Top learning courses to sign up for in 2019
There are hundreds of online courses you can follow these days. But before you start learning anything in particular, you should understand better your learning process, so you can get more out of it.
And surprise! There are courses for this as well. :)
I made a selection of 5 courses based on author & content popularity, and for some, number of reviews & final grade. Some of the concepts they cover:
- how our brains store information;
- practical memory & speed reading techniques;
- dealing with procrastination;
- structuring your learning process;
- how to get more out of MOOCs.
Overview:
- Learning how to learn, Barbara Oakley
- Mindshift, Barbara Oakley
- Metalearn, Nasos Papadopoulus
- Become a SuperLearner, Jonathan Levy
- Mind Mapping Mastery
Let’s dive in!
Learning how to learn
The background of the author is a major factor to convince you sign up for Learning how to learn from Coursera.
Barbara Oakley is a Professor of Engineering at Oakland University. She researched engineering, STEM education and of course, the learning process. She also wrote some cool books on learning (A Mind for Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science, Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential, Learning How to Learn: How to Succeed in School Without Spending All Your Time Studying; A Guide for Kids and Teens).
Impressive, right?
The course covers:
- What is learning?
- Chunking
- Procrastination and memory
- Renaissance Learning and Unlocking Your Potential
It has amazing feedback.
This course was a breath of fresh air. It made me realise that I was not being very efficient in the way I was learning new subjects. It taught me techniques and how to apply them to become a better learner. Would totally recommend to anyone.
And 4.8 out of 5 grade from 39,725 ratings.
Your commitment? 7 hours and 20 minutes.
Mindshift
If Learning how to learn is learning focused, Mindshift is career focused. The same Barbara Oakley, helps you first look inside, see what are your capabilities and how they fit with the outside world by tackling both motivation & procrastination.
It covers:
- Change is possible (Learn more about your hidden capabilities and assets. Learn more about learning effectively. Learn about matching your assets with the opportunities that face you.)
- Getting Deeper into Happy Learning (tackling motivation & procrastination)
- Learning and careers
- Adopting a learning lifestyle
It has cool feedback.
This is truly a unique courses and lets you see within yourself and gauge your self.
A 4.8 out of 5 rating. From 2,492 people.
Your commitment? 5 hours.
Metalearn
In need of super applicable tips & tricks on accelerated learning? Nasos Papadopoulos takes you through:
- deciding what to learn
- deciding how to learn
- how to improve your research, listening, reading skills
- useful learning practices (spaced repetition, mixed practice, reflection, elaboration and so on)
- and maany, maany other learning-related subjects.
The course costs 197$ without coaching lessons, 497$ with 3 coaching sessions. Although I didn’t had the chance to go through all my coaching sessions, this Medium Publication is the result of my first talk with Nasos, who convinced me I can learn more by writing about learning. :)
If you’re not convinced yet to make the investment, there’s also a blog, a podcast and a demo of 8 introductory sessions with really cool tips & tricks on learning.
Your investment? 197$ — without coaching sessions, 497$ — with coaching sessions and 5 hours.
Become a SuperLearner
Become a SuperLearner is focused more on speed reading and memory techniques. But well, those are the basis of a Super Learner, right? Is super practical, you’ll have sheets to complete, objectives to achieve, homeworks and you’ll follow the progress right from session 1.
You can find the course either on the SuperLearner website, or on Udemy.
It covers:
- Understanding your memory
- The incredible power of visual memory
- Mental markers: visual memory meets learning
- Systems for creating and maintaining long term memory
- Pre-reading and preparation
- Read with your eyes, not your inner voice
- Good learning skills
I found some really nice reviews on Udemy.
The instructional videos are great because they work to tie each lesson together while, the supplemental materials and worksheets actually make you do the work. I don’t feel overwhelmed because the instructional material is only a few minutes each lecture and then the materials allow me to work at my own pace. I also love how carefully the supplementary materials were chosen. You can definitely tell that this course was carefully thought out and executed.
It has a 4.3 rating out of 5, from over 14,000 people. Overall, 96,303 students did the course only on Udemy. (wow!)
Your investment? Right now 12 euro on Udemy. 5 hours of your time.
Mind Mapping Mastery
Going from practical to even more practical, Mind Mapping Mastery tackles a well-known learning tool: mind maps. You’ll observe other mind mappers, learn how to read mind maps, practice yourself and create your own (iei).
The agenda:
- Observe a Mind Mapper at work
- Practise Reading Mind Maps
- Getting the feel of the technique
- Integrate the Learning
- Creating your own mind maps
If you’re looking for an effective way to spark your creativity and mental recall, this is a great class to start unleashing your true potential! WHY they don’t make this required in school is beyond me…
It has a 4.3 out of 5 rating and over 20,000 students enrolled.
Your investment? Right now 12 euro on Udemy and 6 hours of your time.
If you’re more of a reading kind of learner, here’s a list of 5 books you can put on your 2019 list.
I would love to share more learning tips with you. Follow me on Medium!
Lavinia Mehedințu is a self-directed learner, always trying to get the best out of her learning process. She dreams to change mindsets and educational systems through her work.
