I had a resentment for the kids at college who had their own car, a bottomless pit of cash and unconditional moral support from their parents and didn’t have the need for the 10 best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs. Twenty years later, I sit thinking I wasted so much money when I didn’t have the wherewithal to balance a light wallet with good grades and an inherent interest in certain courses. I may have gotten an A in philosophy 101, but I didn’t get the love out of it that I should have. It didn’t stick, and that was because I was trying to get by and get out and get a job! Now, however, I have a lot of time on my hands and a little bit of cash. I can actually give the time to a philosophy class that it deserves. Perhaps give my children some words of love and advice before they take off to school? There is a rise in MOOC’s – no, not cow pukes – Massive Open Online Courses. It’s ideal in a few aspects, like convenience, reach, content, and in some cases – price. But there’s still a ways to go – people are less likely to look upon online coursework respectable. Lots of entrants to the niche but none a runaway hit.
If you can overlook the lack of clout of an MOOC, then you’d actually be a prime learner. Gaining new skills for a lower price and shorter time than by going to University, look here: 10 best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs. In addition to the self-satisfaction that accompanies newly acquired skills, you’re also more likely to land a job with a bigger salary and opportunities for further development. With the increase of technology and internet development, you can access that spectrum of information and knowledge anyplace and anytime.
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If you want to move past the lighter aspects of MOOC’s, you can take on more challenging material that’s offered alongside tests and assignments, which lead to diplomas and certificates. Not bad for some people, if it only involves simply sitting in front of their computer. Some come with certificates and other proofs of accomplishment, which can be accepted as coursework in various universities worldwide.
All of the MOOCs below are in partnership with *some* of the world’s best universities and educational institutions. By signing in, you automatically become the part of the learning community lead by top instructors from all around the world. MOOCs are directly provided with video and readable content from university partners, so you can be sure that you will get an accurate learning experience.
Our list of the 10 best websites like Coursera, Udacity and Other MOOCs is based on MOOCs by numbers which ranks courses based on the number of registered users. For the ones we didn’t have specific registered user data for these spots, we used feedback data from MOOCLab platform league table which ranked MOOCs based on the number and quality of available courses, quality of provided materials and instructions and awarding and recognition of course certificates or credits earned by finishing it.
Also check out our list of 7 Best Online Courses You Can Take: Free Finance MOOCs.
Without further ado, let’s read about those best websites for online learning!
10. Stanford online
Stanford University has an online section, appropriately called Stanford Online. It says it has professional education opportunities through various schools and departments at the University. It also offers free online courses that are taught by Stanford faculty.
Course types vary – from self-study, to self-paced, to continuing professional education, and more. They can also be a combination of that.
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9.Open2Study
We are continuing our list of best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs with Open2Study that offers 48 courses in Business, IT, Education, Marketing, Finance, and Arts. For every course, there is an online classroom where students can find all video and reading materials, assignments and quizzes needed to complete the course. All courses are divided into 4 modules which include weekly lessons and assignments. After finishing one module, students are getting assessments with three attempts to finish them. The site uses the highest grade at the end. Every module is divided into topics with short pop-up quizzes at the end of a topic. This pop-up quizzes score is not counted in the final grade. To finish the course successfully, a learner will need to achieve at least 60%.
After finishing it, students get electronic downloadable Certificate of Achievements, along with their final grades and overall activity details.
Students also have the opportunity to attend accredited courses and earn one of the 180 bachelors or postgraduate course degree.
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8.OpenUpEd
OpenUpEd’s learners get their own tutor who works with them from the beginning of the course until the final exam. The company says they’re a non-profit platform whose goal is to break barriers in education and enable quality and new creative ways of acquiring knowledge. Students can access their courses over the mobile phone, tablet and desktop. Students also have access to chart rooms and forums where they can interact with other registered users.
All instructors create their own courses, including materials and tests.
Courses are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Dutch and Danish.
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7.Iversity
This one on the list of best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs is a completely cost-free learning platform.
Students get quality multimedia materials. One thing that’s unique here is that students get to analyze each other’s work. Iversity’s subjects are the typical offerings. Business and Management, Medicine, IT and others. Students can earn verified certificates in English, German, French, Italian, Chinese, Russian, Spanish or Portuguese.
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6.NovoEd
If a student is better at learning in a group then he should join the NovoEd team. This site is designed as a teaching platform for group learners where everyone can submit their own assignments and send it to other team members. Everyone will work in small teams and will be provided with video content and a mentor if needed. NovoEd offers how-to’s for many topics as well as self-improvement practices and examples.
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5.UDACITY
Number 5 on our list of best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs is Udacity, an online course concentrated on technology development. By registering, you get the opportunity to become an IOS or Android developer, Data Analyst, Web developer or a Machine engineer. It offers learning on beginner, intermediate and advanced level for all courses. Courses usually last between 6 and 12 months, depending on the individual preferences.
Udacity gives you the opportunity to start free courses or Nanodegree and Nanodegree Plus Programs. One of the many advantages of this site is that you are guaranteed to be given 50% of your tuition back if you finish your course in less than one year. Best thing is – by finishing the Nanodegree Plus program, Udacity guarantees an offer as an employee or a contractor within 6 months after graduation. After course completion, Udacity gives all of their graduates the opportunity to work with some of the big gun companies such as Google, Facebook, AT&T, nvidia, otto, Mercedes-Benz, and IBM.
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4.FutureLearn
FutureLearn, next on our list of best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs, says they offer you a diverse range of free courses and content from the leading universities in the world. They’re all available on your mobile phones, tablets, and desktops. What makes this platform unique is that it’s in partnership with both universities and cultural institutions, including the British Council, the British Library, the British Museum, and the National Film and Television School.
Most of the courses last 6-10 weeks, but there are few shorter ones which can be completed in 2-3 weeks. During the course, learners get video, audio and reading materials as well as weekly assignments usually followed by mini-quiz which can be taken unlimited number of times. All mentioned material contains a space in the margins for learner’s comments and additional questions. Assignments come with precise instructions and are shared with others in order to get constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement of the work. At one point, learners will encounter a test which is scored and later included in overall mark. The test can be retaken up to three times.
Success is defined as at least 90% of the given steps with the overall grade of at least 70%. Learners then gain the opportunity to buy the Certificate of Achievement in both the Digital and Printable version.
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3.Xuetang
We are continuing our list of best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs with Xuetang that is an online learning platform sponsored by Harvard University and MIT.
It has more than 400 courses in IT, Business, Electronics, Art, Medicine, Philosophy and others, including 42 credential courses which are highly recommended by its partners as elective courses to their students. During the course, the University gets detailed feedback on the work and improvement of their students.
There is a Community section, designed so that students can exchange their work and experience as well as help each other overcome obstacles. And for the ones who want to keep track on their own work and progress, there is an App available for Android, iOS, iPad and SmartTv users.
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2.edX
The second on our list of best websites like Coursera, Udacity and other MOOCs is edX, a nonprofit and open source organization founded in cooperation of Harvard and MIT. It offers over 1,300 free high-quality online courses from Universities all around the world. On edX you can apply to courses in over 30 subjects such as Computer Science, Engineering, Languages, Psychology, Marketing, Art, and Electronics.
You can apply to one of three different programs: MicroMasters, Professional and XSeries – which are basically series of courses developed by the world’s top universities and experts in order to improve your skills and advance your career. In order to get a Certificate for a program, you would need to get verified certificates for all courses included in it.
You can finish all your courses in English, German, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Hindi, Japanese, French, Dutch, Mandarine and Turkish.
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1.COURSERA
Cooperating with 148 partners across 29 countries such as IMB, Stanford University, and National Geographic, Coursera offers 1,988 courses from over 160 subjects – all including video-recorded lectures, quizzes and challenging assignments that are automatically checked and graded. It’s perfect for all students: from middle-school students, to professionals looking for a promotion.
All courses are charged $29-$99, and they usually last 4-6 weeks. After completing it, students get a shareable electronic Course Certificate. Beside courses, there are also full degree programs related to business, computer, and data science. They cost up to $25,000 and last between 1 to 3 years. Beside all the mentioned materials, it also includes direct contact with the University.
With more than 22 million registered users, Coursera deserved the first place on our list of 10 best websites like Coursera, Udacity and Other MOOCs
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