50 Top Sources Of Free eLearning Courses 09/26/2012, TeachThought Staff, 79 Comments

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Whether you are looking for a master’s degree program, computer science classes, a K-12

curriculum, or GED study program, this list gives you a look at 50 websites that promise

education for free.

From databases that organize over 1,000,000 students throughout 16 universities, to a small

library of documents for those interested in history, the opportunities for free online learning

continue to expand as the Internet becomes a crucial component in education.

1. UMass Boston Open Courseware

The UMass courseware offers a broad range of classes in areas like psychology, biology, early

education, political science, history, mathematics, and others. Each department has a separate

page listing the classes available. Along the side, you are given your syllabus, assignments, a

professor bio, and recommended reading.

There are no slides, videos, or lecture notes, which makes this open courseware inferior to other

universities that offer extensive resources.

2. Khan Academy

This website has a variety of video lessons for free. The course subjects are broken down into

particular lessons, which is great for students who are looking to learn one principle without

taking an entire course. For example, the biology subject has separate videos for evolution,

photosynthesis, genetics, and others.

If you prefer reading to watching, this site may not be for you as the lessons are all video based.

3. MIT Open Courseware

For those looking for courses that will test even the brightest student, MIT is sure not to

disappoint. You can download all the course material, which is nearly identical to the course

taught at MIT (it even gives you the year and semester it was taught). Since it is an on-demand

course, you don’t have any ability to connect with others who are taking it. It is simply an

independent study for you to study on your own.

4. Free-Ed

This site is a bit difficult to navigate, as it is not as well designed as other open courseware

websites. Similar to most databases, you search through the subjects and categories until you find

the class you want to take. One advantage to Free-ed? When you find a class you like, there is

the option to click on networking. It will notify you if there are Facebook groups or other online

groups you can join that have individuals taking the course you are interested in.

5. Learning Space: The Open University

This website offers downloadable coursework in lots of different categories like youth and

children, languages, business, engineering, and others. When you look through the coursework,

you can view them according to rating. Other users can rate the class, which may help you in

deciding what course to take. The main page does warn that there is a new site design coming in

the fall of 2012, so there may be changes soon.

6. Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative

This website is well designed with ample content to explain how Carnegie Mellon’s OLI works.

Unfortunately, you cannot view the course without creating an account. The tagline right above

the courses says, “No instructor, no credits, no charge.” Like so many other free courseware, it is

an individual study.

7. Tufts Open Courseware

Tufts makes it clear from the start that their courses are not the same as the ones taught in the

classroom. It is up to the professor’s discretion what is posted for free and common use. You

don’t need a login ID to view the material, and the professors’ lectures are available as slides.

Since there is not any more explanation beyond the slides, it may require you to dig deeper in

your own research to understand the whole lecture.

8. Stanford on iTunes U

Stanford on iTunes U gives you two options. You can either subscribe to the updated video

lectures, or simply download the one you’d like to watch. In order to participate in this course,

you do need to have an iTunes account and software.

9. Utah State Open Courseware

These courses are easy to access and find with quick browsing. Each class lecture is offered as an

MP3 file with an html document that outlines the assignment. This is a bare bones program, as

the assignments are simply exams to test your knowledge of the material.

10. Kutztown On-Demand Online Learning

The Kutztown On-Demand program is focused mainly on business. You must fill out a brief

survey before you can access the course, but the material is organized nicely, with small video

clips for each topic. You can stop and start as you need to since it is broken down into small

pieces. Aside from the slides, there aren’t any other materials to test your acquisition of

knowledge.

11. USQ Australia Open Courseware

USQ’s courseware is limited with only ten different courses offered, mostly in technology. The

modules are laid out right online with lecture notes and testing assignments. Unfortunately, there

is no way to network with any other students enrolled in the courses.

12. University of California Irvine Courseware

The Irvine Courseware offers a variety of classes in different subjects. Unlike other open

courseware programs, Irvine does offer a link to information about getting academic credit for

some of the courses offered. All the information for the course automatically downloads as a

Word documents when you click on the links.

13. EdX

This website offers an array of courses from different universities. The main difference between

EdX and other online courses is that the class is a specific length and duration. When you sign

up, you are committing to the class time and assignments. You can register for classes offered by

Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, and other prestigious schools. If you are looking for a class you can do

on your own time, this isn’t the website for you. The classes here are similar to paid online

learning classes.

14. Coursera

This is one of the largest website databases for University open courseware. Like EdX, these

courses are at a set time (usually lasting for 10-14 weeks). You can access classes from 16

different Universities’ including Princeton, Duke, Stanford, and CalTech. With over 1,000,000

users, Coursera has established itself as the central “go-to” website for free online University

learning.

15. Udemy

Udemy is an online institution that offers courses taught by leading experts. You can choose

from classes on developing products for Facebook, SQL databases, Photoshop, Music Theory,

Business, and many others. Udemy also allows everyday experts to create their own class, so you

will have to be selective about the courses you want to take as anyone can create a course. There

is a bio about each instructor, along with an Amazon-like review area for users to rate the course

and give their opinions about the class work.

16. Connections Academy

Connections Academy is a free online K-12 curriculum for homeschoolers and other children in

non-traditional classroom settings. This academy relies heavily on parent involvement with a

stated, 96% satisfaction percentage. Each lesson has an overview, a lesson, review, and

assessment. There are tools, textbooks, and other resources to bolster the student’s educational

experience.

17. K-12

This free online K-12 curriculum is offered by state. Currently, only 33 states offer the program.

If your state participates, a list will come up of academies that your student can enroll in. K-12 is

a network of schools offering education. It is not an independent curriculum developer. There are

also private schools that network with K-12, but there are tuition costs.

18. GED for Free

GED for Free is a basic online course offered to students who have not been able to complete

high school and need to get their GED. You simply fill out a student profile and begin studying.

This site is only designed to teach the students the concepts that will be tested on the GED exam.

There are no advanced courses or enrichment activities.

19. Free World U

This is a free online k-12 learning system that specializes in flashcards as a way to test the

acquisition of skills. The school is free but if you want an accredited program, which comes with

tests, certificates, etc., you will need to pay a monthly fee. Without registering, you aren’t able to

see much about their curriculum, so it is a bit difficult to navigate.

20. CosmoLearning

This website is a database, listing classes by topic. For each class, there is a sidebar that tells you

what school offers it, how many students took it, and the instructor. Unfortunately, the class

material only comes in a video lecture format. There are no assignments or other materials.

21. OpenCulture

OpenCulture has compiled a list of University free courses. In their list, they identify what form

the lecture comes in (iTunes, Web video, YouTube, etc.). In addition to course listings, they also

offer lists of free audio books, free textbooks, and free language lessons. This site does not offer

its own curriculum, but rather it compiles resources for easy navigating.

22. New York University

This site is a bare bones archiving of math courses offered by New York University. When you

click on a class you like, it takes you to a list of files that are available as PDF documents.

Perhaps the material is interesting, but the packaging is not done very well.

23. Open Yale Courses

Open Yale courses offers a great website that is easy to navigate and comprehensive. There are a

variety of subjects offered, which can either be downloaded as a zip file, or viewed online. Each

lecture has a video (which was recorded during the actual course on campus), plus a transcript

and a PDF of slides used during the presentation.

Along the side, the video is broken into lecture chapters, so if you can’t finish the whole thing in

one sitting, you can come back to it later. There is no need to sign up or create an ID. Yale has

made it easy to take their courses.

24. Gresham College

Gresham College offers lectures for students in different topics. You can watch or listen to past

lectures, or attend upcoming lectures. This college is in the UK, so if you are interested in a

lecture, you’ll have to wait until it is posted online to view.

25. Notre Dame Open Courseware

Notre Dame has an extensive list of open courses available on their site. They are listed with

small buttons next to each title, signifying what the course consists of (syllabus, assignments,

video, exams, etc.). When you enter the course, a left hand menu bar helps you to navigate

through all the different aspects of the course. There are required readings, which may force you

to buy textbooks. Overall, it is a highly organized site and easy to navigate.

26. JHSPHOpen

The JHSPH open courses are comprehensive. Choose from the list of available topics, and view

the materials in a clean and streamlined format. Each lecture comes with slides and an MP3 for

download. The classes have a calendar, recommended reading this, syllabus, and a final exam.

They also have a place for you to email and give your comments.

27. Open UW

This website is a small initiative offered by the University of Washington. It has a list of ten

courses, none of which can be accessed without filling out a lengthy profile and sign up. There

are other universities who take more pride in their open courseware experience than UW.

28. Udacity

Udacity is a digital university that specializes in computer science courses. The web layout is

extremely easy to navigate. You are given five-minute video lectures with quizzes and

assignments. There are no textbooks required, and everything is free. In addition to the class,

Udacity offers an online forum where students can collaborate together, study, and work in

groups.

They can arrange for you to take a proctored exam to gain credit at participating universities.

They even offer to hand your resume to partnering companies. This institution is about helping

the student succeed on all levels!

29. University of the People

University of the People is a private online tuition free university. You apply just like you would

for a traditional institution, and they currently offer an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in

computer science and business administration. They are currently seeking accreditation from the

US. Department of Education.

This university works like a traditional online distance learning degree program, where you sign

up for classes, interact with other students, professors, and complete assignments. It is a great

option for those who want a college education experience but don’t have the money to do it.

30. Academic Earth

Academic Earth is a website that helps students find a degree program of their choice. They do

offer free lectures, but that is not their main focus. Instead, it is geared towards matching

students with the right online degree program.

31. Textbook Revolution

The Textbook Revolution is a site run by students who want to improve the exchange of free

information. There are textbook exchanges, plus lists of online resources and free course

offerings. This is a grassroots based organization- having been developed by students for

students. This is a great site to use as a resource.

32. The Library of Congress Files

While this is not an online education site, the government has created a library of files pertaining

to America’s history, literature, towns and cities, technology, war, and other important topics.

These files are free to access and read, and can bolster a student interested in the social sciences.

33. Alison

Alison is free online education institution that offers lectures, videos, and class materials in

various different topics like nursing and education. In order to enter the course, you must first

sign up. Each course has a summary page, which outlines the materials provided, the instructor, a

syllabus, and the amount of time it will take to accomplish. The site itself isn’t as easy to

navigate as some of the others.

34. Webcast Berkeley

Webcast Berkeley has a very simple model. You simply watch a recording of the class that a

professor taught on campus. There are no sign in ID’s, assignments, or other resources. It is

simply something you watch and absorb. Some of the classes only offer audio lectures. If you are

looking for a bit more structure, this school isn’t for you.

35. GCF LearnFree

This website advertises free courses, lessons, and apps. Rather than getting a degree, the classes

are tailored to a specific skill like, “Learn Microsoft Word.” The layout is a bit complicated, so it

will take some patience to navigate the pages to find what you want.

36. Google Code University

Google Code University offers computer science courses for those interested in coding and

languages. You click on the course you’d like to take, and all the materials, videos, and lessons

are along the side bar. There is no option to interact with others, so it is essentially an

independent study.

37. e-Learning Center

The e-Learning Center offers a modest selection of courses in customer service, software, and

computer science. In order to access the course, you must first sign up. This limits a viewer’s

ability to see what is offered without first making a commitment.

38. Saylor

Saylor University is an advanced learning site, offering degree programs in a wide variety of

disciplines. Once completed, you will receive a certificate (though the school is currently not

accredited). Saylor promises that your knowledge and education will be equivalent to a

traditional college education. The website is easy to navigate and understand and a great choice

if you are interested in the material.

39. Master Class Management

Master Class Management is a website designed solely for those students interested in a business

degree. You receive a certificate at the end of each class. Unfortunately, it seems this site is more

excited about receiving money through advertising, as the Google Ads are strategically placed

right above the “next” button. For someone who is not tech-savvy, they may click on the ads

thinking that is the next step.

40. Brigham Young Free Online Courseware

This site offers courses not readily found at other schools. You can take a class in strengthening

marriage, family history, honesty, righteousness, and other religious type topics. In order to view

the class, you must register first.

41. University of Michigan Open

At the University of Michigan Open courseware, you can choose from a substantial variety of

topics. The information all gets downloaded to your computer, after you’ve read the synopsis.

There is no interactive component or ability to network with other students.

42. NLC Open Learning Courses

The NLC website is very basic, only offering a few classes. These classes are simply a collection

of web pages with information. There is not a lot that has been done to develop this program, so

look elsewhere first before using this website’s materials.

43. FlexiLearn

This website is part of the Indira Gandhi National Open University. Free courses are available

after you have registered, though the site does make it clear that the courses are independent, and

there is no access to a professor. However, there is an online forum attached to the website that

allows you to collaborate with your peers.

44. Nixty

This website does not offer its own curriculum, but is a networking site for teachers, students,

and institutions. You can log in with your Facebook account and use it as a resource hub for your

online learning. Unfortunately, there isn’t much else you can discover without first signing up

with an account.

45. Capilano University

The Capilano University offers a modest selection of courses for independent study. When you

enter the course, you are provided with an instructor bio, syllabus, assignments, and lecture

notes. It is a simple website, easy to navigate, and great for the motivated and independent

learner.

46. TU Delft

TU Delft offers courses at both the bachelor and master level, arranged by degree program. You

will have access to lecture notes, exams, and assignments in a broad range of topics and subjects.

It is easy to navigate, free, and requires no sign-in!

47. United Nations University

This unique university offers courses in government, economics, electronic government, and

more. Each unit is free to download, or can be viewed as a PDF file online. There aren’t many

classes offered, but the classes are very specific to those who may be interested in government or

International diplomacy.

48. Weber State University

Weber State University offers only six classes currently in automotive electronics, technology,

health, and English. Each class has the same modules as other open courseware, but the program

is small and only narrowly developed.

49. Universaid Colombia

A Spanish website for those who do not speak English. There are a wide variety of courses

offered, and the site is well laid out and organized. There is no login required. You simply click

and enter the course!

50. Kendal College

This college has been offering free distance learning classes, but it may not be this way for long.

Their courses do provide certification that is recognized in the business world. They specialize in

areas of learning, such as mental health field, beauty and fashion, performing arts, craft and

construction, and media.

As online education continues to expand, a student’s opportunities will grow as well. More and

more, traditional universities are seeing a need to reduce the cost of education and keep students

interested in their programs. Private companies are also taking the opportunity to create dynamic

programs that are free and accessible to anyone!

This is a cross-post from content partners at opencolleges