Whether retirees wish to learn new skills to return to work, current employees need recertification, or younger folks wonder how to enhance their credentials without being burdened by student loans, an influx of free (or for a small fee) online courses may be for you. Check aarp.org to ascertain which are most suitable for your own success. (If none fit, then worlds of others are out there if you simply look for them.)
- Big Think can be accessed primarily through YouTube with weekly podcasts on a different subject, plus free articles and videos. Topics from business and technology to health and entertainment are presented by instructors who are tops in their fields.
Big Think's three-fold purpose is helpful to all:
Significance - how will this idea change the world and impact your life;
Relevance - what groups and individuals does this idea most affect;
Application - how can this idea shape the way you think or act.
For those interested in business and professional development (and don't mind paying a fee), check out Big Think Edge. With over 500 video lessons and 30 new ones added monthly, professionals can stay ahead of business changes.
- EDX, although developed by one of the most prestigious universities in the world, coupled with an equally fantastic Massachusetts Institute of Technology, isn't just for the very smart. In fact, edx.org tries to make higher education available for more folks. Single lectures run about 45 minutes to two-three hours weekly for up to 12 weeks. Best of all, most courses are free.
- The Great Courses website offers 500 online courses. Most lectures run about 30 minutes with the courses themselves lasting six to 96 lectures (depending upon topic). Online modules or on DVDs/CDs range from $15 to $230. If students prefer, they can order a subscription plan that offers multiple courses (thegreatcoursesplus.com) for $19.99 monthly or $179.99 per year. And, finally, grab a menu from Amazon Prime for $7.99 a month.
- Universal Class includes a potpourri of courses, ranging from cooking to history. The time commitment isn't too bad, either - the average is 10 to 20 hours, including class time, assignments and exams. At $59 for one month of unlimited courses and $189 for a year of the same, the fees are a huge bargain, as well.
- Yale University, another highly-respected winner within the Ivy League community and many of its professors, offers a variety of free courses. From liberal arts programs to the sciences, tune in to YouTube and/or logon to oyc.yale.edu (Open Yale Courses). Supplemented with syllabi, transcripts and extra resources, lectures provide critical thinking, creative imagination and intellectual exploration. As an added bonus, lectures are available in video, audio and text transcript format and recorded directly in the Yale College classroom.
(P.S. Readers may recall my Feb. 6 "Trash into Cash" column. Along with the companies noted that purchase used cell phones, another resource site on which to compare prices and, perhaps, to sell is www.sellmycellphones.com.)
Contact Ellen Phillips at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.