Over the years the mode of learning has shifted from walk-in classes to online classes, majorly because of the flexibility and advantages that accompanied it. Quite a several people have switched careers with online courses, and many have gained and learnt new skills that have boosted their workplace productivity. It is no longer news that online courses have recently grown in popularity, with over 1 billion users worldwide. Yes, you read that correctly, there are more than one billion learners online. Online courses are the new online gigs, and they are ideal if you are a teacher looking to supplement your income.
There are two types of online courses, there are paid online courses and free online courses. Paid online courses are courses you have to pay before you can access them, they are mostly professional and well-structured courses that are made available for those that are willing to pay the price. While Free online courses are free and are open to anybody willing to learn for free and at leisure. Although we have online courses that are paid and the first few topics will be made accessible for free, you cant have access to the full course until you make payment. In the same vein, some free courses will require you to pay for the certificates.
Many people believe that Paid courses are a better investment than free ones because they are created by experts who have put in a lot of time and effort. These days, free online courses are in abundance. The number in the hundreds of thousands can be found in all walks of life. Unfortunately, the majority of them aren’t worth the time you’ll spend watching them. They are simply lessons that are not in-depth, but you can have access to the complete course if you pay. Best website for online courses with certificate are Edx, Coursera, Udacity, Udemy among others.
Why Paid Online Courses are Worth the Investment
These reasons are not far-fetched, we all know that online learning is there to facilitate learning and ensure individual development. Even though paid online courses have more advantages, the majority of people still prefer to take a free online courses. Either they can’t afford it or they don’t have what it takes to complete the course which will be a waste of money.
Now with paid online courses, you get value for your money, starting from access to live question and answer sessions with qualified professors. Additionally, the course creators support peer-to-peer education, this way you can create a lifelong connection with other learners around the world isn’t that amazing? Another student will undoubtedly make an effort to assist you if the teacher is unable for whatever reason to respond to your query. Free online courses do not have these benefits, you cant connect with other learners and create lifelong connections, think about it.
The following are what you have access to with paid online courses as opposed to free ones:
- Access to Classroom-taught Academic concepts
- Recognized Certificate
- Career Mentorship
- Real-Life Projects
- Building Real-time Connection
- Well Structured Curriculum
Difference Between Paid Online Courses and Free Online Courses
The difference between paid online courses and free online courses goes beyond the name, here are the differences:
Structured Curriculums
One of the key differences between paid online courses and free online course is that paid online courses have a structured curriculum. This means that learning is in stages, some even have quizzes and tests in between to test your knowledge. Paid online courses are more detailed and well structured, unlike free online courses, paid ones follow a laid down structure that helps learners to understand the course better. Free Online Courses do not have a step-by-step learning process, the few ones that have are not well detailed.
Course Instructor
Paid online courses unlike free online courses provide course facilitators and guides whom learners can interact with to get more guidance. With paid online courses, there is a more direct relationship with the instructor. And most free online courses are self-learned with little or no interaction with the course instructor. Paid online courses provide experienced faculty teachers that will teach you academic concepts, most free courses would require you to look up these concepts on your own.
Learning Resources
Paid online courses not only give extra learning resources for learners but also provide guidelines. While the free online courses may provide resources that you have to learn yourself.
A Certification With Broad Acceptance
Paid Online Courses present you with a widely accepted certificate while free courses can only be used for specific purposes. Additionally, paid online training courses are goal-oriented. There is always a specific
Discipline
Another major difference between the two courses is discipline, learners who paid for a course tend to be more disciplined considering the amount they paid to learn the course. Most learners are more dedicated to paid online courses, and there is a low rate of drops out, unlike free online courses where there is a high rate of drop-outs, there is no such discipline.
Free Courses Vs Paid Courses
Online courses are an excellent way to learn new skills and relearn or refresh your knowledge on a particular subject. The truth is that there isn’t a single answer. Many factors are at work:
- What you’re looking for
- How much time do you have
- How much money you can afford to spend?
However, there are some considerations to make when determining whether an online course is worthwhile:
- Paying for a course can be an excellent way to stay current on new skills and keep your existing ones sharp.
- Some paid courses have a longer lifespan than free courses, meaning they will be useful in years to come. In addition to keeping up with current trends and techniques.
- Finally, paying for a course provides a sense of accountability that may assist you in staying on track with your learning objectives.
List of Most Popular Paid Online Courses
In this section of the article, we have a list of paid online courses and different learning platforms. But first, here are the common paid online course area:
- Computer Language.
- Digital Marketing.
- Content Marketing.
- UI/UX.
- Mobile app and Web development.
- Business and Management Courses.
- Technology.
- Programming.
- Health.
- Marketing.
- Graphic Design.
- Trading (Blockchain and Crypto).
- Video Production. and a host of others
5 Paid Online Courses With Certificates
1. Front-End Web Developer
This is a 5 skill-building paid online course that can be accessed on edX, this professional course was designed by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) and it will run for 7 months. Since it’s a self-paced course, learners are required to study for at least 5-7 hours per week. You can start learning once you have paid for the course, it cost 995 USD. The five courses embedded in this course are CSS Basics,
HTML5 and CSS Fundamentals, HTML5 Coding Essentials and Best Practices, HTML5 Apps and Games and JavaScript Introduction. Each of these areas has interactive examples that will help you learn and practice code the right way.
2. Python for Beginners – Learn Programming from scratch
This paid online course can be accessed on Udemy, if you want to learn the python language and the core skills needed to understand any programming language from scratch this course is for you. You can learn this for 14,900 nairas on Udemy.
3. Project Management Success: Learn by Managing 5 Projects
This course can also be accessed on Udemy for 29,200 naira. This paid online course will help you improve your project management skills using the “hands-on” simulation approach. You will also be exposed to project risk management and mitigation techniques and strategies. Lastly, you will be able to develop a complete project plan, which includes the scope, definition, schedule, quality, risk, resources and budget.
4. Product Design & Health
5. Entrepreneurship and Business Life Coach
The Pros & Cons of Online Courses
Free online courses are an excellent way to learn new skills and expand your knowledge. They enable people to learn from the comfort of their own homes, without financial or other constraints. However, some drawbacks should be considered before enrolling in a free online course.
Pros:
- Free access to high-quality content from the world’s top universities, colleges, and other institutions.
- Learners can take their time and progress at their own pace with free online courses. They can pause and resume whenever they want, which is convenient for those who work full-time or have other obligations.
- Free courses also provide a lot of flexibility in terms of what you can study and when you can start.
- Teachers will give you feedback on assignments that will help you improve your skills or knowledge in a particular area.
Cons:
- Free online courses do not provide any kind of certification.
- The courses’ quality is not guaranteed, and they may be too basic or too advanced.
- There is no teacher to respond to student inquiries.
- Students may not receive enough feedback or direction on their work.
Paid online courses, on the other hand, have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- You’ll understand what you’re getting yourself into before enrolling in the course because it’s obvious that it will cost money upfront.
- Paid online courses typically have a more comprehensive curriculum and course materials. This is because they can spend more money on these aspects of their course than on free platforms.
- Paid platforms offer more assistance to their students. They frequently provide live chat support, video tutorials, and video lectures to assist their students with any problems they may be having with the course material or assignments.
- The lectures are also available for playback at any time, making it simple for students who missed class or need to review something they didn’t understand on the first viewing to do so.
- Teachers in paid online courses are usually better. This is because they can afford to pay higher salaries to attract higher quality instructors for their courses than free platforms that do not pay instructors at all.
Cons:
- Paid online courses can be expensive, and some people may not be able to afford them.
- It can be challenging for students who do not have access to high-speed internet.
- There is no way to know if the course is worthwhile until it is completed.
- Many courses are not available in the student’s first language.
- If a person does not already have an interest in the subject matter, it is difficult for them to stay engaged with the course content.
Benefits of Investing in Yourself Through Paid Online Courses
Paid courses are an excellent way to invest in oneself and your career. They provide hands-on experience and valuable knowledge that you cannot obtain from a textbook or an article.
There are significant benefits to taking online courses, including the following:
- You can take them at your own pace, which is often preferable for people with hectic schedules.
- Paid courses are less expensive than returning to school, and you won’t have to worry about transportation or childcare for your children.
- You can work on them from anywhere with an internet connection, and they are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- You’ll have access to subject matter experts who will answer any questions you may have along the way.
- Paid online courses can assist you in developing skills that will be useful in any career path you choose, whether it is in your current field or something completely different.
- Paid online courses also give you a sense of accomplishment because you know that no one else has achieved what you have unless they took the same course.
Final Note
If you want to improve your skills and knowledge, paid online courses are a better investment than free ones. In today’s competitive world, it is critical to constantly improve one’s knowledge and skills. As a result, instead of relying on free online courses, people should invest in themselves by enrolling in paid online courses.