The last couple of years has emphasized to everyone, that there are so many fantastic and exciting learning opportunities available to us at our fingertips. Online learning, although not new by any measure, has taken on a much more prominent position on the learning ladder due to the global pandemic that kept young and old out of regular classrooms and away from their educational institutions. Remote or distance learning was often looked down upon by those in traditional institutions and was often relegated to serving those on the fringes of mainstream society, such as travelers, homeschoolers, people in remote communities, and those who just didn’t “fit in.”
Due to the worldwide pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and restrictions times, however, have changed, and not only have the mainstream students survived the shift to remote learning, but many have actually discovered that learning from home, (homestay, hotel lobby, balcony, beach, mountainside, or anywhere with decent wifi) has great benefits and has become their preferred mode of acquiring academic knowledge.
Although remote learning has been around in many forms for years, it is only now that schools, colleges, and universities and the online education business have really started to change their thinking and look at ways to cash in on the new possibilities.
The point of this post is not to promote the benefits of remote learning over in-person learning or vice versa but rather I want to just point out some of the many, many, many online learning possibilities that are easily accessible for all. Some learnings will be free while others will require a fee and depending on what it is that you are looking for, I am sure there will be something that will meet your needs.
Please note that I am only “listing” some possibilities below that I have used, and others have recommended, and I take no responsibility for any issues you might face if you sign up for something that does not meet your expectations. As always, caveat emptor!
Some online possibilities to explore
- Alison
- Apex Learning
- Brigham Young University Independent Study
- Connections Academy
- Courseleap
- Coursera
- Domestika
- edX
- Excel High School
- Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science
- Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
- K12 Online High School
- Keystone School
- Khan Academy
- MOOC
- North Dakota Centre for Distance Education
- Online learning search tool
- Stanford University’s Education Program for Gifted Youth
- Udemy
- University of California College Prep
- The University of Texas at Austin: K-16 Education Centre
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Independent Study High School
- University of Missouri High School
- Virtual High School