Considering that people find themselves in an era of accessible information, where everything is at one-click distance, it is highly important to separate quality facts from false ones. In order to do that, you must stay up to date with the best resources you should use for getting your facts straight. Regardless of the area of expertise that you choose, there are online resources out there that can give you lots and lots of information to improve your knowledge in that sphere. This article is supposed to present some of the most popular resources for e-learning, in various domains.
Check out the list below and see if any of these resources fit your needs or passions:
Microsoft Virtual Academy
Microsoft is pretty well-known, so there’s no need for a complex introduction for the website. It is a trustful resource that people who are passionate about development should try at least once. If you’d like to know more about development in different sorts of fields, such as game, cloud, web, database, mobile app development or even Windows development, Microsoft Virtual Academy gives you the chance to be trained by experts. New courses are added each week and they are very diverse. Developers, IT pros and data pros wait for you on the platform.
Microsoft Virtual Academy uses the latest technologies in terms of e-learning, which makes studying much easier and efficient. The lessons can be studied on all sorts of devices, from desktop to tablets and mobile phones. In case you want to study while you are not connected to the Internet, you can download the video lessons and watch them later. Depending on the skills you want to acquire or perfect, you can select a variety of videos and put them together in a playlist, making it very accessible. You will be given self-assessments in order to track your progress and you will get certificates of completion at the end of the courses, some of them being approved by certain companies, thus receiving an employment benefit.
Duolingo
Passionate about foreign languages? The most efficient way to learn a new language involves writing, reading and speaking in that language. It is difficult to engage in all three activities effectively by participating in traditional courses, and this is where Duolingo intervenes. Duolingo is a platform where you can successfully learn a foreign language, by spending just a few minutes a day on the app. The app contains over 21 languages. You can select your language level, save your progress and set goals. The app will notify you each day to spend some time with it. You will unlock more lessons depending on how you do. Duolingo is a perfect example of gamification in education.
Codecademy
Codecademy is another interactive platform that people often choose to improve their skills in programming. It hosts lessons in all sorts of programming languages, from Java to SQL, HTML or even Sass. The platform is very friendly and the community is numerous. People who improved their programming skills at Codecademy found jobs at Facebook, IBM, Google or Bloomberg. The curriculum that you will be studying is going to be structured accordingly so that you can learn to program as fast as possible. The lessons are directed towards practice, instead of theory only. The free courses are not longer than 11-12 hours, which is very convenient.
The courses are short, but very effective, as they condense all the information you need to work with the concepts that you are studying. When looking for a job today, people no longer require employees to recite theory, but to show what they can do during the interviews. Problem-solving skills, good communication skills and how well you know programming will give you a job in the future. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on it – you just have to give your best to learn everything about what you are passionate about.
TED Talks
You probably heard about TED Talks before. TED Talks are insightful videos that present the ideas of different people, famous or not, in various domains. Depending on what your interests are (which can vary from tech, science, and business to humanity, nature or social change), there surely is a TED Talk that will get you inspired in no time. You can learn so many things from these video series that you will instantly fall in love with the platform. Moreover, the TED platform can give you personalized content depending on what you are interested in. The TED experience can motivate you tremendously in the long run, besides encouraging professional growth and giving you a new perspective on many topics.
For people who lost their motivation entirely, or lost their sense of hope, TED Talks can be a true savior. You can also find multiple TED Talks on YouTube, as they are uploaded constantly on their official website. TED organizes events and conferences all over the world where keynote speakers will talk live about various domains of interest. Find one in your area and attend it – you will be amazed by the power of these talks and you will definitely want to get enrolled in the next one as well.
Chemistry Guru
E-learning encourages lifelong learning, but it doesn’t stop there. E-learning can help students who struggle in school because of the traditional methods applied. If you can’t afford private courses with teachers in your area, you can always opt for online ones. Chemistry Guru is one of the few websites out there that offer chemistry tuition at a professional level. In case you can’t keep up with your chemistry class, this website gives you the exact resources needed to get back on track rapidly. The flexible schedule and the modern methods in e-learning can help students that don’t understand courses during school achieve better grades in the shortest time. Chemistry Guru is one of the platforms dedicated for this purpose that you can find online.