Intended Audience: Everybody
Last Update: 2017-08-17
Utility: Opinion

Introduction

Knowledge will set you free. Information will set you free. Education will set you free. These will set you free in the broadest sense of freedom. Freedom from fear and freedom from poverty. With your freedom from fear comes confidence to do whatever you choose.
If you believe that certain things are beyond your achievement you have created that belief. You can just as easily create a belief that you can achieve anything you choose.
[Ronnie Jerome Dufeal]

"Learn something new, get trained!" may be the best advice that can be given to any person who wants a better life.

The Internet has made information available on an entirely new level. I appreciate resources like Wikipedia or Stackoverflow for finding quick answers, but I think systematic training that lays a solid foundation is necessary for lasting success.

In this article I am presenting the best online resources for courses that I know of. Even top universities like Stanford offer lectures for free to anybody. Many of the sites will issue a certificate upon successful course completion, a nice acknowledgment.

Some sites are also a public platform for teachers, so you can make money by passing on your knowledge.

The websites below are simply ordered by their popularity (mid 2017).

I am looking forward to comments and additions. Especially if you know of good websites for courses in other languages.

Start using these resources today for a happier life!

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/

Highlights

• huge content
• free
• multilingual
• platform for publishing

Limitations

• just video/audio, no direct support for interactive exercises, tests, downloadable text, etc.
• no advanced navigation within a course
• no certificates
• making money by publishing a course is hard (try funny cat videos instead)
• brilliant work like these fantastic introductions into computer science and cryptography (by "Art of the Problem") may not appear among the first hits in a YouTube search (other websites use categories, which makes it easier to find all relevant material)

Tips

• use the words "course" or "lectures" in addition to the subject you want to learn, e.g. professional cooking course or JavaScript lectures

Udemy - https://www.udemy.com/

Highlights

• wide variety of content, you find categories as diverse as Web Development, Music or Beauty & Makeup
• multilingual
• platform for publishing with realistic chances for teachers to make some money
• certificates
• courses can be sent as a gift to others

Limitations

• most courses are not free (but you can easily search for the ones that are)

Tips

• Udemy frequently offers massive discounts, if you can wait a few weeks it should be possible to buy most courses below 20.- US$
• apps available

MIT Open Courseware (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) - https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

Highlights

• materials from 2400 courses of one of the world's leading universities
• free, no enrollment or registration
• translated courses available (Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Persian, Turkish, Korean)
• naturally the MIT's main emphasis is on technology, but there are also lectures from departments like "Anthropology", "Global Studies and Languages", "Literature" or "Music and Theater Arts"

Limitations

• no certificates
• not all courses are audio/video (text only)
• courses may require purchase of textbooks

Tips

• various apps available

Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/

Highlights

• access to quality content of reputable universities like Stanford, Johns Hopkins, EPFL, etc.
• certificates
• there seem to be ways to earn actual university degrees through coursera

Limitations

• some content is free, but no simple way to discover it
• subscription model, 49.- USD per month (required for certificates)
• courses may require purchase of textbooks

Tips

• looks like a good place if your long-term goal is a university degree: start free/cheap, upgrade as needed

Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/

Highlights

• good entry level material, starts as early as kindergarten (but definitely useful for every age!)
• free
• individual help by coaches
• test preparations (SAT, MCAT, NCLEX-RN, GMAT, cAHSEE, IIT JEE)

Limitations

• no certificates (badges instead)
• navigation capabilities within a video limited (YouTube), but navigation by course section possible

Tips

• apps for Android and iOS available

Stanford - https://lagunita.stanford.edu/

Highlights

• high level courses of one of the world's most famous universities
• free access to a lot of material

Limitations

• courses may require purchase of textbooks
• Stanford's offerings are diverse, from free courses to paid post-graduate (bachelor's degree is prerequisite), may take some searching around (see alternative links under tips)

Tips

• absolutely brilliant course "How to Learn Math: For Students"
• alternative link Overview of all courses
• alternative link Stanford ONLINE
• alternative link Center for Professional Development

Lynda.com - https://www.lynda.com/

Highlights

• wide selection of courses, cleanly organized by subject
• certificates

Limitations

• subscription based (I don't see a way to buy a specific course)

Tips

• 30 days free trial available

Udacity https://www.udacity.com/

Highlights

• good IT courses, with support from industry leaders (Google, Amazon, IBM, etc.)
• free content available
• paid Nanodegrees probably useful in CVs

Limitations

• only small choice of non-tech courses
• navigation capabilities within a video limited (YouTube), but navigation by course section possible

Tips

• try the selection criteria on the left on this page, e.g. "Free Courses", "Beginner"

Open Yale Courses http://oyc.yale.edu/

Highlights

• interesting selection of non-tech courses (also some science courses)
• free

Limitations

• fewer courses than other sites
• no certificates

Tips

• registration is not required

Other Resources

• edX, a portal to the courses of various universities like Harvard, Berkely, MIT, etc.
• Skillshare, subscription based model
• Open Education Consortium, portal for searching university courses
• Learn.org, access to free video lectures from top colleges and universities
• OPEN CULTURE, 1,250 free online courses from top universities
• 100 Amazing How-To Sites to Teach Yourself Anything
• and much more through Google search ...