The novel coronavirus pandemic has changed our lifestyle both in personal and professional terms. In less than a year, the disruption everted day-to-day lives around the world. The pandemic has not just affected livelihoods but strained ‘societal bonds’ as well. Many were led to make an abrupt shift to work from home. But amidst the bleak outlook, people have begun/are trying to adapt to the new normal. E-learning platforms have played a vital role to help people adjust and normalize remote work over the past few months. While some companies just briefly opened, the surge in COVID cases has forced many to extend work from home norms. In case your work life has turned dull as dishwater and you are finding it hard to re-adjust to being locked in four walls, you can check these e-learning platforms to learn some new skills and explore something fun. As a folk rightly says, ‘Learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change.’
Udemy
Udemy has over 1,00,000 courses that envelop almost every possible topic. You can expand your skills in any field be it music, arts, programming, photography, IT, business, and marketing to weaving. There are categories for fitness and lifestyle as well. Moreover, the platform allows instructors to design multimedia lectures with video, audio, quizzes, etc. The courses are available in seven different languages. But to avail of the content users are required to purchase each course individually. For students, the platform offer preview classes and a 30-day refund in case they don’t find the course relevant.
Skillshare
Skillshare is more of a casual online platform that helps you to improve your creative skills. The courses are tutored by practicing experts in fields such as animation, photography, creative writing, etc. With a collection of over 20,000 classes, the categories are divided into three parts- Thrive (Lifestyle, Productivity), Build (Business Analytics, Freelance, and Enterneuprenship, Marketing, etc), and Create (Animation, Video, Graphic Design, Music, Creative Writing, Photography, and more). It follows a project-based approach and comprises two parts- a video presentation, and a class project. It has a subscription model, but users can check certain short clips or longer tutorials for free.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn learning formerly known as Lynda includes bite-sized modules for a better understanding of the content. You can download the content and view it later even without an internet connection. Some of the courses even provide a Certificate of Completion that you can put in your LinkedIn profile. The platform offers a wide range of courses- web development, software programming, economics, etc. It has a monthly subscription fee, but you can try the one-month free trial option as well.
MasterClass
If you are more into learning creative skills from A-list actors, musicians, artists, MasterClass would be the right pick. From film class with Martin Scorsese, writing tips from Shonda Rhimes, singing classes from Christina Aguilera, or cooking from Gordon Ramsay, this platform offers dozens of e-classes. You can get high-quality video lessons, workbooks, assignments, etc. Divided into nine categories- film & TV, culinary arts, writing, music, photography, to name a few; the platform is best for those who want to develop personal skills and want guidance from the best experts in the field.
Udacity
The demand for tech skills surged last year as the outbreak led companies to shift their business at home and bend towards digitalization. And while tech skills have become one of the most marketable classes, Udacity has a bunch of courses related to data science, AI, digital marketing, among others. Designed in a boot camp-like style, it offers programs focused on web development, cloud computing, etc. You can develop a new skill or expand your knowledge on a certain topic with hands-on practice, real-world applications. They have a ‘Nanodegree’ primary offering that includes numerous lessons, real-world projects, personalized reviews, one-on-one technical coaching by mentors, etc.
