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A relatively new section of Insider Reviews, the Education and Personal Development vertical began covering online courses in spring 2020 and has since branched out to review online programs, books, apps, and even products that make online or in-person learning easier.
Online courses and e-learning platforms: We review and round up free online courses (often led by top universities and organizations) from popular MOOC platforms like edX, Coursera, and FutureLearn. We also review paid courses within popular online course subscriptions such as MasterClass, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, and Skillshare.
The courses we cover range in topics from psychology and medicine to building career skills like coding or writing. We also cover classes that are just purely fun to take, including ones taught by celebrities.
Online certificate programs and degrees: We also cover longer online programs, from popular exam prep websites to programs like edX MicroMasters, Coursera MasterTracks, and Harvard Extension School certificates that can act as more affordable and flexible alternatives to traditional college.
Additionally, we write about free study materials, program discounts, and scholarship opportunities to help ease the financial burden of continuing education.
Books: We cover book roundups around specific genres and authors, such as the best thrillers or the best Stephen King books. We also personally recommend some of our staff favorites and review books that are especially popular or offer meaningful advice. When relevant, we consult experts, such as professional bakers, journalism professors, or climate scientists, to recommend the best books to read.
Apps and other products that foster learning or growth: We like to think outside the box when it comes to education, which is why our coverage includes library apps, resources to learn about a specific topic, and even products that make it easier to balance work and school.
If we’re reviewing products ourselves, we’ll allow ample time to complete an online course, test an app, or finish a book. When reviewing, we’ll focus on factors like cost, flexibility, time commitment, comprehensiveness, and overall retention (do the lessons learned in the book or course feel easy to integrate into your daily life?). For career-focused products (such as courses to help you get a promotion), we’ll also consider factors such as in-demand skills and top-rated careers.
When covering something we haven’t personally used (such as a scholarship, degree program, or longer roundup of books), we’ll consult user reviews and ratings, course or book popularity, and, when applicable, the legitimacy and good-standing of the company offering the product itself.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected].
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