Online Courses! For FREE! No, really!

One of the less-known gems of the Vaughan Public Libraries online collection is the access we can give you to free online courses (just click on the Learn tab on our Lifelong Learning page). Here, you’ll find a list of different platforms available for various kinds of learning. We can help you out with, seriously, almost any topic imaginable, including options like:

    • learning a new language (Transparent Language)
    • getting help with high school or GED studies (or brushing up to  (Khan Academy, TV Ontario Education)
    • updating your resume with business or computer skills (maybe it’s time to get over your fear of Excel? Try out Lynda or Universal Class)
    • or just exploring fun subjects you’re curious about, like dream analysis, game design, or pretty much anything else you can think of (Coursera, EdX, Universal Class, Lynda, or really any other resource that interests you).

I’ve actually taken a lot of online courses – for quite a while it was one of my main hobbies, helping me deal with not being in school anymore (yes, I’m one of those weirdos who loved school; I went back as many times as I could justify, but now I think I’m really done for good, so I had to find a cheap way to fill that gap, and online courses were the answer I was looking for).

So, what can you expect from free online courses?

There’s a lot of variation in the details of how different platforms run their courses, but the standard format involves a combination of video lectures (anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour), assigned readings, and assignments – most assignments are multiple-choice style tests, but on Coursera and EdX particularly, you might find essay assignments that will be graded by other students in the course (and you’ll grade some of theirs!)

Some online courses (especially those with peer-graded assignments) follow a pretty strict weekly schedule, with new material released at specified times and assignment deadlines, while others simply give you access to all the course materials to work through at your own pace.

Personally, I prefer structured courses, as I tend to procrastinate and never finish self-paced courses, but the added flexibility of self-paced can also be a great advantage, especially if you’re someone who is more stressed out by assignment deadlines than comforted by them.

Each learning platform is a little bit different  – some of them ask you to log in with your library card number, others will just want you to set up an account with your email address, and some will ask you to do both, but once you’re up and running, I’m sure you’ll find something that tickles your fancy or improves your life! So give it a shot! Go to the Lifelong Learning page, and click on the Learn tab!

About Kasey K

Kasey is a Youth Services Information Assistant at the Vellore Village Library. Kasey can be a bit all-over-the-place, but is especially interested in horror, science fiction, psychology, and social justice. They are also a cross-stitcher, an occasional gamer, and a parent.  |  Meet the team