Online learning tools have been around since the beginning of the internet, and has been a goal for a few decades to develop software that can be accessible to everyone. Since the invention of the internet, so many intelligent people have worked towards developing education resources available in all languages, doesn’t matter where one lives.
In this review, I will show you free online tools that are available over the counter.
Google Classroom
As one of the most robust free tools, Google Classroom has a ton of versatile features for K-12 educators. It’s built on the same technology that Google offers in its paperless office suite for consumers and businesses. In fact, this may be the eLearning platform that many school districts already use for in-class assignments.You can share files easily between you and your students using the integrated tech of tools like Gmail, Google Slides, and Google Docs, among others. When it’s time to incorporate more features, you can easily integrate your favorite app (like Pear, which we talk about next in our list).Google Classroom lets teachers invite students to a private classroom via a code, and they can then attach and submit assignments for easy grading, feedback, and assessment. It’s a mobile-friendly solution, too, thanks to compatible iOS and Android apps.If you’re already familiar with the Google family of tools, Google Classroom may be the easiest and most affordable way to launch your online learning experience and it goes well with the popular classroom model of HP Chromebook.Cost of Google Classroom:
- Free
Pear Deck
Educators looking for a more interactive component will find Pear Deck to be a real treat. In addition to hosting your slide presentations, this program allows for assessment on any number of your slides.Your students can draw directly on the presentation, enter their own notes, add numbers, drag and drop symbols, or answer multiple-choice questions. It has a friendly integration with Google Slides, too, so you can even let your students explore the web directly from your lecture.If you’re short on content, it can help with that, too. Pear Deck partnered with Newsela to create interactive daily learning topics straight from the headlines. Other partnerships include Encyclopedia Britannica and Google’s Be Internet Awesome program. Pear Deck offers a simple way to boost your curriculum without starting from scratch.Cost of Pear Deck:
- Basic: Always free
- Premium: Currently free for teachers and schools
Blackboard
If an open-source K-12 solution is your goal, Blackboard may be your best option. Already a leader in providing assignment and grading tools for the college educator community, Blackboard continues to expand to meet the need for increasing digital elementary and high school student education.By signing up to try the Blackboard’s CourseSites open community, you can try out the Learn, Collaborate, SafeAssign, and Ally features. The streamlined delivery helps make this a top choice for teachers who want to learn within a supportive community before they go on to a paid learning management system (LMS).Cost of Blackboard:
- 30-day trial: Free
- Ongoing account: Contact Blackboard for a quote
Coursera
For high school students and college-ready learners who want to challenge themselves, there’s nothing like Coursera. This platform is a notable provider of massive open online courses (MOOC), and it even offers degrees and certificates in some cases. Stream a variety of on-demand lectures in a wide range of courses, including professors at Yale and company leaders at IBM and Google. This growing platform provides a new way to consume course material on some of the most challenging topics.Cost of Coursea:
- Free to colleges until July 2020
- Contact Coursera for details regarding high schools
Canvas
Canvas is a learning management platform that’s used by over 30% of higher ed communities. It’s becoming a top provider for K-12 learning, too. It’s also an open-source option, with several different built-in tools that handle the needs of remote students, teachers, and parents.This app-friendly system allows parents to see what assignments their kids need to do, and it provides data metrics for administrators to use for performance improvements.Cost of Canvas:
- Basic account: Free to students and teachers
- Full account: Schools and districts should contact Canvas for a quote
Edpuzzle
Edpuzzle helps teachers “make any video a lesson.” Use your own videos or source from a variety of websites, including YouTube and Khan Academy. Then, add commentary and comprehension questions to personalize it for your students.Students are assigned videos to watch, but there’s accountability and assessment integrity included, too. See who is viewing the videos along with their interaction with it.Then you can use that data to see who may need a little extra help. This service is free for teachers and students and is a solid self-paced option for students who can’t attend “live” sessions.Cost of Edpuzzle:
- Basic account: Free to students and teachers
- Premium account: Schools and districts should contact Edpuzzle for a quote
Khan Academy
This popular free learning destination is a hit among parents and educators. Get access to world-class courses with instructional videos in everything from 1st grade math to high school economics. Khan Academy even provides PSAT and SAT prep with standards that align with top colleges and universities.The video-based courses include practice questions and quizzes, along with guided placement to help struggling learners find the right course for them. Teachers can access the entire course catalog, then set up classrooms where they invite students. Grading is automatic, but teachers can create and customize assignment dates and learning objectives to meet changing classroom needs.Cost of Khan Academy:
- Free non-profit
- Donations accepted
Edmodo
Edmodo is a mobile-friendly platform that ties together many of the cumbersome duties that teachers deal with today. Sending messages, sharing assignments, tracking grades, and even creating quizzes can now take place in one pleasant-looking platform.Plus, parents get their own login to see what their student has been up to and to address any learning gaps.There is a nice community component to Edmodo, as well. Teachers often share lessons within the platform using hashtags that other educators can search for classroom inspiration. It integrates with many popular external apps, as well.Cost of Edmodo:
- Free
Socrative
How can you know that your student truly understands what you teach? Student feedback is the only way, and Socrative has simplified the process of asking for that feedback.Whether you want immediate evaluations or check-ins after some time, this tool lets you monitor classroom work to see that no one falls through the gaps.Socrative is a fun and engaging assessment tool that it works on a variety of devices and lets you know how your students are really doing. You can also create quizzes and polls for your classroom at a moment’s notice. Plus, it’s always free for students.Cost of Socrative:
- Basic package: Free
- Pro package: $60/year
Loom
Looking for a really simple app that can do screen captures and regular classroom presentations? Loom is a fuss-free way to record, narrate, and share lectures with an easier way to communicate than text. You can display your lecture with your talking head in the bottom corner, too.Loom lets you see who watched your video, and you can even incorporate it into common Google apps, such as Gmail. The pro plan, which is now free for teachers and students, offers even more cool features. They include “do not disturb” mode, custom thumbnail creation, HD quality recording, drawing tools, mouse-click highlights, and custom access security.Cost of Loom:
- Pro plan: Free to teachers and students…forever.
Visme
Visme is an online design tool that anyone can use to create presentations, infographics, concept maps, schedules, reports and more.
It’s packed with tons of features, like free photos and graphics, customization options and an easy drag-and-drop editor that both non-designers and designers love to use.
Many tools are directed either at the educator or the student. In the case of Visme, our integrated design tools benefit both.
How Visme Can Help Teachers
Teachers are always creating content for their students to learn with. From slide presentations to fillable worksheets and more. With a Visme education license, teachers and students can use the tool together for a creative and interactive educative experience.
Below are some of the solutions Visme offers for educators at any level.
- Interactive content as presentations and infographics
- Visual posters and infographics
- Webinar materials
- Interactive schedules
- Syllabus and lesson plans
- Printable lists and worksheets
- Embed third-party content like quizzes and forms
- Share news about a class on social media or email
- Personalized report cards
- Personalized certificates
To help you get started, here are some handpicked Visme templates for teachers. Click on the button below each template to customize it for your own use.
Class Schedule Template
Create a class schedule in the form of a presentation and share it with your students to help them stay on track with their weekly lessons.
This class schedule template is designed with engaging colors and visuals to make it easier for students to remember the information.
Customize this presentation template and make it your own!Edit and Download
Lesson Plan Template
Use a template to create a fully visual lesson plan to share with your students.
Simply input all your information and download it as a PDF or image. It’s easy to then import into your LMS or send it to students via email.
Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download
Report Card Template
At the end of each semester, show students their grades by adding a little fun.
Use this report card template to input each student’s final results and inspire them to continue performing well for the rest of the year.
Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download
Certificate of Completion Template
If your course isn’t part of a school curriculum, you can still instill a sense of accomplishment in your students with a certificate of completion or achievement certificate.
Use this template to add your course information and personalize it with the student’s name.
Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download
How Visme Can Help Students
Visme also helps students get their work done for their online classes. Teachers can assign all sorts of assignments to be created with the tool.
Below are some ways students can use Visme:
- Book report presentations or infographics
- Research projects for any topic as presentations or infographics
- Graphic organizers for research and mind-mapping
- Venn diagrams for comparisons
Here are some useful Visme templates for students at the school or university level. Click on the button below each template to customize it for your own use.
Idea Web / Mind Map Template
Students thrive with graphic organizers and visual mind mapping tools. Visme makes it easy and fun to create idea webs, flowcharts and mind maps. This idea web template is perfect for finding similarities between two different topics.
Customize this infographic template and make it your own!Edit and Download
Presentation Template
Research projects and book reports have been assigned as presentations since we can all remember. Help your students create better presentations with our Visme templates for students.
Customize this presentation template and make it your own!Edit and Download
Timeline Infographic Template
Many assignments involve understanding how things happened over time. This type of visual can be apple to projects for history, literature, and social studies.
By creating a timeline infographic, students understand the process of the topic and enjoy creating it along the way.
Customize this infographic template and make it your own!Edit and Download
WIth Visme you can also create any type of graphic organizer from scratch using the free design tools that come built-in with the editor.
Watch the video below to learn more about graphic organizers and how to create one.
Conclusion
Like it or not, the new age has arrived! And all over the world young adults from their late teens to about early 30s are spending more time using technology than they used to. In the US alone there are over 160 million of these digital natives. While these people have been raised with technology, not all of them have been taught how to make efficient use of all of today’s technological tools. This means that while their friends might be going out partying on a Friday night, they will be in front of a computer screen watching a lecture by a professor on a free online learning platform like Coursera or edX.