16+ Places to Find Free Online Courses

Classes From Major Universities and Learning Organizations

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are becoming increasingly popular. High school seniors can sample college-level classes in their field of interest before committing to a major. Students can also supplement their learning with these online courses. Professional workers may use MOOCs to enhance their current skill sets in preparation for promotions or career changes. Some online programs even qualify for continuing education credits.

Quality programs cover the topic completely with an engaging and interactive presentation. You shouldn't feel tortured while you sit through videos, participate in message forums, and complete homework assignments. They are also backed by credible sources and organizations such as universities so that you can be confident you're learning what you need to know.

Academic Earth
Academic Earth offers a directory of courses by universities around the world, including Carnegie Mellon University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, MIT, Standford University, University of California, University of Cambridge, University of Notre Dame and Yale University. It links out to more than 750 courses in categories like design, business, computer science, engineering, humanities, health care, science and social science. Some classes require online and live classroom participation for completion. Follow the class links to visit the provider's website for more information. Academic Earth also provides single-video lessons in its Video Electives directory that cover topics like "Psychology of an Internet Troll" and "The Economic Cost of Obesity." You can watch these short 2- to 5-minute videos right on the Academic Earth site.

Alison
While Alison offers more than 600 free courses, they are text-based. That means that people who learn through reading can benefit from its business, finance, health, personal development, information technology and language courses. Those who need those audio-visual cues to reinforce learning will probably want to try a different learning site. You can, however, view short video introductions of classes on Alison's YouTube Channel . Classes are standards-based and certified, according to its website. Many of the courses offered on the Alison site provide a diploma or certificate for a nominal fee. You may also want to look into its paid subscription to remove the timed advertising that displays throughout courses with the free access option.

Connexions
Connexions , another text-based course site, offers collaborative course development. Anyone can author and contribute, but all content is reviewed and verified by trusted and knowledgeable contributors. Additionally, universities, museums and other institutions develop courses on the Connexions site. You can take advantage of more than 17,000 modules in just about any topic. You will even find learning geared to school-age children. Modules provide information about related textbooks, similar courses and a reference list for further study. Study via the Internet or download materials for offline learning in PDF or EPUB formats.

Coursera
Coursera offers multi-week asynchronous programs that appeal to auditory/visual learners as well as readers. Its multimedia content includes links to additional resources, quizzes, and other tools to assist in learning reinforcement and retention. Each course offers a week-by-week schedule of video and reading; sometimes quizzes and discussion forum participation. If you hope to gain a certificate from the program, you'll have to meet all deadlines, however you can view the content at your own pace to learn without credit. Materials are also available for some time after the course completes.

Providers include major universities such as Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Amsterdam, Princeton University, and The University of British Columbia. Contributors also include American Museum of Natural History, Commonwealth Education Trust, and New Teacher Center among other organizations. Courses are offered in about 12 languages and cover many different topic areas. Interact with the instructor and other students through the course wiki and forums and, sometimes, local meetups.

edX
edX also offers courses from big university names such as MIT, Harvard University, University of California, IIT Bombay, The University of Queensland and Caltech. Like Coursera, you can obtain certificates by completing courses by deadlines. Some certificates are free, but there is a fee for certificates issued with identification verification, which may be required for credit by some schools or employers. Some schools also offer XSeries certificates for successful completion of a series of courses. Courses include multimedia presentations, homework assignments, interactive exercises and quizzes, and discussion forums. Subjects range from communications to mathematics, computer science, history and literature.

GCF Learn Free
Learn all about blogging or developing your personal financial budget at GCF Learn Free . Goodwill Community Foundation runs this free learning site where you can use more than 1,000 learning tools covering more than 90 topics. If you prefer to learn on the go, GCF Learn Free offers free mobile apps for Apple and Android devices including Microsoft Publisher, Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. As you may guess by the free app offering, GCF Learn Free offers classes for the Microsoft Office Suite in addition to computer basics, career planning and development, everyday life, social media and personal money management. Some classes are text-based and others are video or interactive content. You can often take advantage of linked tools and resources to supplement your learning.

iversity
Although a company based in Berlin, Germany, runs iversity , this site offers quality courses in both German and English. Multimedia courses are organized into week-by-week sets of videos and resources created by qualified professors and universities. Subjects include science, design, philosophy, social studies and engineering. Each video engages learners with with real people, fun graphics and music in just the right places. Discussion boards, quizzes, assignments, linked references and attachments, supplemental videos and other components help reinforce learning and enhance understanding.

Khan Academy
Khan Academy caters to students in grades kindergarten through 12, but can be a valuable resource for anyone interested in learning mathematics, science, history, economics, computer programming and other topics. This resource provides guided learning through "missions" for testing mathematics and other skills right from its engaging Dashboard. Students can also browse lessons by topic and grade level.

Lesson gamification makes learning fun and provides badges for completing sections and challenges. Learning can also be interactive through the online community, coaching and programs. Teachers, tutors and mentors can become coaches for their students to assist and monitor progress. Graphic reporting can provide valuable information about where you need to focus your learning.

My Course Room
My Course Room offers professional and personal learning topics including relationship management, project management, leadership development, childcare training, stress management, work-life balance, aging gracefully and coping with loss. Course lengths vary from 5 to 25 hours, and some offer accreditations and certifications. Train at your pace on your own time. There are no scheduled start or end dates. My Course Room also provides a subscription-based transcript that outlines your completed courses with links to any certifications you earn. This site presents courses in text and multimedia formats with some quizzes and other interactions.

NovoEd
NovoEd offers both free and paid courses in professional topics for developing business and leadership skills. Providers include Standford University, +Acumen, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Kauffman Fellows Academy, and Strategic Decisions Group. These courses are scheduled, however, and, in some cases, you must begin the course within two weeks of its start date or wait until its next offering. Content is provided in multimedia presentations with captioning and a viewable transcript. Audit the course at your own pace or complete all course requirements for a certificate of accomplishment.

Open2Study
Open2Study offers free courses in education, science and technology, marketing, business, finance, health and humanities. You won't be able to start most courses until the scheduled start date, but some courses are always open for self-paced learning. Content is video based, with links to additional reading and study materials. They even provide video responses to quiz questions, which makes Open2Study classes a great resource for visual learners. For others, the transcript enables you to read along or skip to specific content in the video. Courses include a searchable classroom forum and you earn badges for completing tasks. Open2Study also provides free certificates of achievement for completing courses.

Udacity
Udacity offers classes in categories such as business, computer science, design, mathematics and science. Browse courses by beginner, intermediate and advanced skill level. You can begin courses at any time for self-paced learning. Classes are always available. Udacity presents content in short videos that automatically roll from one to the next with a timeline that allows you to skip to specific topics. There may be interactive quizzes and exercises throughout program that require participation before you can move forward. Course wikis and forums offer community and social learning opportunities.

Open Education Database
The Open Education Database allows you to browse courses by subject, including Arts, Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Science. The database includes more than 10,000 free online classes from providers that include Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Kaplan University, and Johns Hopkins University. It also catalogs courses from some of these other sites, as well, such as Alison and Khan Academy. You can find free courses related to degrees and certificates, along with information about accredited online degrees. Courses are links to provider websites, therefore content formats vary by provider.

Some Additional Databases and Lists

• MOOC List provides one-stop shopping for courses available on most of our referenced MOOC sites above, including edX, Open2Study, Coursera, NovoEd and iversity. Additional providers include Canvas.net, uneOpen, and individual universities and organizations from around the globe. Search its database or browse by category, provider, country, instructor, language or certificate type.
  

• Open Culture offers a listings of certificate courses by availability date, free online classes from top universities by category and topic, free textbooks available for download, and other lists such as movies, ebooks, language lessons, business courses, kids education, science videos and intelligent video sites.
  
• Class Central is similar to MOOC List as it provides links to courses offered by many providers mentioned in this article including Coursera, edX, etc. These lists display in table format, allowing you to sort columns by Course Name, Instructor(s), Subject, Start Date, Length or Initiative (provider). You can also search the database.
  
• CourseTalk can filter courses by subject, tags, university, start date, workload, start type (starting soon, just started, in session, future); top rated, popular and upcoming tabs. It also provides learner reviews of courses.
  

 

Best Facial Cleanser and Lotion ... And It's Homemade

The Need
I, a 36-year-old woman, have never grown out of the acne-prone skin I developed in high school. It's not as bad as it was back then, but I still have monthly breakouts that sometimes include very painful pimples across all layers of my skin. During the past two decades, I have experimented with every acne product in the drugstore: the cleansers, the scrubs, the lotions, the creams, the vitamins, the sponges, the soaps and the masks. I have tried multiple brands of each of these products, as well. In college, I even tried that expensive monthly club that charged $40 a month for a little bottle of cleanser and astringent that I could barely stretch over the 30 days. It didn't help, anyway.

So, here I am, with acne that isn't quite that bad, but skin that still breaks out and, worse, has pitted scars to remind me of the skin that plagued me in my teens and early 20s. My adequate drug-store skin regimen included a Buff Puff sponge with Noxema to exfoliate, wash with antibacterial Dial soap, and then moisturize with Cetaphil lotion. But I still wasn't happy with my skin.

The Recipes
I use two 2-ounce baby food jars: one for my face cleanser and the other for my homemade moisturizer. The cleanser lasts me about two weeks washing morning and night, and the lotion lasts for weeks. There is at least one night per week, however, that skip my cleanser and go straight for a pure baking soda scrub for a microdermabrasion effect. A regimen of one microdermabrasion a week is helping reduce the appearance of my pitted acne scars. After two months, people have started to notice that my skin is smoother and more even without any prodding from me whatsoever.

Face Cleanser
3 Tbsp ground oatmeal (not instant)
3 Tbsp baking soda
3 Tbsp of honey
3 Tbsp of water

1. Ground up your oatmeal in a blender. I have another container I use to store the unused portion so that, when it's time to make a new batch, my oatmeal is ready to go.
   
2. Add the oatmeal and the baking soda to the baby food jar.
   
3. Next, add the water. Put the lid on the jar and shake it vigorously. This helps shrink the mixture down and thin it out enough to mix it with the honey.
   
4. Add the honey to the jar and shake again. Really shake it so that all of the ingredients mix together well. The solution will likely be thin at first, but will thicken overnight as the oatmeal absorbs the water and honey.
   
5. When it's time to use the cleanser, you may need to reshake the jar or stir it with your finger first. The thinner the mixture is, the more the ingredients will separate with the heavier baking soda settling on the bottom.
   

Understanding that this recipe is the one that has been working wonders on my skin, you may require a slight adjustment. For example, one of the recipes I tried included a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil. This reduced the abrasion of the baking soda and thickened the solution into a paste-like texture. If you find that my recipe is too harsh for your skin, consider reducing the baking soda to 2 tablespoons and add a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil.

Moisturizing Lotion
2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil
.5 Tbsp of honey
.5 Tbsp of water

Put everything in a jar and, if your coconut oil is soft enough, just shake the jar until everything is mixed; if not, use your finger to mix it together. It should be creamy when you're done, with a slight brown tint. For your morning moisturizing, use a small amount on the tip of your finger. A little bit of this lotion goes a long way. If you do a pure baking soda scrub at night, use a bit more and really coat your skin to protect it.

Since this lotion is oil-based, be aware that its texture is dependent upon the temperature in the room. If it gets too warm, it will liquify; if it gets too cold, it will be harder. Additionally, keep the lotion in an air-tight jar. The honey in it will crystallize if you leave the lid off. If this happens, simply put some on your finger, run it under water and rub your hands together to smooth it back out.

Pure Baking Soda Scrub
If you have scars that you want to treat, one or two nights per week, wet your face, add about half a tablespoon of baking soda to a damp washcloth, and massage it over your face for about a minute. Thoroughly rinse and put a generous amount of coconut oil over your skin to protect it overnight.

The Research
How did I come to these recipes? Well, first I spent some time researching homemade facial scrubs. I came across a lot of recipes online. Some mixed different combinations of these ingredients with oils, vinegar toners, citrus juices, and other household and food products. As I researched those products, I found that the four ingredients in this recipe had all the properties I needed in a skin-care regimen.

After selecting my ingredients, I experimented with different combinations until I found a texture that gave me that clean-skin feeling without being too abrasive, and there were a few days where I scrubbed off a bit too much skin. It's hard not to get a little zealous about a new scrub, but do start slow or you can do more harm than good, even with these all-natural, homemade recipes.

Let me share a summary of this research with you, including some cautions about using baking soda recipes on your skin as it can affect the pH of your skin.

• Oatmeal is not only a gentle exfoliant, it helps reduce swelling, dryness and itching in skin. Its starches, beta-glucan, saponins and phenols have been shown to not only help problem skin heal, but actually buffer and clean skin.
  
• Honey is both antiseptic and provides a layer of protection for wounds. It is also a natural preservative for your homemade recipes. It's also a great way to lighten scars, moisturize skin and treat eczema.
  
• Baking soda is an abrasive that exfoliates the skin. In addition to whitening teeth, baking soda can provide various levels of skin cleansing from light exfoliation to a microdermabrasion-like treatment.
  
• Unrefined coconut oil is a great natural moisturizer for hair and skin. Various studies suggest that coconut oil is effective at treating some skin conditions and conditioning hair. Remember, a little bit goes a long way.
  

Balancing the pH
In my research, I encountered some who caution against using baking soda on your skin. After all, some use this chemical to scrub their sinks and toilets. The main objection is that our skin has a natural acidic top layer, or an acid mantel, that protects us from bacteria. Scrubbing this layer away can cause worse breakouts, and do that is especially easy with baking soda, which is a base. The above recipes and skin care regimen works to keep your skin's pH at the right level and maintain a protective layer at all times.

If you find that you're breaking out too much, reduce how vigorously you scrub. I noticed, in the first couple weeks, that I was breaking out after doing my microdermabrasion treatments with baking soda. Of course, I was doing it two consecutive nights. When I cut that down to one night a week, I stopped breaking out. Your skin is unique so you'll need to use a little trial and error to find the right regimen for you, but err on the side of caution.

• Oatmeal pH is about 5.5 (weak acid) - about the same as black coffee or urine
  
• Honey has an average pH of about 3.9 (moderate acid) - about the same as tomato juice and acid rain
  
• Baking soda has a pH of about 9 (weak alkaline)
  
• Water is neutral
  

Using only the oatmeal and baking soda with water would create a slightly acidic, but close to neutral solution. Adding a bit of honey tips the scale toward the acidic side, which helps fend off bacteria and match the natural pH of your skin, which is about 4.5 to 5.