts. This way, you’ll always be doing what’s right.

Apart from learning the skills, they also have lessons on how to make a career out of coding. Pretty cool!

GoSkills

Multiple award winners, GoSkills is another brilliant site to learn a variety of skills on different topics like Finance, Design, Project Management, and more. You only need a single subscription to access a ton of bite-sized courses, and this platform is mobile-friendly, so you can learn on the move as well.

You can analyze your strengths and weakness, track your progress, get certified, and also earn badges along the way. Be sure to get started using their free trial.

Edx

With over 2,500 courses from 140 top institutions like Harvard University and Boston University, Edx can help you learn a ton of different skills. Whether it’s Engineering, Data Science, or Language, this site has some great lessons.

Knowing the fact they’re tied up with the top institutions is a trust-gainer on its own.

Future Learn

Future Learn goes by their name by thinking about the future, which is why they have recently released a series of Disease Outbreak Prevention courses. They’re great at catching up with trends and know exactly where the demand lies in, so you can expect to learn skills that’ll be profitable for you in the future.

Their categories of courses include:

  • IT & Computer Science
  • Law
  • Business & Management
  • Politics
  • Medicine & Healthcare
  • Creative Arts & Media

Future Learn also has career-related content so you can be guided on the right path according to your skills.

Conclusion

Learning new skills is the wisest decision anyone can make because you never know when the trends change. The above sites will help you learn and master your desired skills anytime and anywhere.

You can learn the most demanding skills from the best instructor, right from your computer, in your home. The beauty of learning online is you can plan your learning schedule, and it’s cheap.