Online learning has understandably gained significant traction in recent months. With many of us quarantined in our homes, the need for self-improvement has pushed many to seek to gain new skills through online platforms specifically designed for the distance learner.
Many have been drawn to the Khan Academy, a non-profit offering free online courses on various subjects, such as math, art, computer programming, and economics. However, there’s a wide range of other online learning platforms out there, and many of them have grown their selection of course in light of the pandemic as well.
But there’s more to choosing an online learning platform than just the selection of courses. It’s also important to know that the instructors providing these lessons are well-known and capable, especially for specialized fields like engineering or programming. Free PCB design tutorials are often found online, with many YouTube channels dedicated to the subject.
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5 Best Alternatives to Khan Academy
PCB designers often follow a general design process methodology, attempting to answer certain questions throughout the design process. However, unless the provider is an expert in the field – someone with an established track record in the industry – it’s hard to trust that your output will be a success.
Luckily, there are many online platforms that have collaborated with renowned institutions to offer their courses, such as:
1. Coursera
Established by Stanford University’s computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller in 2012, Coursera offers more than just free short courses – students can even earn degrees and specializations through the platform.
Most courses on the website are available for free and are offered in partnership with established instructors from universities from across the globe. Students can also receive certificates of completion, with the grade they achieved in the subject if they choose to pay for the course.
2. Udemy
While the courses on Udemy aren’t free, they’re much cheaper than the certificate courses Coursera offers, and often even go on sale. They have more than 35 million active learners, 57,000 instructors who are all experts in their fields, and over 130,000 courses. Similar to Coursera, Udemy offers professional and technical courses on a range of subjects, including cybersecurity, programming, and even playing the guitar.
3. YouTube
Everyone who’s been on the internet has heard of YouTube, and people often only use it for entertainment. However, a surprising majority of YouTube viewers actually visit the site to watch free video tutorials on various subjects.
Through YouTube’s specialized repository for educational content, YouTube EDU, viewers have free access to over 700,000 videos produced by renowned institutions like PBS, TED, and MIT OpenCourseWare. There’s also a huge array of educational channels like Smarter Every Day and Vsauce, which aim to bring complicated subjects to users in a more digestible way.
Skillshare differs from most other online learning platforms in that its courses focus more on interaction rather than lecturing. Signing up for Skillshare is free, and the courses are taught by the world’s best practitioners.
There are thousands of free classes hosted on the site, and the instructors are known for being engaging, making even online learning feel personalized. The platform is great if you’re looking for free classes for developing creative skills.
5. edX
One of the lesser-known online learning platforms, edX was actually established by Harvard and MIT. It gives students access to over 2,000 free online university-level courses in a range of disciplines, all provided by leading institutions. As with Coursera, certificates of completion are available for some of the paid courses.
There’s a huge variety of alternatives to Khan Academy available out there, but choosing which is the best depends on the type of experience you’re looking for. Make sure that you choose a site that offers the courses you need, with accredited instructors who can make learning enjoyable for you. Just remember that there’s always a good alternative to any popular website!
