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Online Options

For Learning

From Home

By Dawn Williams, Senior News

tremely reasonable (and in some cases, entirely
free), and the technology is easy to use. I am current-
ly enrolled in programs offered through Coursera and
oing back to school, according to Udemy, and plan to explore others on a regular ba-
G Forbes, is changing the college de- sis. Here are a few to consider.
mographic. More adults, includ-ing those in their
50s, 60s and beyond, make up a significant per- The Open University. If you're a first-timer, start
centage of college students. Most people work here. This plat-form is especially easy to use, and the
longer than those in previous generations, and courses offered are not highly rigorous.
prepar-ing for an encore or higher-paying career
move offsets the cost. For others, finishing their de- EdX.org: Partnering with major universities as well
gree took a back seat when babies and mort-gages as leading businesses, EdX offers courses, certificate
took over their world, and earning the credentials programs, and even master's degrees online, Cours-
they worked hard to attain can once again become es include art and culture, business, communication,
a priority later in life. And still other seek higher edu- computer science, engineering, education, medicine,
cation for the pure love of learning. social sciences and more. This platform is geared pri-
marily toward those who want to attain skills and cer-
Other older learners are less interested in earning tifications that fill a need in the workplace, but anyone
a degree than acquiring knowledge, again for the is welcome to take courses for their own edification.
pure love of learning. Continuing education and life-
long learning programs at local colleges, classes Coursera.org: This platform's mission is to allow
offered through park districts and libraries, and learners from all walks of life to gain knowledge in
community groups dedicated to specific topics, are areas of interest. Instructors from some of the world's
all good sources for learning. best uni-versities teach these self-paced courses,
many of which are free. Coursera offers a forum in
For the tech savvy senior, a powerful option now which students can hold cyber discussions and re-
exists. Massive Open Online Courses, referred to view each other's assignments. Certificates are
as MOOCs, are courses offered via online plat- granted for course completion. For a reasonably
forms, providing education through a combination of monthly fee, you can study to earn specialization cer-
lec-tures, videos, and/or reading material. This tificates, and accredited master's degrees can be
teaching model is grow-ing massively (no pun earned in a limited number of subjects.
·intended), and originators of these courses include
individuals educated in the area of study, as well as Udemy.com has served over 40 million students
courses from some of the most esteemed learning worldwide, offering personal and professional devel-
institutions around the world. Last year, MOOCs opment courses across a wide range of price points.
served 100 million students worldwide who enrolled I've purchased classes as diverse as mastering
in more than 11,000 courses from 900 universities. WordPress, social media marketing, interpersonal
communication and public speaking, and how to
The cost of MOOC usage varies depending on sing. Once you sign up at Udemy, you'll receive peri-
the platform. In my experience, the costs are ex- (Continued on page 10)

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