In the 21st century despite pandemic, demand for online courses increased rapidly. This has rapidly increased the number of e-learning platforms as well. A lot of new platforms are coming into existence making learners confused to make choice. So there are some keynotes you have to consider before paying for any certification.
Course contents:
First of all, know whether the course covers all the concepts of the topic for example if you want to learn C language make sure it covers all concepts like data types, arrays, variables and all. For this, research a little bit on the internet about the topic you want to learn and check whether the course covers all those concepts.
Course delivery:
There are different ways of delivering courses on different platforms. A lot of e-learning platforms comes with both video and written materials. For example, Coursera has videos as well as written materials while attending the course and Assignments for grades. But in the case of NPTEL, they provide only video lectures with pretty low quality. So If you want to learn effectively, you should choose a platform with both video lectures and reading materials.
In the case of the MATLAB learning platform, course delivery is quite different. You learn things by actually working with code in the MATLAB Learning tool. Here, problems are provided on the left-hand side and we have to solve them on the right-hand side. This is the best way to learn any programming language as it gives prior knowledge and practice at the same time.
Course aspects:
Courses are generally based on two aspects which are theoretical and practical ( project-based ). No doubt theoretical knowledge is important but in today's world, practical knowledge weighs higher than theoretical knowledge. There is the reason why IT companies like TCS does not consider NPTEL Certification.
So, when it comes to choosing an effective course check if you want theoretical knowledge or project-based knowledge.
Course strategy:
There are few platforms like Udemy which provides a certificate after just watching all video lectures without taking any quiz or assessment test. This has largely reduced the importance of Udemy Certificates and that's why a lot of IT companies does not consider Udemy Certification.
On the other hand, Platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn learning, Educative etc have assessments every week and provides certification after passing the following tests. This verifies that the learner has successfully finished the course and learnt all aspects covered in the course.
Course instructor:
Before joining any course check if its instructor is well qualified in the area of course. Few platforms allow anyone to make their own courses and post them on these platforms. Hence, for making money through these courses many people copy materials from the internet and use them to create another course.
Also when you have any question related to the course lesson, there should be a qualified person to solve your query.
Certificate accreditation:
Certificate accreditation is important as it indicates that the certificate is original. make sure that the certificate is acknowledged by the other companies. Always see the sample certificate for accreditation details, after all, it is the thing that showcases that you have successfully gained knowledge with the course.
Course price:
When paying for any course make sure you checked all the above points related to your course. And don't pay for courses that are not accredited or do not provide enough knowledge about the concepts you want to learn. keep in mind that any free course can have more importance than the paid once all depends on the person taking the course.
In the end, knowledge is everything that matters. A certificate is just a showcase of your skills. So, no matter which platform you take the course, try to gain as much knowledge as you can and don't limit yourself to a single platform. Research about the concepts you want to learn on the internet before taking the course so that you will be familiar with the concepts covering in it.
Let me know if there are any other factors to consider before taking online courses by commenting below.
Top comments (0)