Online Course Reviews

Without scoring high on the IELTS exam, you cannot make your dream of migrating to an English speaking country come true. Even if you want to study in another country, you will have to sit for the IELTS exam. It is not the easiest exam that you can face in your life. That’s because the IELTS exam will evaluate your English language through four different perspectives, which include reading, listening, speaking, and writing. This is why you should follow the best IELTS course and get ready for the exam.

Here are the top 5 IELTS courses that you can follow to get the knowledge you want.

1. Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 2

Mastering IELTS Writing: Task 2 is an IELTS course that you can find in Udemy. If you need extra help to get through the writing section of IELTS, you can think about following this course. This course is designed to ramp up the writing skills you have and help you with scoring the best marks in the IELTS writing exam. By following this course, you can also learn how to manage your time when you are trying to complete the writing exam. On top of that, this course will help you to get a better understanding of the writing section of IELTS.

https://www.udemy.com/mastering-ielts-writing-task-2-academic/ 

1. IELTS Band 7+ Complete Prep Course

This is another course available for you on Udemy. If your main objective is to secure 7+ in all the bands, you should take a look at this course. The course is made out of over 160 lectures. On top of that, you will get more than 30 hours of training, which will help you to understand the best tactics and strategies that you can follow to get through the exam. There are numerous exercises available for you to follow in this course, which can help you to prepare for the exam perfectly well.

https://www.udemy.com/ielts-band-7-preparation-course/ 

1. Understanding IELTS: Techniques for English Language Tests by British Council 

British Council is one of the entities that hold IELTS exams. Hence, it is worthy to follow a course compiled by them. This course is designed to help you go through the four stages of IELTS, which include speaking, writing, reading, and listening. By following this course, you can also learn some valuable advice, tips, and skills on how to get through the exam.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/understanding-ielts

1. IELTS Academic Test Preparation by edX 

There are two variations in the IELTS exam as academic IELTS and general IELTS. If you are planning to move to another country for English medium learning, you will be asked to take the IELTS academic exam. To get all the support you need to go through the exam, you can refer to this course. It would take 8 weeks for you to complete this course. However, the time you spend to go through the course is worth it when compared to the results you get. 

https://www.edx.org/course/ielts-academic-test-preparation-0 

1. IELTS exam preparation course by Magoosh 

Magoosh is offering preparatory courses for numerous academic exams including IELTS. When you start following this course, you will figure out that it is creating a comprehensive learning environment. That’s because you will be provided with the lessons through numerous channels, including podcasts, online lessons, practice exams, and learning blogs. On top of these, you can also get your hands on a dedicated mobile app, which can help you with enhancing your vocabulary and the ability to learn effectively.

https://ielts.magoosh.com/ 

Pick any of these IELTS courses and follow it. All these courses guarantee the opportunity you have to get through the IELTS exam with ease. 

If you plan to do an online course, you can opt to enroll for a free course or a paid course. However, before you enroll for a course, it is vital to do a requirement analysis. It would be best to answer a few questions like what course you want to enroll for, your expectations from the course, and how much time and money you are prepared to invest in. Moreover, online courses for kids are different from online courses for adults. Hence, you will have to evaluate the objective of the course and whether it applies to you or not.  Once you find a website that offers all the necessary tools to complete your studies comfortably, you should enroll in the course. Some of the online course websites that you can consider enrolling for are as follows:

1. Free online courses

The primary reasons for enrolling in an online course are that you do not have to travel anywhere to attend the classes and have flexibility. Besides attending the classes, most online course websites allow students to take the examinations as per their comfort levels and suitable timings. The free online courses that you can opt for are:

• edX

As per the website, edX is a ‘complete learning platform’ that offers technical courses that have been designed by experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. The institute remains closely associated with many premier universities and colleges such as Berkeley University of California, Boston University, and even The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The institute offers a myriad of courses from technical, to engineering, to humanities and foreign languages. So if you are keen on learning a foreign language through an online course, you should consider enrolling in edX. Similarly, suppose you want to improve your technical skills and want to learn Data Science. In that case, you could consider enrolling in a course that teaches you Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Computer Programming, and many more such courses. If you want to learn more about the courses offered by edX, then click on the following link: https://www.edx.org/ 

• Skillshare

This is the ideal website for individuals looking to enhance their technical knowledge and skill. At Skillshare, you will have access to numerous study modules ranging from graphic designing, online illustration, creative writing, and many more courses. Skillshare’s objective is to improve the existing knowledge base of the candidates and help them become more confident about their work. Although Skillshare Basic is free, you will have to pay fees depending on the course you have opted for if you opt for the premium courses. Skillshare offers courses on a wide range of subjects, making it easier for candidates to identify and select the best course module to enhance their talents. To learn more about Skillshare and the courses offered by the institute, click on the following link: https://www.skillshare.com/ 

• Codecademy

If you are looking to enroll in an online coding course backed by the White House, you should consider enrolling in the Basic course by Codecademy. The institute offers Basic Interactive Courses, which you can enroll in to explore Python script, learn the basics of Java or understand web development, then you can join for free. However, the professional courses offered by the institute are paid courses. Nevertheless, you should check out the institute’s Basic courses as these are of an excellent standard as well. The objective of Codecademy is to let students learn at a pace that is comfortable for them so that they do not feel pressured. So if you are looking for flexible coding courses, then you should check out Codecademy. To learn more about the institutes, click on the following link: https://www.codecademy.com/ 

• iTunes U

As it is evident from the name, these courses are available free of charge in the Apple Store. You can download and complete the course from your iPhone or iPad. The unique feature of this option is that you will get a myriad of courses and easily select what best meets your requirements. Say, for instance, you are looking specifically for online courses history, then check out iTunes U and find courses suitable for graduate-level students and school level students. You can access different types of courses on a variety of subjects. Additionally, you can take the course material and build a study module suitable for you. Easy customization and access to an extensive resource are what make iTunes U such a unique online course website.

When you enroll for a free online course, you need to understand that the courses offered free of charge will be the introductory courses. If you do not feel that the introductory courses are sufficient and meet your requirements, you will have to upgrade it and start studying for the professional courses. This will improve your option of excelling in the particular field, and you can also make the most of the course. Otherwise, you can directly enroll for paid courses, and some of the best websites for paid courses are as follows:

1. Paid online courses

The paid online courses offer better support to students. You will have greater access to online resources such as online libraries, video recordings of lectures that you have missed podcasts, and even access to journals and papers, which you would not otherwise have had access to. Thus, it is often considered better to enroll in a paid online course as it offers better chances of improving your career. Moreover, after completing a paid online course, the certificate that you receive will have more recognition in the market than a free course. Some of the websites that offer paid courses are as follows: 

• Lynda.com

Lynda.com is one of the best online institutes that you can enroll in if you are looking to improve your technical skills. Say, for instance, you want to learn more about web development, application of Python in web development. To become a front-end web developer, you should check out the specific courses offered by the institute. Similarly, if you want to become a cybersecurity expert or improve your marketing skills, there are specific courses to enhance these skills. Lynda.com is one of the pro websites in the online courses market affiliated with Full Sail University and the University of Southern California. Hence, you can be assured that if you enroll for any one of the suitable paid courses of Lynda.com, you are bound to enhance your skills.

• Coursera

This is one of the best online websites that offer numerous courses for adults. If you are looking to move ahead in your career and feel that you need to do a certification course to set you on track, you should check out the various courses offered by Coursera. If you are looking for online courses in business administration, you should check out the Master’s and the institute’s certificate courses. As the institute is affiliated with numerous premier universities, you can be assured that professionals and experts in particular fields curate the courses. For university and college students, Coursera offers free learning resources, which can prove to be extremely beneficial.  Coursera also ensures that you have access to their online resources anytime and from anywhere. If you want to learn more about the courses offered by Coursera and their specific pricing, then click on the following link:  https://www.coursera.org/ 

• MasterClass

If you are looking to do a course in lifestyle management, enhance your culinary skills, or looking to make headway in Arts and Entertainment, then you could consider enrolling in one of the courses offered by MasterClass. The courses are designed and promoted by the best professionals in particular fields. So if you enroll for a culinary course, you will be learning from the best chefs, and if you enroll for an interior designing course, you will be learning from experts like Kelly Wearstler. Hence, you can be assured that the courses will be organized, designed, and managed expertly. You will get the chance from individuals who are proficient in their fields and get to pick up tips as to how they managed to become successful. By incorporating these methods in your career, you too can become successful. However, such exclusive access is only offered by MasterClass. So if you are looking for such a particular approach to your career, then check out the courses offered by MasterClass by clicking on the following link: https://www.masterclass.com/ 

Thus, depending on your requirements, you should opt for a particular type of course. Sometimes, it is preferable that you first check out the free courses before enrolling for a paid course. This will help make the selection process more straightforward. Additionally, you will not have to worry about investing money in particular courses. Only when you are satisfied with the course you can move on to the premium membership. Nevertheless, if you are looking to enhance your career or improve your studies and want to do it at your own pace, online courses are the best solution.

Reference URL

https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/online-education-websites 

https://www.upwork.com/blog/2014/02/10-top-sites-online-education/ 

 

The dynamic nature of today’s world requires you to constantly upgrade yourself. Whether it is a new skill, a language, or even playing a new instrument, adding to your existing set of skills has become necessary. However, not everyone has the time to enroll in advanced degrees or colleges. You can go for available online courses with certifications.

 

With most people already working a 9 to 5 job, or their startup, it is virtually impossible to make time for anything else. Besides, the conveyance can be a daunting problem too. Fortunately, the digital era has opened up quite a lot of opportunities in this regard. There are online courses available in nearly all disciplines; whether it is a language course, or learning to play piano, or maybe a training workshop in teamwork, you can certainly expect to find a relevant online course in the vast world of the internet. 

 

Why take up online courses with certificates?

The bonus of online courses with certificates is that you can access it from any place in the world. You could be sitting in the UK, enrolled in an online course at Harvard University! Most online courses also offer flexible hours for you to complete your coursework. This means that you could watch the course videos at the time that best suits you. This helps you improve your resume while having minimal effect on your work routine. 

So, without treading into the wonders of online courses, let’s shed some light on some of the best online courses that come with Certifications. Be mindful that some of these courses are free, however, others might require you to pay a small fee. Nevertheless, the fee is minimal compared to what the courses will cost you if not online. 

 

Coursera 

 

If you are a student, you might already be familiar with Coursera. It is one of the digital platforms that congregates hundreds, if not thousands of courses under one roof. Founded by Stanford University professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, it offers online courses with flexible learning hours. There are courses available from leading educational institutes such as Stanford, Princeton, the University of Michigan, and the University of Pennsylvania. 

There are a variety of courses from all disciplines including business, personal development, sciences, writing, and even data science. The courses are a modest 4- week long to ensure your grasp on the content, but not so long as to get monotonous or repetitive. The courses themselves are virtually free. Anyone can log in and access the content, however, you need to pay a small subscription fee to get the certificates. 

Moreover, you don’t need to fret if you are a beginner, there are levels mentioned on each course and quite a lot of them are beginner-friendly. However, that certainly doesn’t imply that there isn’t anything for advanced learners. There is something for everyone on this remarkable digital platform. So, be sure to log on to http://www.Coursera.org and browse through the incredibly vast range of courses present. 

 

Udemy

 

Udemy is another hub of online courses with certificates. As of 2020, Udemy has over 130,000 courses taught by over 57,000 highly qualified instructors. The platform offers courses in most disciplines, but their business-related skills are by far the most popular ones. 

There are PowerPoint presentations, PDF assignments as well as some videos that cover the coursework. The students can access this content from anywhere in the world and go through the content in the allotted time. They are then required to display the acquired skills usually in the form of structured assignments. Udemy also offers training programs for business to improve their overall efficiency. Udemy, much like Coursera, has a blend of both free and paid courses; it largely depends on the type of course and the instructor. 

 

Harvard Business School Online 

 

Who hasn’t heard of one of the most respected schools of advanced learning? Harvard is an ivy league college that is surely the dream of every student. However, even if you didn’t succeed in getting into this prestigious institution, you can now enroll in their online courses and get awarded with Certifications from Harvard University!

The program offers numerous business-related courses including Negotiation Mastery, Leadership Principles, Global Business World, Financial Accounting, Management Essentials, and much more. These courses help you acquire the most sought-after skills in today’s job market. 

 

Future Learn

 

Future Learn offers a wide variety of short courses and postgraduate degrees. The platform offers online courses with certificates in many disciplines ranging from science, maths, and Engineering to business and linguistics. There are even courses for you to ace your IELTS or other linguistic tests. 

The length of the courses differs according to the nature of the subject. Some courses are as short as two weeks, whereas others are 4 to 5 weeks long. Most courses, however, require you to allot 5 hours per week of your time in completing the coursework. It could include going through the presentation, allotted reading, or simply completing and submitting the given assignments. 

 

Alison 

 

Alison Courses are another opportunity for you to build your resumé or even just improve your overall lifestyle. The platform has courses available in lifestyle and health such as Nutrition, Yoga, Fitness, and mental health. It also offers various courses in the disciplines of Science, Information Technology, mathematics, humanities (psychology, media, sociology, law, economics, history, politics, etc) business, management sciences, and language. 

About 1500 of these courses can be accessed for free in over nine different languages. Alison Courses also come with certificates that are widely recognized in most parts of the world. 

 

Edx.com

 

Edx.com is a venture of the Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As you can expect from the brainchild of such prestigious institutes, Edx offers online courses with certificates from thousands of highly qualified instructors in various fields. The courses also include university-level courses that are highly advanced. 

These courses are in the form of weekly learning sequences. This weekly coursework includes a combination of short videos, Presentations, notes, and assignments. The platform also offers certification upon the successful completion of most courses. If you don’t want to enroll in a course that doesn’t offer a certificate, make sure you check the specifics before you enroll. The verified courses come with a final assessment that requires you to pay a small fee. You can find out more information at www.edx.org

 

Google Analytics Academy 

 

We believe that the all-powerful search engine Google doesn’t need an introduction. The organization, which is only growing every day, has recently introduced verified courses and training programs with minimal fees. The Google Analytics Courses allows you to enhance your skills set with numerous online courses with certificates that are taught by field experts. It is a hub of data analysis courses that can be taken by beginners or advanced students. The bonus is that Google synchronizes all the events in your calendar. You can put the other google apps such as Drive to better use too. The courses also come with a very strong Google Certification that is recognized all over the world.  

We must warn you, however, that these courses are certainly not the easiest ones out there. But with determination and hard work, it would give you a bunch of analytical skills that would prove very useful in your work. 

 

LinkedIn Learning

 

LinkedIn is a formal socializing platform for business colleagues. Unlike Facebook, it is very professional and allows you to connect with people from your industry and build connections. 

Recently, LinkedIn has come forward with a variety of courses to help individuals strengthen their resume and improve their skills in various areas of business and IT development. 

The coursework again is in the form of videos in which the field experts deliver the concepts effectively. The courses are kept short and professional, which you could already guess as the courses are related to business and management. 

Unfortunately, LinkedIn Learning doesn’t offer much in the humanities, health, or science departments. So, if those are your preferred disciplines, you may want to check out other platforms such as Coursera or Udemy. 

Most of the LinkedIn Learning courses are paid, but they come with a highly respected certification that significantly adds to your overall resume. So, in retrospect, they are still a good opportunity for you to improve your job-related skills on a budget. 

 

British Council Online courses

 

The British Council is an organization by Cambridge University London that is responsible for many international exams that take place all over the world. These exams include the Ordinary and Advanced Level exams, IELTS, and GCSE. 

The organization has expanded and introduced courses for students all over the world. As of now, there are very limited courses in the British Council Online Courses on their official website. But you may find some of their offered courses on other platforms mentioned in this article such as Future Learn and Coursera. 

 

Oxford Home Study Centre 

 

The world-renown center of higher education has come forward with its amalgamation of online courses. Most of these courses are already available on Coursera but you can access them from the Oxford Home Study center as well.

There are free online courses with certificates in business management, risk management, human resources, project management, and cybersecurity courses. The courses are arranged in terms of levels. The program offers a diploma (level 4) precedent by the certificate (level 3), level 2, and level 1 courses as well. The level 1 courses are very much suitable for beginners. So, you can choose according to your level of expertise. There are also courses in fashion designing, hotel management, diet and nutrition, public relations, psychology, wedding planning, travel, and tourism, etc. 

 

The plethora of courses can be accessed from anyone, anywhere in the world. The bonus is that all these courses are taught by field experts and highly trained professionals, so you get the best experience possible. However, one possible drawback of these amazing courses is that they are not free; the level 4 courses may be as high as £310. But don’t fret over the course fee as you can split it into 12 installments over the course of one year. So, consider dividing the fee over the entire duration of the course. That compared with the fact that you are getting a well-respected certificate from a prestigious institute such as Oxford, makes up for the fee. 

 

If you complete the coursework and go through all the course contents, you should be able to secure a much better job in the future due to the brand-new skills you would have acquired. 

 

Which of the online courses with certification satisfies your needs and demand?