Best learning programs
10 Best Online Learning Platforms In 2023
In the past few years, online learning has drastically evolved and changed the face of modern education. Did you know that online learning is way cheaper, more effective, and requires less time commitment than traditional education? That explains why more and more people choose to study online.
There is nothing like taking control of your academic life and learning at your own pace without feeling as if someone is holding a shotgun over your head. And there is no better and easier way to do that than by taking online classes.
If you have been cracking your head over the viability of MOOC courses and the online platforms to help you get the best out of them, then keep reading as you about to learn about 8 best online learning platforms.
Best Online Learning Platforms 2023:
1. Skillshare - Best for Everyday Learning
2. Mindvalley - Best for Personal Development
3. Coursera - Best Overall
4. MasterClass - Best for Inspiration
5. Udemy - Best for Upskiling
6. Brilliant.org - Best for School Students
7. Edx.org - Best for Accredited Courses
8. Udacity - Best for Career Advancement
9. LinkedIn Learning - Best for Career Path
10. FutureLearn - Best for University Programs
1. Skillshare - Best for Everyday Learning
Premium Membership (includes unlimited access to 27,000+ classes) - $32/month or $168/year
Free Membership (includes unlimited access to 2,000+ classes) - free
Library
34,000+ classes
Who Is Skillshare Best For?
Skillshare is best for people who want to learn new skills or improve the existing ones but don't have a lot of time for that. Designed to help you learn skills in a myriad of areas and incorporate them into your personal and professional lives. Even though Skillshare has more content on creative topics, there are still plenty of tech classes available.
Skillshare is a perfect balance between YouTube tutorials and full-length courses that you can purchase on platforms like Coursera or edX. It offers just the right amount of information so that you learn the subject without having to spend hours doing so.
Skillshare Certificates
Skillshare has recently added a certification feature to its classes! The certificate will include all the important details, including the name of the course and the teacher, the date of completion, and the personal details of the student. The certificates are not accredited, but it's still a valuable addition to your portfolio because they feature your project which reflects your skill and knowledge (you are required to submit it to get a Skillshare certificate).
While I think that Skillshare certification is a great idea, I do have some concerns (that applies to all unaccredited certificates I talk about in this article). First, the certification process is not standardized, which means that the quality of projects submitted may vary widely. Second, the lack of accreditation means that employers may not value the certificate as highly as other credentials. However, I do think that the certification is a step in the right direction for online learning platforms.
Accreditation
No
Free Trial
Yes (30-day free trial)
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Overview
Skillshare is one of the most popular online learning platforms. It has a massive collection of over 30,000 classes that are divided into three categories: Thrive (Lifestyle, Productivity), Build (Business Analytics, Freelance & Enterneuprenship, Leadership & Management, Marketing), and Create (Animation, Film & Video, Graphic Design, Music, Creative Writing, Photography, Web Development, and more).
Skillshare believes in a project-based approach to learning that allows students to expand their creativity and apply new skills in life. All courses consist of two parts: a video presentation (which usually lasts around 20-60 minutes) and a class project.
Keep in mind, that even though there are tons of superb courses on Skillshare, none of them are accredited by any institution and Skillshare does not offer certificates of completion. It's a place to learn new skills and expand your knowledge, not get a degree.
Skillshare's Premium Membership grants you unlimited access to all classes in the library. You also can participate in Skillshare Live Sessions and Workshops taught by top teachers. All the classes in the library are available for download so you can continue learning on the go even when you don't have access to the Internet.
Overall, Skillshare offers great value for money. The monthly price is very low and the quality and variety of classes are excellent. Plus you can get a 30-day free trial to try the platform before deciding whether it's right for you.
Click To Read Skillshare Review
Click To Read How To Start The Right Way With Skillshare
2. Mindvalley - Best for Personal Development
Mindvalley Membership (includes unlimited access to 50+ courses) - $499/year or $99/month
Mindvalley Individual Courses - $199-$499/quest (this option has recently been removed from the platform)
Library
70+ courses
Who is Mindvalley Best For?
Mindvalley offers courses in all areas of life. The courses are best for people who want to grow but feel that something is holding them back or are looking for a way to achieve better results in life and reach their full potential. It is a bonus if you are open-minded to mindfulness practices like meditation, hypnosis, and energy healing. Additionally, the courses are ideal for people with unresolved traumas, lack of motivation, and unclear vision.
Mindvalley Certificates
When you finish a Mindvalley program, you have the opportunity to take an assessment test. If you successfully pass the test with at least an 80% score (if you fail, you can retake the test within 2 weeks), you will receive a certificate. Not all programs come with a certificate (at the moment, around 70 Quests offer certificates). You can add certificates to your portfolio but they do not certify you as a practitioner or professional. It is more of a way to showcase your commitment to personal growth. For me, these certificates also serve as a reminder of my own progress.
Mindvalley Coach Certification
Mindvalley offers five Coach Certification programs that are very different from regular courses. The programs are much more interactive and include borderless virtual classrooms and tools. They are so thorough that once you have completed them, you can coach up to 100 clients with the help of matchmaking technology. Mindvalley has partnered with Evercoach to ensure that you not only become a successful coach but also a successful business owner. Mindvalley Coach Certification programs also offer one-on-one sessions with your counselor, intimate gatherings in your city, virtual meet-ups, and the annual exclusive Mindvalley Certified Coaches summit. The cost of each program is $2500 (not included in the Mindvalley Membership).
Accreditation:
No
Free Trial:
Yes (7-day free trial)
Overview
In my opinion, Mindvalley is one of the best personal growth and transformation platforms. Its goal is to help students succeed at work while also unlocking the full potential of their body, mind, and spirit. Mindvalley is best suitable for people who want to improve different areas of their life in a short period of time.
There are over 70 courses (or quests) in Mindvalley's library, taught by top experts in the fields of expertise: CEOs of large companies, best-selling authors, celebrity coaches, famous therapists and entrepreneurs, and international speakers. The quests are divided into different categories: Mind, Body, Soul, Career, Entrepreneurship, Relationships, Kids, Teens and Parenting, and Performance.
Each quest lasts 30 to 50 days, and it usually takes less than 20 minutes a day to complete a video-based lesson and a practice exercise.
Mindvalley Membership costs $499 per year and includes unlimited access to all quests plus many perks like official certifications for completed quests, monthly live coaching calls with Mindvalley's authors, and even a 22-minute assessment that will help you determine the areas in life you need to focus on. I think that the price is a steal, considering how much you are getting for your money.
Click To Read Full Mindvalley Review And Find Out Whether It Is Worth It
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3. Coursera - Best Overall
Coursera Plus Subscription (includes unlimited access to most courses, Specializations, and Professional Certificates) - $399/year
Individual Courses - from $29 to $99 each
Specializations - from $39 to $79 per month
Professional Certificates - from $49 each
Online Degree Courses - from $15 to $25,000 each
Audit Option - free
Library
4,300+ courses
Who Is Coursera Best For?
Coursera is best for people who want to upskill at work to get a promotion or change their careers entirely. Since Coursera offers Certificates, it is also a good option for people who have certain skills but lack a degree to back them up. The platform has lots of great business, data science, computer science, and IT courses. There are also plenty of courses for those interested in personal development, health, and language learning.
Coursera Certificates
Coursera offers four different types of certificates.
Specialization Certificate: once you have completed every course in the Specialization ( 4-7 courses, each 10 to 20 hours long) and finished the hands-on project(s), you will earn your Certificate. Specialization Certificate can be added to your portfolio but it is not accredited.
Professional Certificate: can help you enhance your resume and build your portfolio and even land a job. Professional Certificates show that you learned real-world applied skills with the latest knowledge from tech giants like Google, IBM, and Facebook.
The MasterTrack Certificate: high-quality university-issued certificate. The MasterTrack allows you to earn credits towards your degree by taking an online module of a Master's degree program.
University-Issued Certificate: unlike Professional and MasterTrack Certificates, these certificates are not co-branded with Coursera. Universities such as Duke and Arizona State University offer these types of certificates.
Accreditation
By enrolling in one of Coursera's MasterTrack programs, students are able to receive a university-issued certificate and earn credit toward their degree.
Free Trial:
Yes, 7-day free trial for Coursera Plus subscription
Overview
Coursera is an online learning platform that offers university-level courses and certification programs. The courses are taught by instructors from top companies and universities such as Stanford, Yale, and Princeton.
The price for individual courses varies from $29 to $99. However, there are thousands of courses that have the Audit option which allows you to take it for free. If you choose to audit the course, you won't receive graded assignments, a certificate, and bonus materials. Most courses consist of video lectures, assignments, reading materials, quizzes, projects, and group discussions.
There are courses available in many languages: English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, French, German, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, and more. Some of the courses' topics are Arts and Humanities, Business, Computer Science, Data Science, Information Technology, Health, Math and Logic, Personal Development. Each course takes 4-6 weeks to complete.
If you want to master a specific skill, you can enroll in a Specialization - a series of online courses, each takes 4-6 months to complete. Once you complete the Specialization, you will earn a Certificate to add on your resume. You get a 7-day free trial to try a Specializatito at no cost when you start your first subscription.
And if you are looking to change your current career or start a new one, then you can enroll in one of the Professional Certificates programs. Like Specializations, Professional Certificates are a series of courses, but the difference is that the Certificate of Completion will be issued by the company that developed the course.
Finally, there are online degree courses granted by world-class, accredited universities. The main advantage of getting your degree online is that it costs much less than on-campus programs. Also, you can study at your own pace and complete your degree faster.
If you plan on taking several courses, it might be a good idea to subscribe to Coursera Plus, an annual plan that grants unlimited access to over 90% of courses, Professional Certificates, and Specializations. You can take as many courses as you like and you will earn a Course Certificate for every course you complete.
Our detailed Coursera Review: Is It Worth It?
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4. MasterClass - Best for Inspiration
Unlimited Subscription (includes access to all classes) - $180/year
Library
80+ classes
Who is MasterClass Best For?
MasterClass is best for creatives of all levels who are interested in personal development and seeking inspiration from the best professionals in the field. It offers a more hands-on approach to learning which not only makes it fun but also allows students to apply their knowledge to real-life situations. The content is so engaging end entertaining that it can even replace the binge-watching of your favorite Netflix shows.
MasterClass Certificates
MasterClass doesn't offer any Certificates, but once you complete the course, you will receive an email confirming that and giving you tips on how to continue your studies on the platform.
Accreditation
No
Free Trial
No
Overview
MasterClass is an online learning platform that everyone is talking about. What makes it different is that the courses are taught by world-famous experts and celebrities. You can learn acting from Natalie Portman, filmmaking from Martin Scorsese, singing from Christina Aguilera, cooking from Gordon Ramsay, writing from Dan Brown, etc.
For $15 a month, you get unlimited access to all classes. Each course consists of an average of 20 lessons, each lasting approximately 10 minutes. Classes include high-quality video lessons, assignments, workbooks, and community activities. You can also join discussions to ask questions, get feedback, and connect with other students. There are no deadlines, so you can learn at your own pace. All the videos can be downloaded for offline viewing using a mobile app.
The classes are divided into nine categories: Film & TV, Culinary Arts, Writing, Music & Entertainment, Sports & Games, Business, Photography, & Fashion, Business, Politics & Society, Lifestyle, and Science & Technology. MasterClass doesn't offer certificates of completion.
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5. Udemy - Best for Upskiling
Individual Courses - from $9 to $200 each
Personal Plan - $30/month
Library
213,000+ courses
6,000+ courses (with Personal Plan)
Who Is Udemy Best For?
Udemy is best for people who want to learn a specific skill or a set of skills on both creative and professional topics. Since you pay for each course individually, it's not the best platform for those who want to learn different skills every day (for that, I recommend sites like Skillshare, which offer an unlimited subscription model) unless you sign up for a Personal Plan which offers unlimited access to over 6,000 courses.
Udemy Certificates
Udemy is not an accredited institution, but you get a Certificate of completion after you take a paid course. The Certificate will include the name, instructor, and length of the course, the date of completion, and your name. You can put it on your resume to share with potential employers.
Accreditation
No
Free Trial
7-day free trial with Personal Plan
Overview
Udemy is another popular online learning platform. It has a huge library of over 150,000 courses which makes it the best one when it comes to content. With Udemy, you can expand your knowledge and skills in any field imaginable from business and marketing, to hand weaving and clowning. The goal of Udemy is to disrupt and democratize the educational system.
Unlike Skillshare, MasterClass, and LinkedIn Learning, Udemy doesn't have unlimited subscription plans, you have to purchase each course individually, which is obviously a downer. However, the courses are quite cheap, starting at just $9. And if you don't like a course you have purchased, you can get a refund within 30 days.
Udemy's courses are divided into 13 different categories: Finance & Accounting, Development, Business, Marketing, IT & Software, Office Productivity, Music, Personal Development, Teaching & Academics, Design, Lifestyle, Photography, Health & Fitness. The courses are offered for all levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. One thing I absolutely love is that there are courses available not only in English but also in Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, German, Spanish, etc.
Each Udemy course consists of a video tutorial - the average course is 5 hours long but some can be as short as 30 minutes - and can also include additional resources, such as quizzes, practice tests, coding exercises, and assignments. You can download any Udemy course and watch it offline at any time.
Udemy Review: Is It Worth It?
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6. Brilliant.org - Best for School Students
Brilliant Monthly Subscription (includes unlimited access to all courses) - $24,99/month
Brilliant Annual Subscription (includes unlimited access to all courses) - $149/year
Library
60+ courses
Who Is Brilliant Best For?
Brilliant is suited for learners of all ages, but it works best for school students (6th grade and up) who want to excel in STEM fields and who have experience with self-guided learning. It is also an excellent platform for college prep. There are some challenging courses that may be interesting to college students and adults who want to learn more about the subject, as well.
Brilliant Certificates
Brilliant doesn't offer Certificates for completed courses. Sometimes when you pass a test in one of the courses you may earn a certificate but it's more like a badge that can only be displayed on the platform and not on your college resume or job portfolio.
Accreditation
No
Free Trial
Yes (7-day free trial)
Overview
Brilliant is an online learning platform that focuses on STEM subjects - Science, Math, and Computer Science. The courses are designed for both children (aged 10+) and adults. Their goal is to make learning fun, engaging, and interactive, and that is what makes Brilliant one of the best learning platforms, especially for young adults.
You can learn a variety of subjects on Brilliant, including Algebra, Logic, Advanced Mathematics, Calculus, Geometry, Classical physics, Quantum mechanics, Foundational computer science, and others.
Brilliant offers monthly and annual subscriptions that include full access to all courses on the platform and thousands of practice quizzes across all topics.
In my opinion, Brillian is a great platform but because it only covers STEM subjects, it is mostly suitable for those who are interested in math and computer science. A 7-day trial is available for anyone who wants to try Brilliant at no cost.
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7. Edx.org - Best for Accredited Courses
Verified Track Courses - from $50 to $300 each
Audit Track Courses - free
Library
3,500+ classes
Who Is edX Best For?
edX is best for people who want to take high-quality courses from the world's best universities without paying a lot of money for it. It is a good choice for students who have busy lifestyles and want to learn at their own pace.
edX Certificates
edX offers Certificates to students who pass the course in the paid track (you need to get a passing grade for that course). If you are enrolled in one of the edX programs (Professional Certificate, XSeries, MicroMasters, or MicroBachelors) then you will receive a program Certificate after you earn a Certificate for every course in the program. Since edX courses are provided by top universities, their Certificates may help get your resume or LinkedIn profile noticed.
Accreditation
With edX, you can also enroll in MicroMasters programs, which are basically a series of graduate-level courses from top universities. Some universities offer credit for the MicroMasters program certificate. The programs are not free, but rarely cost more than $1,500, and take between 7 months and 1 year to complete. And if you are thinking of getting into grad school, you can also check online Master's Degrees on edX.
Free Trial
No
Overview
edX is one of the best providers of college-level online courses. The company was founded by Harvard and MIT, and the quality of courses is top-notch. All the courses on edX, with the exception of professional education courses, can be taken for free.
To join the course without paying you need to enroll in the Audit Track. The Free (Audit) Track grants students access to all course materials, such as lectures, videos, ungraded assignments, and reading - for the duration of the course. However, you won't receive graded assignments and verified certificates of completion. If you want to have access to graded assignments and earn a certificate upon successful completion, then you would have to enroll in the Paid (Verified) Track. The certificate can be added to your resume or LinkedIn profile. If you enroll in the Audit Track but then decide that you want to earn the certificate, you will have a chance to switch to the Verified Track. Each course has an upgrade deadline so make sure you check that first.
edX Review : Is It Worth It?
edX offers over 3,500 courses on different subjects including Biology & Life Sciences, Architecture, Chemistry, Art & Culture, Electronics, Education & Teacher Training, Medicine, Food & Nutrition, Physics, Science, Music, Law, History, Language, and Environmental Studies. Most courses are available in English, but there are also some courses in Chinese, Russian, French, Italian, Spanish, etc. There are courses for introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels. The courses usually consist of both text and video content and assignments. There are also course discussions where you can ask questions and interact with fellow students. Some courses include group projects. You can download any edX course for offline viewing.
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8. Udacity - Best for Career Advancement
Nanodegree Programs - $399/month
Single Courses - free
Library
200+ courses
40+ Nanodegree programs
Who Is Udacity Best For?
Udacity is best for people who want to take their career to the next level whether as a freelancer or part of a company. The Nanodegree Programs are not cheap but worth it for those who want to learn some of the most in-demand skills like web development, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data science, programming, etc. Udacity free courses are good for learners who want to upskill or try out the platform before committing to one of the paid programs.
Udacity Certificates
Udacity grants Certificates to all students who graduate from paid courses, executive programs, and Nanodegree programs. Udacity is not accredited but the Certificate can serve as proof of your skill on your resume. Students who complete free courses do not receive any Certificates.
Accreditation
No
Free Trial
No
Overview
Udacity is widely known for its Nanodegree programs. A Nanodegree is a skill and project-based learning program. Each Nanodegree consists of a series of courses on topics like Artificial Intelligence, Coding, Robotics, Mobile Programming, Business, and Data Science. Most programs can be completed in 3-6 months. Udacity offers one-on-one technical mentorship to all Nanodegree students.
Udacity is the definition of innovation when it comes to online learning and education. When you enroll in one of Udacity's Nanodegree programs, your chances of landing a job after you are complete the course skyrocket.
Udacity is not an accredited university, but the skills they teach are relevant, in-demand skills that employers are actively seeking. However, when compared to other online learning platforms, Udacity is steep in pricing. The average cost for a Nanodegree program is between $1200 and $2400. You can get a discount if you pay for several months upfront.
Udacity also offers Executive Programs for business leaders who need to learn about complex concepts like Artificial Intelligence and implement them in their companies within a short period of time (usually a few weeks). The cost of Executive Programs is around $1500 per month which includes project reviews from top industry professionals, technical mentor support, personal career coach, and a learning plan that allows you to learn at your own pace.
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9. LinkedIn Learning - Best for Career Path
Premium Subscription (includes unlimited access to all courses) - $39,99/month or $239,88/year
Library
18,000+ courses
Who Is LinkedIn Learning Best For?
LinkedIn Learning is best for people who are already professionals or at least have some knowledge of the subject. It might work for beginners as well, but I do recommend taking entry-level courses elsewhere first on platforms like Skillshare, Udemy, or Coursera. If you are in the field already and want to upskill to advance your career, then it's a good place to start. LinkedIn Learning has all kinds of courses, but it's best known for its web and software development, business, leadership, marketing, and design courses.
LinkedIn Learning Certificates
LinkedIn Learning students can receive Certificates of Completion. The courses are not accredited and are not recognized by universities. They can be added to portfolios and resumes to showcase your skills and education. The Certificates of Completion are granted once a student watches the whole course or Learning Path.
Accreditation
No
Free Trial
Yes (1-month free trial)
Overview
A few years ago, LinkedIn acquired one of the oldest e-learning sites called Lynda, and transferred all content to its own platform - LinkedIn Learning. The company now offers thousands of high-quality courses for all levels, from beginners to advanced, covering a wide array of subjects, including Web Development, Software Programming, Economics, and Business Management.
LinkedIn Learning has a single monthly subscription fee that gives you access to all the content on the platform. The courses consist of bite-sized modules that help absorb information better. LinkedIn Learning allows you to download any course for offline viewing, which I find to be very convenient.
LinkedIn Learning is a good platform that can help you jumpstart your career or achieve professional goals. If you are interested in joining the platform, you can do that by signing up for a 1-month free trial.
Linkedin Learning Review : Is It Worth It?
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10. FutureLearn - Best for University Programs
Unlimited Subscription (includes access to 600+ courses) - $39,99/ month or 279,99/year
Premium Courses - from $75 to $400 each
Audit Option - Free
Microcredentials - from $579 to $1549
Library
800+ courses
21 Microcredentials
Who Is FutureLearn Best For?
FutureLearn is best for people who want to take university courses and who are interested in earning credits for them. Unlike many online platforms, FutureLearn offers accredited courses and programs (not all of them are accredited, though). There are courses on both creative and STEM subjects, and even some medicine and law courses. The quality of courses is very high, and it's well suited for those who are looking for high-quality education.
FutureLearn Certificates
FutureLearn gives Certificates of Achievement to students who take an ExpertTrack, Premium, or Sponsored course, or have an Unlimited subscription. To get this Certificate, you need to complete at least 90% of the course steps, achieve a score of 70% or higher, and in case the course has a test, attempt every question on it. The Certificate includes the course information, your average score, and a transcript of what you have learned. It validates your skills so you may want to put it on your resume for potential employers to see.
Accreditation
Many of FutureLearn's Microcredentials programs are accredited, meaning that you can get a professional certificate or university credit to use towards a degree after you complete them. These programs are created by world's top universities and the accreditation is done by them. There are also several short courses that are also accredited (you can find this information on the course page).
Free Trial
No, unless you join ExpertTrack which comes with a 7-day free trial
Overview
Futurelearn is an online education platform that offers hundreds of courses from the world's leading universities. The majority of courses can be audited for free, but access to course tests and a Statement of Participation or Certificate of Achievement becomes available only if you upgrade to a paid course. There is an option of purchasing an unlimited subscription for $279,99 per year that includes access to over 600 short courses.
Most courses include video and audio content, reading materials, and short quizzes. All students can post their questions and discuss topics with teachers and each other. Some courses offer assignments, and if you have upgraded your course, you will be able to take tests, as well.
In addition to free courses, Futurelearn offers Premium courses for a fee. Premium courses are perfect for people who prefer to learn in a small group setting and who want to advance their careers. Premium courses are divided into several categories: IT and Digital Skills, Business and Management, Teaching, and Healthcare.
If you want to earn academic credit and upskill your work, Futurelearn also offers 21 Microcredentials. They are fully accredited and require 100-150 hours of study over 10-12 weeks. Here are a few of currently available Microcredentials: Change Management, Cyber Security Operations (Cisco CCNA), Data Science: Data-Driven Decision Making, Digital Photography: Creating a Professional Portfolio, Impact of Trauma on Mental Health, Online Teaching: Creating Courses for Adult Learners, Sports Coaching, Teacher Training: Embedding Mental Health in the Curriculum, Veterinary Practitioners and the Food Supply Chain.
To conclude our IMHO review of the best online learning platforms, other notable platforms you should check out include Alison.com, YouTube (Harvard uploads their CS courses there), and Shaw Academy. It is important to find the platform that will suit your needs so that you will be able to get the most out of it.
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13 Best Online Education Programs for Kids
We all want the best for our children—in both school and life. We at CodaKid understand this, and that is why we scoured the web for the best online educational programs for kids.
Given the incredible advancement in technology and the exponential growth of the web, online educational games for kids are abundant and relatively easy to find. There is a wealth of online opportunities available for your kids to develop their skills if you just know where to look.
What is the best part of online educational programs for kids? They can be done from the safety of your home!
From completely free resources to free-to-try internet academies, here are 13 of the best online educational programs for kids:
Table of Contents
CodaKid — Online Coding for Kids
Rounding out this list of best online educational programs for kids is our own platform, CodaKid: an online resource full of award-winning online coding courses targeted specifically for young learners aged 8 and up.
Winner of a Parents’ Choice GOLD Award and a CODiE Finalist for Best Coding and Computational Thinking Solution, CodaKid is an online coding academy that teaches kids how to create games, apps, Minecraft mods, Roblox games, and Unity projects with real programming languages and professional tools. We have affordable monthly and yearly subscriptions for access to the courses. What’s more, you get access to a team of friendly teachers who can help your child during their coding journey, at their own pace.
As mentioned earlier, we believe coding has become a critical must-have skill for students in 2020. Tech industries are constantly expanding, and giving your kids the tools to succeed in those industries will open up incredible opportunities for them. By teaching kids real-life programming you are equipping them for the future.
CodaKid’s online classes are all self-paced and include live support from engineers, giving your kids all the guidance and encouragement they could need. By making computer programming fun and engaging through game design, we hope for CodaKid students to develop real-world skills like tenacity, patience, problem-solving, and rationalization.
Find out why CodaKid is loved by so many kids and parents by starting a free trial today!
ABCMouse.com — Full Online Curriculum for Ages 2-8
Winner of the Mom’s Choice GOLD Award, Teachers’ Choice Award, and Parents’ Choice GOLD Award, ABCMouse is a “global education initiative” that aims to help kids start strong in their academic journey. They offer intuitive and interactive tools to strengthen the foundational education of young learners.
With over 850 lessons spread out over 10 levels, ABCMouse’s online curriculum is extensive, engaging, and highly educational. Initiated by Age of Learning, Inc., this subscription-based online educational program for kids uses videos, games, printables, songs, and other online interactive media to help early learners succeed in their school programs.
Kids can enjoy over 9,000 online activities from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
PBS Kids — 360-Degree Approach Towards Reaching Kids
Do your kids love the Wild Kratts? What about Arthur, Curious George, or Jet—from Ready Jet Go? Then they’re going to love learning via the PBS KIDS website. With hundreds of incredibly unique and colorful games featuring beloved characters from the PBS Kids channel, this platform teaches your child the fundamentals of critical thinking, imagination, and problem-solving in the most entertaining and enjoyable way possible.
PBS KIDS strives to make a positive impact on children using curriculum-based entertainment. Their 360-degree approach to imparting education makes full use of interactive, intuitive online media. By leveraging technology and characters that young learners are already familiar with, they hope to inspire in them a love for learning and a thirst for knowledge.
Kiz Phonics — Phonics Activities for Pre-K to 2nd Grade
Phonics is a method used to teach reading and writing by developing “phonemic awareness”—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds of a language. It’s meant to help learners master the sound of letters so that they can eventually master words.
Kiz Phonics makes use of this technique to teach young children—specifically, kids aged 3-8—how to identify the words they read by sounding them out; in other words, through phonics.
It’s important that children start learning how to read at home rather than in school. A safe, familiar environment is more conducive to learning, and building a strong foundation in literacy early on will give them a significant advantage in a classroom setting. Kiz Phonics, as an online educational program for kids, gives parents the tools they need to start strengthening that foundation as early as possible.
ReadWriteThink — Extensive Interactive Resources for Grades K-12
ReadWriteThink’s mission is to “provide educators, parents, and afterschool professionals” with high-quality tools, materials, and strategies for different academic courses. With lesson plans, student interactives, printables, and even mobile apps for language arts and literacy, ReadWriteThink is definitely a comprehensive resource platform worth visiting.
The different resources are tailored for educators, parents and afterschool professionals teaching grades K-12. They’re professionally designed, intensively tested, and—best of all—100% free.
Reading and writing can be incredibly difficult when they don’t automatically come naturally to a student, so the quality of the instruction and learning materials can make or break a child’s education.
#MetKids — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for Kids
“Made for, with, and by kids,” MetKids is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s website that is tailored specifically to introduce children to the colorful world of art and art history. With fun, creative media like behind-the-scenes videos, DIY projects that they can try at home, and even a fully interactive map of The Met, kids can discover love and appreciation for art.
The #MetKids blog offers fascinating art facts and art history tidbits written in a fun, engaging way. They also have a “the time machine” that lets kids explore different time periods, learning the culture, inventions, and innovations of that time in different locations.
With this online platform, The Met hopes to encourage the inner artist in every child by inspiring an inclination for creativity and color.
For additional resources of creativity make sure to check out CodaKid game design courses by signing up for a free trial!
Fun science experiments you can try at home? Quirky quizzes? Homework help resources?
The National Geographic Kids’ website has something to satisfy even the most curious of little minds! Your children can browse stunning photos of nature at its most beautiful or watch videos of baby animals in their natural habitat. They can also discover in-depth stories of different people, places, and cultures through interactive media and fun games.
Although the website is more of a colorful, multimedia resource and lacks a specific, structured curriculum, National Geographic Kids still deserves to be called one of the best online educational programs for kids. Perfect for kids as young as 3 and as old as 14, it utilizes technology and leverages the very best of interactive media to bring users a learning experience they aren’t likely to forget.
Little Pim — Online Language Learning Subscription for Kids
With over 25 awards and international press coverage to its name, Little Pim is one of the best online educational programs for kids to learn a language. It’s known as the “most comprehensive foreign language program for kids” and offers a whopping 12 foreign languages to choose from!
Think your child is too young to learn a new language? Think again.
According to the Little Pim website, the best time to learn a language is under the age of six. At this age, children are open and receptive to learning new things.
Mastering a language as foreign and complex as French, Chinese, or Italian can be made fun and enjoyable with Little Pim’s Entertainment Immersion Method®. This patented technique engages learners by appealing to a child’s natural inclination—and love—for play. It encourages recognition through repetition. The more your child interacts with their professionally-prepared activities and mediums, the more they learn and absorb.
Being multi-lingual can open so many doors for your children, granting them access to incredible opportunities. By inspiring love and mastery for different languages early on, Little Pim makes it possible for students to broaden their horizons.
SumDog — Personalized Maths & Spelling Practice that Students Love
For students from kindergarten to eighth grade, SumDog is a cutting-edge site that offers interactive content and intuitive media to help kids with math and spelling. Tailored to engage learners from a wide age range through multi-player games and free, easy-to-use online tools, Sumdog is proven to accelerate academic progress.
SumDog’s personalization feature is where this online program truly shines. Their platforms utilize an adaptive learning engine to help guide different students’ learning pace and discover their individual strengths and weaknesses.
SumDog can be used at home and at school, affording students the help they need at both common critical places for educational growth.
SplashLearn — The Complete K-5 Math Learning Program Built for Your Child
Also known as SplashMath, SplashLearn is an online platform specifically geared towards younger students in grades K-5 who need additional help with math. It aims to boost students’ performance through fun, interactive methods like online games, math apps, printables, and even digital classrooms. Their mission is to “boost confidence” and “increase scores” to help young learners get ahead.
SplashLearn offers what they call personalized learning paths to help students catch up, enrich their learning, or just practice and improve their current skills.
With mastery in over 350 math skills available, SplashLearn is incredibly comprehensive and covers most of the bases. By using fun interactive games, rewards and experiences, children will feel more motivated than ever to practice and master their mathematical skills.
Khan Academy — Providing Free World-Class Education for Anyone, Anywhere
Yet another personalized online resource for a myriad of subjects, Khan Academy is a powerful educational program that provides free tools for students to learn anything, anywhere.
Utilizing intuitive technology and professional feedback, Khan Academy has created videos, global classrooms, and other interactive online content for a wide variety of subjects. Learn anything from basic math to AP calculus, science, and engineering to economics and finance. They offer a computing course that teaches coding for kids—a valuable skill that any student can benefit from—and even in-depth test prep for SAT, LSAT, GMAT, and more.
Through their partnership with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, MIT, and The California Academy of Sciences, Khan Academy also offers specialized content for students and teachers that you won’t find elsewhere.
Coolmath — Making Math Enjoyable
Whether your kid loves math, hates math, or just needs help passing their math class, Coolmath is a website worth checking out. With math games and step-by-step lesson guides for pre-algebra, algebra, and pre-calculus, Coolmath is one of those online educational programs for kids that caters more to casual, at-your-own-pace learning than strict, curriculum-bound study.
Founded in 1997 by a certified math teacher, the goal of this website is to make math fun and enjoyable for kids of all ages. The games on this site are an enjoyable mix of math fundamentals and good old problem solving, meant to give users a mental workout. It doesn’t teach coding for kids, but it definitely encourages logical thinking!
Scratch — Imagine, Program, Share
As a kid-friendly coding program that encourages users to “create and share,” Scratch is an incredibly gentle introduction to coding for kids. Specifically geared towards children aged 6-12, Scratch aims to inspire children to think creatively and reason systematically by teaching them the basics of coding. They implement tools, techniques, and interactive content to help familiarize children with common programming languages in a fun and enjoyable way.
On the subject of coding, we personally feel it’s become less of an optional hobby and more of a critical, highly beneficial skill to have. Aside from the fact that the computer engineering industry is growing more and more each year, coding for kids instills in them universal skills like problem-solving, discipline, and creativity.
As a free educational programming website, Scratch is primarily used by kids. However, it can be used by anyone interested in learning how to code. They use an easy-to-use visual block interface that saves beginners from the grief and frustrations of writing out code. Rather than sweat the details, this easy-to-use interface helps them focus instead on the basics of game development, graphic design, and animation.
CodaKid’s award-winning Scratch program has 14 courses, 40 quests, and 90 challenges with mentors who are professional programmers that guide you every step of the way! Try it for free!
Conclusion
There you have it, the 13 Best Online Educational Programs for Kids:
- CodaKid
- ABCmouse.com
- PBS Kids
- Kiz Phonics
- ReadWriteThink
- MetKids
- National Geographic Kids
- Little Pim
- Sum Dog
- SplashLearn
- Khan Academy
- Cool Math
- Scratch
Be sure to try our award-winning courses today at no cost!
Do you know of other good online educational programs for kids? Comment below!
10 educational apps to make self-isolation useful
We translated a selection of free apps for remote learning. for those who are tired of home sports, documentaries and TV shows.
Source - Android Police.
Contents
More than 130,000 courses from 2,000 fields: from web development, office applications, finance, business management and marketing to design, foreign languages, music, photography, video editing and even fitness. There are paid and free levels.
Android and iOS.
MasterClass: Learn from the best
Video courses from 70+ world stars, celebrities and true professionals in their field. Gordon Ramsay will teach you how to cook, Natalie Portman will teach acting classes, DJ Deadmaus will teach you how to create music, and astrophysicist and science popularizer Neil DeGrasse Tyson will instill scientific thinking. You can subscribe to all courses at once or select the ones you are interested in.
Android and iOS.
TED Masterclass
The application has nothing to do with the previous one: the creators of the TED Masterclass focused exclusively on oratory. The video tutorials break down the secrets and tricks of the best TED talks and give practical advice on how to plan a speech, train your voice and capture the attention of the public using communication techniques and the principles of rhetoric. Access to the basic level is free, you will have to pay for more advanced lessons.
Android and iOS.
Encode and SoloLearn
Two coding learning apps with loads of free (and paid) content. SoloLearn contains a large collection of courses in various, even relatively new, languages. Encode only offers JavaScript and Python, but it has more room to practice on more advanced steps. SoloLearn has a web version.
Encode for Android and iOS.
SoloLearn for Android and iOS.
Skillshare
A popular platform with 25,000 online lessons in various creative fields such as photography, design, illustration, animation, as well as web development, SMM, accounting and business. The application works on a subscription basis, but there is a free trial period for 2 months - you can get it on the Skillshare website.
Android and iOS.
Brilliant
Brilliant is similar to Skillshare, but with a more interactive approach and a narrower range of topics: math, computer science and science. The courses aim not to force the user to cram formulas, but to teach how to solve complex problems through logical reasoning.
Android and iOS.
Duolingo
Top app for learning foreign languages. Each lesson contains about 2 dozen "live" sentences, in which it is easier to remember the features of word declension, cases and conjugations. On specific examples, you learn how to use grammar correctly without tables and hints. You can practice reading, speaking and writing, listening comprehension, and expanding your vocabulary. Lessons are built in a game form. Unlike most of the other apps in this collection, all Duolingo content is free.
Available for Android and iOS.
Coursera goes beyond languages and offers over 2,000 courses in so many areas. After passing, certificates are issued, you can even take undergraduate or graduate programs from more than 140 universities in the world and receive an appropriate diploma. You can study artificial intelligence, neural networks, computer, humanities, social sciences, take courses in photography, personal development, application development and more.
There are small courses that will cost a very small amount, there are courses that are larger and more expensive. In some cases, to get into the course, you need to apply and get admission.
Android and iOS.
Study with Coursera: Resume Certificates and Diploma Programs from the World's Best Universities and Companies.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a simpler platform for 4-18 year olds with lessons in school subjects. Difficulty: no Russian version. Applications are free.
Khan Academy for Android and iOS.
Khan Academy Kids for Android and iOS.
Top ten learning apps for Android
Still, it makes sense to study with a smartphone or tablet. They are almost always at hand, so you can study anywhere, and there are a lot of resources to help with this.
Some educational applications are better, some are worse, but they all have the same purpose - to teach us something new.
If you want to track your learning progress and learn all sorts of things, these top 10 Android learning apps are for you.
Online school
One of the first remote schools under the Federal State Educational Standards program with the opportunity to obtain a state-recognized certificate.
The school recently launched a free digital library and app for ease of use.
In this application you can find video lessons, tests on lessons and methodological material.
The search works by subject name and topic. You can save your favorite themes.
Suitable for all students from grades 1 to 11 - both those who study in regular schools and those who study in the "Online School". If you don't know a topic, you can always open it in the app and see if you can fill in the gaps or reinforce what you've learned.
Online School Library
Price: Free
Online School Library
Price: Free
Online school. Science AR
Lessons with augmented reality in the application from the "Online School".
Here you can find lessons in geography, astronomy, biology and other science disciplines and study topics while immersing yourself in augmented reality using your phone's camera aimed at the sky.
The app offers three learning modes: normal, AR, and marker AR. In the third version, the phone needs to be pointed at the marker, which needs to be downloaded additionally.
Now many of the themes in the application are still under development, but the immersive effect on the example of the solar system is great.
To monitor the child and support at the moment of work in augmented reality, you can turn on parental control.
ONLINE SCHOOL. Science in AR
Price: Free
ONLINE SCHOOL. Science in AR
Price: Free
Coursera
Price: Free, in-app purchases
Coursera: Learn career skills
Price: Free
Coursera is an online school offering a variety of lessons and courses, each with a different theme.
More than 1,000 courses offered, from math to science, even materials technology.
Courses offer lectures, reading material, and video content.
At the end of the course, you can even get a certificate.
Some courses are free, others require payment.
This is a delightful synthesis of the old school and the modern approach to learning.
The only drawback is that at times the application can fail. But it's still worth trying out.
Duolingo
Price: free, in-app purchases available
Duolingo: learn languages
Price: Free
Duolingo was released in 2014 and has been a huge hit ever since. It's an app with lots of bells and whistles that teaches languages step by step through small games.
As you progress through the lessons, they become more difficult, but no less exciting.
The application supports dozens of languages. The developers claim that 34 hours spent with Duolingo is equal to a school semester.
Free app, no ads.
Suitable for both children and adults. After completing all the levels in Duolingo, for more advanced learning, you can switch to other applications like Memrise, Rosetta Stone, etc.
Khan Academy
Price: Free
Khan Academy
Price: Free
Khan Academy is a popular online learning resource.
Teaches more traditional subjects like math, science, physics, economics, etc.
The app provides access to over 10,000 videos.
You can use them to learn new things or to update old knowledge.
The popularity of Khan Academy is also due to the fact that it is free, there are no fees or hidden fees.
This makes it one of the best budget apps for learning.
PhotoMath
Price: Free / $0.99
Photomath
Price: Free
PhotoMath is a more focused application.
The name does not deceive, it is mathematical. Uses a camera and optical character recognition technology to read the equations you write and give you answers.
Moreover, it shows the solution algorithm step by step. Thanks to this, you can learn how to solve examples on your own.
Many people struggle with math and this app can help.
The free version offers basic features. With a paid pro account, you can use step-by-step algorithms for solving equations, advanced explanations and additional resources.
SoloLearn
Price: Free
Sololearn: Python, C++, Java
Price: Free
SoloLearn is a Google Play developer. It offers a huge number of applications that teach programming.
They support web languages like HTML, common languages like Java or C++, and even more specialized ones like Python.
A separate application has been developed for each language and each is free.
Over time, of course, you will have to go through more advanced training. But in any case, you will receive knowledge for which you would have to pay a lot.
These apps are really cool.
TED
Price: Free
TED
Price: Free
TED is a platform where people talk about all sorts of things.
And usually they are leading experts in their fields.
They record TED Talks to show what they're doing, give a lecture on a particular topic, etc.
The app provides free access to TED videos with subtitles in over 100 languages.
Additionally, it supports TED Podcasts, Chromecast and even Android TV.
Not that the application is super educational, but thanks to it you can get acquainted with new ideas and keep abreast of technological innovations.
Udemy
Price: Free / Paid
Udemy Online Courses
Price: Free
Udemy is one of the most popular course apps. Like others, it focuses on gaining new skills.
There are courses on how to work with Adobe, Microsoft applications, you can learn public speaking, cooking and other things.
There are many free courses, you can pay for more advanced lessons.
Classes are taught through video lectures, and the app allows you to watch them at your convenience.