Saturday, February 01, 2014

Lifelong Learning: Free Resources

I'd posted previously from this link about How and Why to Become a Lifelong Learner, and it's certainly worth reading the whole article. But I'm posting the link again, because at the end of the article is a list of resources, that I'll certainly be checking out. And I wanted to put an excerpt of the links here for quick reference:

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As I mentioned above, there are countless free sources available online. Here are a few of the best:
Coursera. Coursera works with top universities from around the world to offer classes online for free. You can take classes from a variety of disciplines including computer sciences, psychology, and Spanish.
OpenStudy. OpenStudy is a social learning network that allows you to connect with individuals with the same learning goals as you.
Khan Academy. I freaking love Khan Academy. You’ll find over 4,000 videos covering topics ranging from algebra to finance to history. My favorite part of Khan Academy, though, is math exercises. You start with basic math and work your way up to calculus in an adaptive, game-like environment. I’ve been slowly going through the exercises to freshen up on my math.
Duolingo. Free website to learn foreign languages. It’s a pretty cool set up. As you progress through the lessons, you’re simultaneously helping translate websites and other documents.
Code Academy. Learn to code for free with interactive exercises. I wish Code Academy was around when I was learning how to build AoM. It would have helped a lot.
edX. Harvard University and MIT partnered together to create interactive, free online courses. The same world-renowned professors that teach at Harvard and MIT have created the courses on edX. You can find courses for just about any subject. I’ve signed up for a class called The Ancient Greek Hero. Class started last week, but you can still sign up. Join me!
Udacity. Udacity is similar to edX and Coursera. College level classes taught online for free.
CreativeLive. I discovered CreativeLive a few weeks ago. It’s an interesting concept. You can watch the live stream of the course being taught for free, but if you want to view the course later and at your own pace you have to pay for it. The courses focus on more creative and business subjects like videography and online marketing. I’ve sat in on a few of the free courses and was impressed with the curriculum.
TED. TED compiles speeches and lectures not only by professors but interesting people from many different walks of life. TED talks are lighter than academic lectures, often quite funny, and concentrate on interesting ideas and concepts. And most are 20 minutes or less, so they’re great for those with a short attention span.
iTunes U. Download thousands of free podcast lectures taught by the best professors from around the world and learn while in your car.
YouTube EDU. Instead of watching a bunch of auto-tuned cats, enrich your mind by browsing through YouTube EDU. They have thousands of videos that cover a variety of topics.
For more ideas on free learning resources, check out this post: How to Become a Renaissance Man Without Spending a Dime.

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Also see:

No Excuse List
"The best place on the web to learn anything, free." It has many links to a wide variety of topics.

   

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