E-learning opportunities

By Jessica McCurdy-Crooks, Contributor

IS THERE something you have been dying to learn but cannot find the time or the money to pay for the classes? Then you might want to surf the 'Net to find free courses in your area of interest. E-learning is one of the offsprings of the Internet age and cyberspace abounds with free classes in many areas of knowledge and hobbies.

What exactly is e-learning? It is the ability to use the new technology such as the Internet to gain knowledge anytime and anywhere. This type of learning is also referred to as "on-line training" and "web based education". You can use any of the search engines to find what you need. Some search engines that have good results were http://www.google.com, http://altavista.com and http://www.dogpile.com. For a comprehensive list of free on-line courses visit http://www.paisvirtual.com

Some courses, while not free, are worth doing due to the material covered. A small administrative fee is sometimes requested to keep the programme going. The Free Academy of Training which charges a fee offers classes in Networking and Microsoft WINS2000 Professional Certification. Visit them at http://www.freeacademy.com.

For the computer novice or new users of the Internet, lessons on using the browsers Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator can be found at http://link.mindleaders.com/e-learn. Another course to be found on this site is A+ Certification for those persons who want to be certified as computer technicians. Not only computer courses are offered, you can also find courses in Negotiating: Closing a Deal and Investment Fundamentals.

Programmers and want to-be programmers will enjoy the offerings to be found at http://www.intelinfo.com. They have on-line classes in programming languages such as Java, Unix, C and HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language). With the growth of e-commerce there are also courses in Web Marketing on the site. All levels of users, novices and professionals alike can understand the classes as the language is clear and the programmes offered are well organised.

For those persons who want to learn a second language there are classes for them too. For Spanish Lessons visit http://www.studyspanish.com and http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html. The latter site also offers French, Swahili, Dutch as well as other languages.

Creative individuals should make a visit to the following site:

http://www2.Evansville.edu/studiochalkboard/ to get guidance in various art techniques. Budding and established writers can visit http://members.tripod.com ­ which will provide a comprehensive listing of resources and on-line courses in writing.

Apart from being useful to those persons who want to learn something new and who do not want to be in a traditional classroom setting, e-learning is an ideal option. The courses can also serve as study aids for those students who are in a traditional learning environment. This form of training is revolutionising the way people learn. Soon there will be more and more persons taking advantage of on-line distance education learning opportunities. Become proactive, learn something new.

Back to Flair