The advancement of technology and the internet has many benefits to offer, one of which is to make it easier than ever for anyone to get access to top-quality education. With a huge selection of online education sites to choose from, there has never been a better time to learn a new skill. Whether you want to learn coding, a new language, or simply brush up on your existing knowledge and skills, there is bound to be an online education course to suit you.
10 Best Sites for Free Online Education in India
With so many top universities offering online courses, you can now earn a certificate from the comfort of your own home. Even better, not only do online courses allow you to learn at your own pace, but they are also affordable. Here are the top 10 free online education sites in India which are offering different courses.
Coursera
Coursera is one of the most popular online education sites and offering massive open online courses (MOOCs). This is largely due to the fact that it has partnered with numerous organizations and universities from the around the world, resulting in a range of high quality and in-depth courses across a variety of topics.
Additionally, Coursera also provides certification upon completion of the course, meaning that you can use it when applying for jobs. Although it has many free courses, it also has a range of paid courses. If you’re someone who enjoy structured learning, in a classroom-style environment, then Coursera is a great platform to begin your online learning journey on. The platform uses pre-recorded video lectures, meaning that you can watch them whenever it is convenient for you. Additionally, community discussion forums are also available and coursework is both graded and peer-reviewed.
edX
edX is a great platform for anyone who is looking for a free online education site. It offers a wide range of courses from across many different schools, including Harvard, MIT and Berkeley. Most importantly, it provides high quality information to learners and is especially focused on engineering, math and the sciences.
The courses offered online also include access to teachers, as well as discussion boards and quizzes. The platform contains a weekly subject sequence and short videos which contain learning exercises. edX also offers certification upon completion of the courses.
Udemy
Udemy is quite similar in concept to Coursera. Yet, one of its most impressive and standout features is the fact that it enables users to create their own custom courses from the lessons available. Additionally, Udemy works with leading experts who teach the lessons on offer, meaning that the content on offer is of top quality.
Unlike other platforms which partner with established institutions, Udemy allows its content creators to curate their own courses, as well as to teach them online. It is a particularly good platform for courses in categories such as marketing, business and design. As with other similar sites, Udemy offers a combination of free and paid for content.
iTunesU Free Courses
iTunesU Free Courses are becoming increasingly popular with anyone who has an app-ready Apple mobile device because of its ability to seamlessly integrate with such devices. Anyone with an iPod, iPad or iPhone can simply download the iTunesU app and use it directly through their device. Desktop users can also access it via the upper right-hand corner of the iTunes Store. However, one downside is that it does not integrate with Windows, Android or Google mobile devices.
As with other platforms, iTunesU offers a mixture of paid and free content. However, one of the biggest appeals is that it offers full lectures, including the option to make notes. The courses also contain assignments, meaning that learners can continue to progress even outside of the online learning environment. The store is organized is a fashion similar to iTunes. Users can easily search for learning materials in different ways, including by topic or genre.
MIT OpenCourseWare
Offering course material from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT OpenCourseWare is a top-quality online learning platform. In particular, it is an ideal online education platform to head to if you are interested in learning about topics such as computer science, engineering or science.
The platform offers lectures and lecture notes, as well as setting homework assignments and offering sample tests. Much of the content and materials which are on offer on the MIT OpenCourseWare actually come from courses available and delivered at MIT itself. It also offers free RSS feeds, providing a convenient way for users to continue with their learning, and many of its videos can be accessed from YouTube and iTunes.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a great platform that makes excellent use of a well-organized and easy to use interface. Having partnered with several post-secondary schools, Khan Academy offers a range of courses across many different subjects. The platform is free for both teachers and learners and it offers lessons all the way from kindergarten through to early college. Resources for the courses are available online, as well as via the app. Additionally, Khan Academy is available in a range of languages.
Importantly, the content offered on its courses tends to be in-depth. One of the most successful aspects of this platform is that its lectures are short, whilst delivering accessible information. The lectures build on one another, meaning that students are able to make progress and have the opportunity to fully understand learning before moving on to the next module. The courses offer plenty of learning exercises and have built-in video lectures, which are hosted on YouTube.
Stanford Online
If you are looking for courses specifically from Stanford University, then Stanford Online is the online education platform to head to. The platform offers session-based and self-paced courses. Most courses can be completed in a web browser, but some do require iTunes.
The topics are a little more limited than those available on other online education sites, particularly those which have partnered with multiple schools or organizations. However, the courses are extremely high-quality and offer a collection of free e-books, videos and webinars. Additionally, Stanford Online also offers certification upon course completion.
Codecademy
If you are looking to learn more about coding, then Codecademy is the platform to head to. Specifically dedicated to the teaching of coding, Codecademy courses teach users how to write code in a number of useful and in-demand programming languages, including CSS, JavaScript, HTML, PHP, Python and Ruby, with most courses able to be completed in under 11 hours.
Even better, unlike other platforms which follow an example and practical session, Codecademy delivers its courses using interactive tools within a live practice window. As such, users are able to practice coding within the session, whilst still able to view the lesson materials. Additionally, Codecademy also features a centralized dashboard. This is great for tracking progress, as well as allowing users to organize their lessons into complete modules.
EICT ITT Roorkee
EICT ITT Roorkee is a platform which aims to deliver short courses and certificates in the areas of electronics and ICT. Its aim is to help bridge the gap between industry demand and academic learning. The initiative and its courses are support by MeitY, Government of India, and it is a platform worth exploring if you are looking to develop better industry insights.
The courses on offer have been developed with academic/faculty staff, as well as leading industry professionals, meaning that users have the opportunity to learn how to deal with real-life problems. One of the most appealing aspects of its courses is the fact that most can be completed in a very short time-frame, allowing learners to upgrade their skills, without disrupting their regular work schedules.
NPTEL
NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) provides courses from seven Indian Institutes of Technology, as well as the Indian Institute of Science. The platform offers courses across the five core disciplines of mechanical engineering, computer science and engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering and electronics and communication engineering.
With hundreds of courses offered via web and video formats, NPTEL now has one of the largest online repositories of courses in the engineering and sciences, as well as in some selected social sciences and humanities subjects. Its YouTube channel is one of the most subscribed education channels worldwide, with over 1 billion views and over 56000 hours of video content on offer.
Conclusion
Whether you are seeking to learn a new skill or trying to update your existing education and qualifications, it is never too late to return to education and become a life-long learner. With the huge array of free online education sites available, it has never been easier to return to education and boost your knowledge and skills.
Not only do online education sites provide you with an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge, but they also have the added benefit of being flexible, meaning that you can complete them in your own time, at your own pace. Moreover, with so many free courses to choose from, getting top-quality education from recognized instructions is not only possible, but also affordable. Even better, with so many courses offering certification upon completion, online learning provides you with an opportunity to boost your career prospects and thrive.
