Part
01
of one
Part
01
What are the top 5 e-learning / training platforms for small and medium size companies available? Would like to understand the pros and cons of each. Please include Lynda.com in this comparison.
Hello! Thanks for you question about the top five e-learning/training platforms for small and medium sized companies. The most useful sources that I found to answer your question are By the Numbers: MOOCS in 2016 – Class Central, The Big Three MOOC Providers, and Pros and Cons: Coursera, EdX, Udacity. The short version is that the top five e-learning/training platforms for small and medium sized companies are Coursera, EdX, Udacity, FutureLearn, and Lynda.com. Below you will find a deep dive of my findings.
METHODOLOGY
After searching through corporate and company websites, industry reports, user forums and review sites, and trusted media sites, I have found that there are no e-learning or MOOCs specifically targeted to businesses. However, Coursera, EdX, Udacity, and FutureLearn offer a lot of computer and technology learning courses and courses focused towards business skills like Lynda.com. Therefore, they made the top five list with Lynda.com for their use in businesses in general.
TOP 5 E-LEARNING/TRAINING PLATFORMS FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESSES
UDACITY
Udacity is a platform focusing on technology with monthly payments for the courses where you only pay for what you did for the course. Udacity has 4 million registered users. Udacity offers courses in Android, Data Science, Georgia Tech Masters in CS, iOS, Non-Tech, Software Engineering, and Web Development. They have Udacity for Business for corporate training, the Nanodegree Plus program which refunds all tuition if you don't get a job within six months of graduation, and offer a Master's degree in Computer Science. Udacity offers self-paced classes, which works well for accessibility and pacing but not so much for student interactions. Udacity's courses focus on specific skills for workplace readiness. Their courses start anytime and are self-paced and focus on current workplace skills, but they don't offer free certificates, have a smaller community, and can be difficult if you need deadlines.
EDX
EdX is founded and run by Harvard university and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It offers learning designed specifically for interactive online study and offers courses from Harvard, MIT, Caltech, Berkley, and more. Courses can be audited for free or taken for certificates for a fee. EdX has 10 million registered users. EdX's MicroMasters credential program has been adopted by 14 universities in 8 different countries. EdX has 1,300 courses. EdX has verified certificates for $50 to $100, advanced certificates, or free certificates. They use a scheduled model for classes that have certain start dates and ensure student interaction, however it may take time to for availability of a course you want to take. They have a big catalog, some foreign language classes, and are great in sciences and medicine, but they have variability in course quality.
They offer courses in Architecture, Art & Culture, Biology & Life Sciences, Business & Management, Chemistry, Communication, Computer Science, Data Analysis & Statistics, Design, Economics & Finance, Education & Teacher Training, Electronics, Energy & Earth Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Ethics, Food & Nutrition, Health & Safety, History, Humanities, Language, Law, Literature, Math, Medicine, Music, Philosophy & Ethics, Physics, Science, and Social Sciences. Their MicroMasters Certificate program is a series of Master's level courses that are credit-eligible. Their Professional Certificate program enhances professional skills for employees. Their XSeries Certificate program provides a deep understanding of key subjects.
COURSERA
Coursera partners with leading universities in the United States and globally to provide online courses covering dozens of different subjects along with specializations (course pathways leading to official certification from an associated university). Coursera is accessible with free or cheap courses with only official certification costing a lot. Coursera has 23 million registered users. Coursera has over 160 specializations. Coursera is the largest MOOC providers with over 1,700 active courses. They use a scheduled model for classes that have certain start dates and ensure student interaction, however it may take time to for availability of a course you want to take. They have the most amount of courses, transcriptions in different languages, and the best discussion forums, but they can be too structured for some learners, have more variability in course quality, and it can take time for courses to become available.
They offer courses in the Arts and Humanities, Business, Computer Science, Data Science, Life Sciences, Math and Logic, Personal Development, Physical Science and Engineering, Social Sciences, and Language Learning. Courses last four to six weeks and cost $29 to $99 to earn a course certificate. Specializations last four to six months and cost $39 to $79 per month to earn a specialization certificate. Online degrees last one to three years at $15,000 to $25,000 to earn an accredited master's degree. They offer free certificates and advanced or verified certificates that cost money, although you can opt in a few weeks after the course has started to make sure you are getting your money's worth.
FUTURELEARN
FutureLearn offers a variety of courses from leading universities and cultural institutions globally. FutureLearn has 5.3 million registered users and launched their own MOOC-based credentials in 2016. FutureLearn has 480 courses. Currently, there are 6,022,132 people learning at FutureLearn. They offer courses in Business & Management, Creative Arts & Media, Health & Psychology, History, Languages & Cultures, Law, Literature, Nature & Environment, Politics & the Modern World, Science, Engineering, & Maths, Study Skills, Teaching, and Tech & Coding. It is the first MOOC platform that focuses on promoting student discussion and debate with student profiles you can follow, peer assessment, and more.
LYNDA.COM
Lynda.com offers a subscription-based video tutorial library, which is great for visual learners, at $25 per month providing unlimited access to over 80,000 videos on a variety of subjects. Courses are labeled by skill level and are mostly project based. They offer courses in Business, Design, Web, Developer, Photography, and Marketing. They have tutorials in five languages, serve over 10,000 organizations, and offer flexible, cost-effective memberships for businesses, schools, and government organizations (although they help individuals as well). They are the only MOOC that serves groups as well as individuals.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, Coursera, Lynda.com, FutureLearn, EdX, and Udacity are the top five e-learning/training platforms for small to medium sized businesses. Thanks for using Wonder! Please let us know if we can help with anything else.