Never a Better Time to Learn

Simon Sinek’s latest book, The Infinite Game, focuses on embracing the infinite mindset, where learning is lifelong, and how possibilities become opportunities when acted on. In 2002, MIT disrupted the world of lifelong learning by creating OpenCourseWare, opening up their classes to anyone for free. The curriculum has expanded over the years, reaching over 2,500 courses available to anyone. Since then, learning has expanded, with services like Lynda.com (acquired by LinkedIn in 2015), offering courses on nearly anything. Khan Academy is a non-profit that does an amazing job of free classes since 2008.  And many brands have built out their own courseware. Recently, Masterclass set a new bar of learning, bringing in famous industry experts to teach topics on almost everything.  This March, more learning has been made available for free, matching the appetites of those sheltering-in-place. Here are some of my favorites:

• Pixar in a Box – A behind-the-scenes looks at how Pixar artists create amazing work
• Nikon photography school – Dust off your old DSLR and practice the art of photography
• Coursera – Build skills with courses from world-class universities and companies
• University of Oxford podcasts – Audio only learning, with a cheeky accent
• National Geographic – For the kids
• Amazon Web Services – Get certified on AWS features
• Google Digital Garage – Get your certifications on all things Google

This is just a sampling – there is so much more, a simple web search will keep your nights and weekends filled when you reach the end of Netflix.

– James Rice, Digital Experience