An online learning platform is a web portal filled with educational content like lectures, live instructions on specific subjects, and other resources. These platforms provide you with opportunities to connect and chat with other students and experts in your field. Additionally, both you and the course instructor can track your progress throughout the course.

Online learning has become popular in recent years and is expected to grow even more. Due to the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutes of all levels and in all corners of the world have introduced some form of distance learning option. In the US, college enrollment is declining while online student enrollment is on the rise.

The popularity of online learning platforms can be because of their various benefits. They allow you to learn at your pace from the comfort of your home. These platforms offer low-cost courses and let you design your schedule. The high demand for online courses also requires efficient e-learning software and online portals for a smooth learning experience.

Several tech companies are developing services that help in efficient student-teacher interaction online. One such service called Google For Education enables teachers to customize the various Google products to suit their classroom needs. This initiative of Google promotes a seamless online learning experience for everyone by allowing students and teachers to connect, collaborate and create.

Several online learning platforms with content on thousands of subjects are available at your one click. We will discuss some of the most popular ones in detail.

Udemy

Udemy is one of the most popular online learning platforms having more than 40 million students as its members. It is considered the best online learning platform, offering a wide range of courses that can help you advance your career and explore your hobbies. It is suitable for teachers, students, and freelancers. It offers different online learning tools like PowerPoint, PDF documents, and video content. Some benefits of using Udemy include;

• It offers video courses promoting self-paced learning.
• It has easily understandable content.
• It also has an app available on both iOS and Android.

Udemy offers a free trial. Prices vary from course to course, but most courses cost around $12.99.

Quizlet

Quizlet is a learning platform for children and teenagers. It uses flashcards and games to make learning enjoyable. You can set your study modes according to your study style. Quizlet offers various courses in art, science, humanities, and languages.

Coursera

Coursera offers high-quality online training courses from top universities around the world. Over the years, this online learning platform has rapidly grown and provides you with the best course options. Coursera partners with top-ranking universities like Stanford, Princeton, Penn, Duke, and HEC Paris as well as with companies like Google and IBM. You can enroll in their paid courses to receive certificates on completion from renowned universities and companies. The courses offered on Coursera include video-based lectures, peer-reviewed assignments, and homework exercises. Coursera is considered the best platform for college courses. Some pros of opting for a course on this site can be;

• It offers a wide range of learning options.
• It awards you with degrees and certificates.
• It offers several free courses.
• It provides you with a chance to learn from prestigious universities.

Coursera charges you individually depending on the course you are enrolled in and offers financial aid to deserving students.

Skillshare

Skillshare is an equally beneficial platform for students and teachers. It offers 24,000 lessons in different unique subjects like marketing, film, technology, business, cooking, crafts, writing, gaming, and more. However, it is considered the best learning platform for creative fields. Skillshare courses consist of video series, class projects, and discussions on student community forums. Some benefits of skillshare may be;

• It supports discussion and promotes sharing of ideas.
• It offers several different courses at a similar price.

Skillshare offers several free courses, with premium and team plans at different price packages. Premium plans can cost you $8/month.

EdX

EdX offers university-level online courses to students worldwide. It partners with institutes like Harvard, Berkeley, MIT, Sorbonne, and more to make it possible. It has more than 8,000 courses from more than 100 universities. EdX mostly has courses in science like data science, computer science, biological science, and more. The various benefits of opting for a course on edX include;

• It has an app version compatible with both iOS and Android.
• Its online classes are interactive, allowing you to give feedback.

EdX offers unverified courses free of charge. However, verified courses may cost you from $50 to $300.

MasterClass

Masterclass is an immersive online learning platform, which provides you with the chance to learn about a particular subject from the world’s best expert in that subject. In short, the master class provides you with the best celebrity-delivered lessons. Each class consists of content in the form of pre-recorded videos, interactive assignments, community activities, and an instructor’s guide. It is a recommended platform for beginners and professionals. It allows you to learn highly diverse, affordable courses from world-renowned individuals with a high video production quality.

Masterclass pricing depends on the number of classes you take. A single masterclass can cost you $90. However, you can access all available classes for $180/year.

Pluralsight

It is a learning as well as a workforce development platform. It helps you keep up with the changing technologies as it mainly offers courses in software development and IT administration. Most courses offered by Pluralsight are designed and authored by industry leaders and subject-matter experts in cloud, security, data, IT ops, and mobile. It is considered a flexible massive open online courses (MOOC) platform that offers the best courses in data learning.

Pluralsight offers various price plans for individuals and teams. Standard and premium options are available for you at $159 and $239 per year.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning, previously known as Lynda, offers several professional courses on technology, creativity, and business. This platform offers video-based training sessions for academics, corporate professionals, and individuals. This site is most famous for its photography and coding-related courses. It has 16000 courses in 7 different languages. Some of the benefits of using this platform can be;

• It offers a one-month free trial.
• It suggests personalized course recommendations.
• It also has offline access to courses that you may be enrolled in.
• It awards certifications upon completion of a course.
• It is valued in the business-to-business community.

You can pay monthly or annually for LinkedIn learning. They charge $29.99/month.

The Wrap Up

Online learning platforms are the future of the education system. You can either advance your academic career or learn something entirely different. You can learn about any subject from these platforms, from improving your soft skills to trying something new.

These platforms have thousands of options available. The popular online learning platforms offer some courses for free and some at a minimal price. These platforms also help you to broaden your network by allowing you to connect with others in similar fields.

Remote learning is the future. Hopefully, this in-depth article will help you make an informed choice about which online learning platform is appropriate for you. You can browse the course contents of each platform and can get enrolled in the one you want.