A Learning We Will Go

As passionate as I am about writing, I am also quite passionate about learning, any learning at all, and I am always actively involved in some kind of course or another, most of them free thanks to Creative Commons and Open Learn.  You’d be surprised at what you can learn on the world wide web, and I lap as much of it up as I can.  Of course, I also spend considerable time studying books about writing but the mind needs a break from writing every now and then, and it’s time to follow a different course of study.

I recently received a Diploma in Mental Health Studies from https://alison.com/ , my favorite learning place for free courses, ranging from computer studies to languages, to health, and so many more topics.  Be forewarned however that while the courses are free, the parchments aren’t, but the courses are great quality, and purchasing the parchments, if you are so inclined, helps to keep this great resource free, and it is not necessary to purchase the parchment to study there. Parchment purchase is in Euros but can be converted to your currency.

Another fantastic resource, or resources really as there are two different ways to learn through them, neither are free but I find them reasonably priced, are http://www.thegreatcourses.com/ and https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/ both by The Teaching Company.  The Great Courses offers individual courses in Science, History, Literature, Hobbies, and even cooking.  Each Course is a series of lectures by top notch professors from top notch Universities and organizations.  The courses go on sale frequently and that is the best time to buy the courses which are available in both audio and video formats in both standard and digital versions.  Each course comes with a comprehensive User’s Guide which comes complete with questions and assignments.  If you are an avid learner, like me, a better deal is The Great Courses Plus which is a subscription service that grants you unlimited access to a great selection of their courses.

Another great choice for free learning is the free learning branch of the Open University http://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses# where you can find learning materials on such subjects as Psychology, Sociology, UK History, etc., all worth checking out.  There are no teachers, no grades, just an opportunity for self-study.

https://www.oercommons.org/ is another great place to find self-study materials.

Finally, if you are looking for more detailed self-study which comes with a reading list and lecture notes, you will find that most Universities and some Colleges have an Open Learning department but these may be a little trickier to navigate and some courses have extensive reading lists which can set you back a few dollars.  Try the following: https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm , https://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative , http://oyc.yale.edu/ , and https://www.edx.org/school/oxfordx .  You can find more free open courseware courses by browsing at http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses .

The learning possibilities are endless, chances are that by using these resources, you will find a course that is well suited to you.  Happy Learning everyone!

Love you all!

Luc