Are you wondering what eLearning is? Put simply, eLearning or electronic learning is the delivery of training and education through digital resources such as computers, tablets, or mobile phones connected to the internet. With this form of online instruction, users have easy access to courses anytime and anywhere with minimal restrictions.
Significance of eLearning
There’s no doubt that eLearning has become immensely popular over the past decade, and for a good reason – it is incredibly convenient! Learners, as well as organizations alike, recognize its usefulness in today’s “always on” world.
But what exactly does eLearning entail? Whether you possess advanced knowledge of this field or are a complete beginner, anyone who uses eLearning can attest to its great power and influence.
Employers appreciate eLearning for its cost-effectiveness and convenience. It additionally allows them to train their partners, customers, and employees comprehensively, enabling those involved to acquire enhanced skills.
The current pandemic highlighted the importance of eLearning platforms, as they became a go-to tool for many organizations during the transition to remote working. Thanks to eLearning technology, employees can acquire new skills and knowledge regardless of location or situation.
What are eLearning Platforms?
For those involved in education, an electronic learning platform offers various interactive online tools for optimal training and instruction. A specific type of eLearning system is Learning Management System (LMS), which provides trainers, learners, and other stakeholders with information and resources for effective teaching and efficient administration.
Increasing Popularity of Digital Learning
With the rising prominence of digital learning, countless eLearning companies offer virtual learning environments. While some permit you to host and monetize your courses – giving you complete control over how you conduct business – others merely provide an interface for users to interact with your content without being tailored to suit their needs.
To ensure you’re delivering on quality, which platform should be used as a foundation for hosting training courses? At the end of the day, it’s essential to select an LMS that renders your curriculum in an interesting way for participants.
Popular eLearning Platforms
With online learning platforms, you can expand your knowledge in a matter of days and save money simultaneously. Whether to develop marketable expertise or to explore something new, virtual classes are ideal for those who want to learn on their schedule. E-learning gives learners up to 60 percent more efficiency than traditional classrooms since they have control over pacing themselves through concepts, revisiting topics whenever necessary, skipping what is already known, and accelerating when ready.
Here are ten of the more popular eLearning platforms you can consider if you’re looking for an excellent way to learn:
Skillshare
With a low monthly subscription fee that grants access to all of their courses, Skillshare is one of the most rapidly growing platforms on the market. Whether you’re interested in business development or photography, they’ve got something for everyone with an array of topics such as:
- Business
- Design
- Illustration
- Filming
- Photography
- Animation
- Lifestyle
- Writing
Most of the courses don’t offer comprehensive instruction in one sitting. This means multiple classes on a topic are usually necessary to learn it completely. Overall, this platform is truly remarkable and easily among my favorites!
udemy
Regarding online educational platforms, you can’t ignore Udemy. It’s the biggest and most widely known platform, with over 57 million active students and over 213,000 courses!
Udemy is the world’s leading online classroom, with courses on all topics and disciplines. What’s even more incredible? You can choose from one of their 75 languages (Spanish, Chinese, French, and German) to participate in these classes! Additionally, Udemy’s state-of-the-art learning management system consistently enables them to update themselves with new features. With this platform at your fingertips, you can discover something fascinating quickly!
Coursera
Coursera offers a variety of courses and certificates from renowned universities, companies like IBM and Google, and the University of Michigan. What’s even better? Their course materials are designed with quizzes and hands-on projects so that you can apply your newly acquired skills immediately. The various options in their expansive category list include:
- Digital Marketing
- Big data
- Data Science
- Machine Learning
- Deep Learning
If you’d like to develop an aptitude that will serve you well in the long run, then Coursera should be your go-to choice. Their highly regarded courses create an excellent foundation for future career success. After acquiring the skills, you can check job-finding places to apply what you learned.
MasterClass
MasterClass stands out among e-learning platforms with over 2,500 video lessons in 11 subjects, such as Business, Food, Music, Sports, and Gaming. Furthermore, it sets itself apart by bringing celebrities and VIP instructors like Chris Voss to teach The Art of Negotiation or Anna Wintour to teach Creativity & Leadership. This platform ensures that your learning experience is enjoyable; every lesson has a cinematic feel that keeps you engaged throughout the course!
If you opt for a MasterClass membership, you can access instructional classes even when offline and can attend Sessions. Each course also comes with its workbook – so that’s a bonus! Plus, take advantage of its unique global learning community.
Edx
Edx stands out as the top online learning platform for academic institutions, showcasing courses from prestigious colleges like Harvard and IBM alongside more than 160 other remarkable universities.
Whether you want to master architecture or hone your economics skills, Edx covers everything with 3000+ courses in 300 unique programs. Capturing the same feeling as attending an actual university campus without leaving home – Edx will surely provide something suited to everyone’s interests!
Even though it covers a vast array of topics, the number of courses is slightly lower than other online learning platforms. Despite that, users are offered an excellent range of interactivity with graded assignments and verified certificates accredited by leading organizations.
Udacity
Udacity stands by its high-caliber course content and offers less than 80 Nanodegrees. Created to prepare learners for a career in technology or business, Udacity partners with frontrunners such as Google and Nvidia to ensure its courses are comprehensive, reliable, and offer keen insights into current trends.
Udacity’s courses are designed to teach you the skills that tech companies want. Course categories include:
- Business
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cloud Computing
- Data Science
- Programming
Their courses are full of useful exercises and come with personal help from their support team. Plus, all content is specifically designed to get you your dream job in the world of technology. So why wait? Invest in yourself today and start making strides towards achieving that career goal!
DataCamp
Datacamp is an excellent online learning platform that helps users learn essential data skills for a rewarding career in the data industry. The courses are high-quality, interactive, and engaging, making it easy for users to develop their data skills.
Those looking to expand their data knowledge should consider subscribing to Datacamp. Whether a free Basic plan or a paid subscription plan, you can access courses and certifications developed in partnership with industry leaders! These programs receive recognition from leading professionals- all included in your subscription fee. Explore Data Scientist certifications and become an accredited Data Analyst today with Datacamp.
Pluralsight
For IT, Data, Information, and Cyber Security needs, Pluralsight is the perfect self-paced eLearning platform. Founded in 2004 and situated in Farmington, Utah, it offers a comprehensive library of 2,500+ courses for individuals with an empowering 10-day free trial or 7,000+ training options for teams with access to 14 days of risk-free use. Take your expertise to new heights by exploring all Pluralsight offers today!
Pluralsight is an exceptional learning platform that is dedicated to helping individuals make their goals a reality. Not only does the platform provide courses and data, but it also offers guidance on which paths are most suitable for achieving success. The company’s aim goes beyond simply overwhelming users with options; instead, they provide insights and resources needed to help get those tasks done quickly and efficiently. Pluralsight embodies what it truly means to “make it happen!”
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning has come a long way since its inception in 1995, originally named Lynda. In only seven years, it had amassed more than 100 courses online—before streaming entertainment was even considered! As of today, LinkedIn Learning’s library holds an impressive 18,100+ courses across various categories, such as:
- Business
- Design
- Marketing
- Photography
- Software Development
- Web Development
Get an entire month of access to their courses for FREE and experience the benefits that come with a single subscription. Take advantage of this unique opportunity; sign up now!
Code Academy
Code Academy is one of the premier online coding resources, providing courses in 14 different programming languages and ten distinct areas. Founded in 2011 by Zach Sims and Ryan Bubinski, Codecademy has grown exponentially to include more than 45 million students! Take their quick quiz – they’ll quickly guide you in the right direction. Coding can be incredibly profitable; why wait any longer? Start today at Code Academy!
Beyond simply learning, you can exercise your abilities within their editor and receive suggestions from specialists. This guarantees that you are constantly feeling confident about the decisions you make.
How To Choose The Best eLearning Platform
A successful eLearning platform should provide an engaging educational experience, mimicking the qualities of an in-person classroom, like instructor-student interaction, quizzes, collaborative projects, dialogues, and games. Here are the things to consider when you choose an eLearning platform to use:
Course Quality
If you’re searching for top-quality eLearning courses, various platforms offer various options. Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning, or Edx are some examples that come to mind; however, if your focus is on specific topics like Creativelive, Pluralsight, and Datacamp, provide an even deeper level of expertise.
Learning Format
Students can use various eLearning content formats, from interviews to webinars and simulations. It’s essential to select an online learning platform that offers multiple types of content tailored for all different kinds of learners. Articles, charts, PowerPoint presentations, and videos are just some examples; don’t miss out on opportunities by limiting yourself to only traditional instructional materials!
Learning platforms should incorporate modules such as content, learning tasks, evaluation strategies, and communication opportunities to provide an assortment of teaching approaches for each learner. By doing this, learners can increase their performance and retain the information they have learned.
Instructors
If you’re looking for an incredible learning experience, why not try out MasterClass? Featuring renowned VIPs and celebrity instructors teaching its courses, it’s no wonder many learners flock to these classes. Alternatively, Coursera has partnered with esteemed institutions and Organizations – meaning the teachers are some of the leading experts from said establishments! Whichever route you choose, rest assured that your instructor will be one of excellence.
Flexibility
Online learning platforms provide the wonderful benefit of accommodating your time preferences, so you can study on your schedule. This especially benefits those who need to work and care for their family while pursuing further education. Nevertheless, particular programs such as Udacity or Coursera may have deadlines attached; this might be an advantage if it helps propel certain individuals forward in achieving goals by providing them with specific dates!
Support
Before selecting the ideal platform and course, evaluating what kind of support will be provided is essential. An instructor may offer assistance, or mentors can provide personal technical feedback through platforms like Udacity’s Nanodegree programs. Knowing that an experienced team is in your corner for help can make all the difference when committing to a program!
Benefits Of Using Online Learning Platforms
Traditional and online learning strive to create the top educational experience for students, but does eLearning offer greater advantages? Here’s a closer look at five benefits offered by digital education.
Cost Effective
Although it’s no secret that physical learning centers charge significantly, not everyone can afford this. That’s where online courses are invaluable – they’re usually just the cost of lunch and offer immense value for your learning time. If anything, you’ll receive even more from these virtual classes than those held in person!
Learn at Your Pace
eLearning has the upper hand over traditional physical courses because it allows you to learn at your own pace. This means that after enrolling in a course, you can study and finish it whenever you want. Nobody is telling you that you have to complete it promptly.
Unlimited Access to the Content
What makes e-learning especially advantageous is that after you sign up for a course, it stays with you – forever. You can access all the videos and files anytime and anywhere!
High Retention Rate
Compared to traditional learning methods, eLearning has been proven to bolster knowledge retention due to its visuals, interactivity, and succinctness. Additionally, students have more control over their education as they can choose which course materials they want or need to review again to understand it better, resulting in higher retention rates.
Frequently Updated
Instructors offering online courses prioritize the welfare of their students and demonstrate that by providing them with up-to-date materials for free.
eLearning platforms are an excellent way to expand your knowledge base and hone the skills needed for a successful career. With so many options available, choosing the platform that best fits your needs is essential. Invest in yourself today by enrolling in one of these exceptional online courses!
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Which online learning platform is best for professionals?
LinkedIn Learning is one of the best online learning platforms for professionals. It offers over 18,000 courses and provides users with personalized recommendations to help them find the right course for their needs. Additionally, it offers lessons from well-known experts across a variety of industries.
2) Which is the best eLearning platform in 2023?
It largely depends on the user’s needs and interests. However, some top platforms include Udacity, Edx, Skillshare, Coursera, DataCamp, Pluralsight, and Code Academy.
3) Are there free eLearning apps?
Yes! Some of the best free eLearning apps include Khan Academy, Udemy, YouTube, and iTunes U. Many platforms also offer premium courses that require payment. Researching and weighing the pros and cons before committing to a paid subscription is essential.
4) Do I need to pay to get a certification?
Many online learning platforms offer free courses, but most will require payment to obtain a certification. It’s important to check the website of the platform you are using for more information on their certification requirements. Additionally, some platforms may offer discounts or financial aid programs, so it’s always worth looking into these options before enrolling in a course.
