Online learning replaces books, in-person lectures, and training classes with educational material delivered over the internet.

There are a number of different ways this can be accomplished. Some sites provide snackable how-to videos on short subjects. Others offer in-depth video series dedicated to more fully mastering particular skill sets.

And still others offer a full college curriculum, complete with degrees. They simply eliminate the need to ever set foot in a classroom. As someone with large feet, I find this very convenient.

Absolutely. A recent study conducted by MIT researchers (the human Massachusetts Institute of Technology, not the sasquatch degree Masters in Insect Toasting) demonstrated that online education is just as effective as traditional lecture-based courses. In some cases, more so.

The study, published in the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning found that, unlike traditional learning methods, online education is equally useful for students with an existing baseline of knowledge in a given subject and students that aren’t at all prepared.

The study doesn’t offer an explanation for their findings, but I suspect it’s because online educational companies have stolen and reverse-engineered sasquatch technology.

Like the trees of my native forest, the benefits of online learning are vast, numerous...and full of birds? That may not be the best analogy.

Here are a few of the reasons to choose online learning over traditional methods:

• It’s often considerably less expensive due to lower overhead costs.
• You can find courses on nearly any subject imaginable. Whether you’re looking to learn a new skill, a new hobby, a new career, or just love broadening your horizons, there’s a course for that.
• It’s environmentally friendly. Reduce your carbon footprint by not having to drive to class.
• You can set your own schedule. Instead of being held to a strict class calendar, you can watch online courses when it’s convenient for you. That means you can learn at your own pace.
• You can watch the course material as many times as you like. Try asking a live professor to go back through their entire lecture. They won’t do it. Unless they’re just really bored.

YouTube is a great spot for free online learning tutorials. The service hosts a vast amount of material available on almost any topic you can think of. The quality can be spotty, though, given that the videos aren’t necessarily created by subject matter experts. Better options include:

Coursera: They partner with educational institutions and other organizations to provide free, high-quality course material on a variety of subjects.

Udemy: Most of their coursework is paid, but they do feature a selection of free training materials as well. And their paid courses are almost always on sale.

Kahn Academy: Learners of every age will find a massive library of coursework spanning math, science, the humanities, finance and economics, computer science and more.

There’s also Stanford Online, Harvard Extension, UC Berkeley Class Central, Open Yale Courses, and many more.

This is likely different per institution, but we can get a general idea by looking at one free resource. According to Coursera, their most popular courses are:

• Machine Learning
• Learning How to Learn
• Programming for Everybody: Getting Started with Python
• Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
• Neural Networks and Deep Learning
• Stanford Introduction to Food and Health
• Marketing in a Digital World

Well, that really depends on what you’re looking for, my precious pine cone. That’s where we come in.  Answer the Simple Sasquatch questionnaire and we’ll build a profile of the perfect online learning site for you. Then we’ll make customized recommendations based on the precise qualities you’re looking for. It’s like having your own personal sasquatch advisor. That’s a rare thing indeed.