The idea that you are never done learning has never been more true than today. The Internet has revolutionized the way we access information and knowledge – formerly a luxury accessible only to the rich and highly gifted – which is now freely available to anyone with Internet access.
Education and learning should be a lifelong process and the Internet is your chance to get a university level education for free, regardless of where you are in life. This article introduces you to the three best websites to get started.
Khan Academy
The Khan Academy is probably the most famous educational website out there. It was started in 2006 with the mission to provide “a high quality education to anyone, anywhere.” Meanwhile, the site provides over 3,000 videos on subjects from science to humanities, which have been delivered to millions of people. More than just videos, the site also offers short exercises to help students practice the knowledge they have acquired by watching the video material – all of it for free.
Coursera
Online education is spreading and the traditional institutions are taking note. Coursera has partnered with top US universities to provide some of their courses for free. The site offers lectures on computer science, healthcare, social sciences, and economics from universities like Princeton, Stanford or Berkeley.
Like the Khan Academy, they offer interactive exercises. Moreover, Coursera promises that you will join a global network of thousands of students, who you can depend on for feedback and support. Coursera takes you through full courses, which follow a schedule, meaning you have to sign up for them in advance.
Academic Earth
Similar to the Khan Academy, Academic Earth’s vision is to offer “a world-class education for everyone on earth“. The site offers free online classes and in-depth online learning through video lectures from university professors. Interestingly, Academic Earth has partnered with the same universities as Coursera and many more. In addition to Princeton, Stanford, and Berkeley, you will find video lectures from UCLA, Harvard, and Yale. Moreover, Academic Earth has partnered with the Khan Academy.
What makes Academic Earth unique is that you can sign up to earn an actual online degree. While this isn’t necessarily free (no definite information is available), it may at least be accessible to you regardless of where you live.
If you still haven’t learned enough, we have written about 8 MORE Knowledge Websites With Free Online Video Lectures, as well as 12 Great Free Video Tutorial Sites To Brush Up Your Tech Skills, and 5 Websites To Watch Educational Videos That Will Expand Your Mind. Would you like to take classes on your iPad, iPhone or iPod? Check out iTunes U, which we have recently reviewed here: Taking Free Classes & Courses At iTunes U.
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