We’ve all been spending more time inside as a result of social distancing. While COVID-19 may have caused the postponement or cancellation of events and gatherings, learning a new language or taking guitar lessons can still continue thanks to the help of technology.
So take advantage of the extra time on your hands by sharpening your skills or learning something new with the help of these six online courses. The best part? They’re free for students for a limited time!
LinkedIn Learning
Source: linkedin.com
Course: Online Marketing Foundations
Level: Beginner
Length: 4 hours, 43 minutes
About:
“Learn how to promote your business effectively online and develop a targeted online marketing strategy that engages potential customers throughout the digital landscape. In this course, Brad Batesole explains today’s digital marketing techniques in simple terms, demonstrating how to build a successful online marketing campaign for all digital channels: search, video, social, email, and display.
Upon completing this foundational digital marketing course, you’ll be equipped with skills and strategies that can help you navigate today’s online landscape and develop a smart plan of action.”
Course: Project Management Foundations
Level: Beginner + Intermediate
Length: 4 hours, 43 minutes
About:
“Project management is a set of techniques that anyone can apply to achieve goals and make projects more successful. Project management can be used to guide small, simple projects as well as complex enterprise-wide initiatives. Bonnie Biafore has always been fascinated by how things work and how to make things work better. In this course, she explains the fundamentals of project management, from establishing project goals and objectives and building a project plan to managing resources and work, meeting deadlines, and closing the project. Along the way, she provides tips for communicating, holding meetings, keeping a project on track, and gaining customer acceptance. This course provides exercises for most videos based on a healthcare/IT case study project.”
Looking for tips on how to succeed in an online course? Check out this blog post containing a comprehensive guide to online learning for beginners.
Babbel
Language Courses: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Indonesian, Swedish, Dutch, Danish, Norweigian, Polish, English
Level: All levels
Length: Varies
About:
“Babbel was among the first to pioneer online language learning, creating a powerful app that combines communicative didactics, cognitivism, behaviorism and constructivism. Progressive lessons are connected together as an interlinking framework, with each step building towards the next. This guarantees learners the shortest path to real-life conversations by:
- Immersing you in a new language through real-life dialogues that get you speaking right away
- Building each course based on your native language and personal interests
- Employing proven cognitive techniques that move new vocab to your long-term memory
- Using human voices and speech recognition to get you speaking confidently
This spring, students learn free. Whether you’re in kindergarten or college, you can take three months of Babbel lessons – no purchase necessary.”
Source: babbel.com
Fender Play
Courses: Guitar, Bass, Ukulele
Level: All levels
Length: Varies
About:
“Learn to play guitar, bass, or ukulele from the comfort of your own home with online music lessons offered by Fender Play. Learn from world-class musicians through bite-sized lessons and professional-quality video. Learn to play the songs you love by practicing anytime, anywhere, on any device.”
Source: Fender.com/play
For a limited time, participants will receive three months of free lessons when they sign up for Fender Play at no cost.
Skillshare
Source: Skillshare.com
Course: Storytelling 101
Level: Beginner
Length: 40 minutes
About:
“How do you write a story that feels alive? What makes a story different from an anecdote?
Join renowned urban fantasy writer Daniel José Older for a 40-minute dive into the fundamentals of narrative storytelling.
Energetic, bite-sized lessons explore:
- The ‘4 C’s’ of storytelling: character, conflict, context, and craft
- Breaking down how each ‘C’ works in Older’s short story, Salsa Nocturna
- Tools and questions to ask yourself as you’re developing your own story
This class is for creative writers (both aspiring and established), and everyone who wants a deeper understanding of what makes a great story so captivating. You’ll leave this class armed with a tried-and-true framework for writing your own fictional short story, and inspired to put pen to paper.”
Course: Accounting Fundamentals: Understanding Financial Statements
Level: All levels
Length: 46 minutes
About:
“No matter your career path, everyone should understand the basics of business accounting. Start here with a straightforward walkthrough of the three essential financial spreadsheets: income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Key lessons include:
- Cash accounting vs accrual accounting
- Calculating topline revenue
- How to balance your statements
- Key terms and basic equations
All are welcome to this introduction to the world of accounting — Matt explains each spreadsheet in plain language, ensuring you walk away with the ability to understand essential financial information. After taking this class, you’ll be able to fully participate in any organization, no matter your role.”
If you’re looking for other free online resources, try visiting your public library’s website. They may allow you to check out ebooks, audiobooks, digital magazines, movies, music, or television using your library card.
Wondering how to find the perfect online college for you? Check out Peterson’s online college and grad school search tool at Petersons.com.
