Cover Turn off Netflix and sign up for one of these online courses to make the most of your time at home (Photo: Getty Images)

Make the most of your extra time spent at home in this new lockdown by taking an online course or class with the help of these educational platforms and resources

While the lure of new Netflix shows may be tempting to help pass the hours spent at home, why not invest in yourself during this downtime and sign up for an online course? Whether you're looking to learn skills to further your career or just pick up a new hobby, there are countless resources out there.

Here, we round up 10 online learning platforms which offer a range of courses and classes on everything from business and computer science to photography and cooking.

1. Babbel

While we may not be travelling to far-flung destinations this year, we can still learn a new language while at home. Babbel is an easy-to-use online platform that offers courses in 14 languages, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish and more. The app allows users to immerse themselves in a language and practise speaking from day one, with the use of human voices and speech recognition sure to get you speaking confidently.
 
Price The app is free to download, but packages are billed every one, three, six or 12 months.

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2. Codecademy

Whether you’re looking to retrain for your career or just want to learn a new skill, Codecademy allows users to pick up technical skills and learn the basics of coding online. From building websites to analysing data, there are a range of courses to choose from on the platform––and if you’re not sure where to start, you can take Codecademy’s short quiz to find out which skills may align with your strengths and needs. Priding itself on allowing its users to learn by doing, the website promises you’ll be writing real code in minutes, with instant feedback given to help you learn.
 
Price Both free and paid monthly plans are available.

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3. FenderPlay

Online courses don’t just specialise in the world of coding and tech––FenderPlay offers a complete online guide to learning the guitar. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn an instrument, or have a guitar at home that’s gathering dust, brush up on your skills through simple step-by-step learning and easy-to-follow lessons. The platform also features a range of frequently updated popular songs, so you’ll be playing your favourite tune in no time. Along with lessons for both the acoustic and electric guitar, FenderPlay features courses for the bass and even for ukuleles.
 
Price FenderPlay offers both monthly and annual paid subscriptions to its online classes.

4. edX

Created by Harvard and MIT, edX is a hub of over 2,500 free online courses from 140 leading institutions worldwide. Trusted by more than 20 millions learners globally, the online platform features courses from the top-ranked universities in the world and industry-leading companies. Popular subjects include computer science, languages, data science, business and management, engineering and humanities.
 
Price Prices vary according to course, with many courses available for free.

5. Masterclass

Whether you want to learn photography from Annie Leibovitz, cooking from Gordan Ramsay, filmmaking from Martin Scorsese or even skateboarding from Tony Hawk, Masterclass has it all. The online platform allows you to learn a range of subjects anytime and at your own pace through easy-to-follow videos bought to you by household names who are experts in their fields. The platform features over 85 classes from its “masters”, with each class featuring an average of 20 10-minute lessons.
 
Price Users can access all classes for a flat monthly fee.

6. Class Central

Class Central is an online learning platform that features thousands of free online courses from top universities and companies. Eight Ivy League schools—Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale and Columbia—now offer free online courses across multiple disciplines on the site, including computer science, data science, programming, humanities, business, art and design, science, social sciences, health and medicine, engineering, education and teaching, mathematics and personal development. While you won’t be receiving an official diploma at the end of your course, you will have Ivy League-level course material at your fingertips to help further your knowledge.
 
Price The majority of classes on Class Central (including the Ivy League courses) are free.

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7. LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn isn’t just a useful tool when looking for work or sharing insightful information––it also has plenty of resources via LinkedIn Learning. The platform features over 16,000 free and paid courses, ranging from business to creative and tech, which are taught via videos presented by industry experts.

Price LinkedIn Learning is available as part of LinkedIn Premium, which is billed either monthly or annually.

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8. The Museum of Modern Art

While a trip to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York’s Midtown is largely out of the question for the time being, learning to appreciate modern art has never been easier. The Museum of Modern Art has listed a handful of free online courses that you can enroll in and complete at your own pace on online learning platform, Coursera. Nine courses and specialisations are available to choose from––including fashion as design, contemporary art, seeing through photographs and modern art and ideas. The course offerings range from 12 to 38 hours in total commitment time, but unlike a university course they’re designed to be completed as slowly as needed and are simply curated to instil a deeper understanding of art for the general public. 
 
Price All courses are available for free.

9. Udemy

Not many other educational platforms come close to the variety and quantity that Udemy offers––with over 150,000 courses available and 24 million students worldwide. The platform helps to connect students and professionals globally to a network of 57,000 instructors, with courses ranging from traditional academic subjects to business, finance, marketing and creative classes––even including instruction on mediation, nutrition, dance, bread-making and music.
 
Price Courses start at US$12.99.

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10. Skillshare

If you work in a creative industry, or are looking to tap into it, Skillshare features thousands of topics including illustration, design, photography, video, freelancing and more. Aiming to teach its members to become empowered, as well as new skills, the platform's classes are taught by real creators and experts.
 
Price You can sign up to Skillshare for free and access a range of online courses, with the paid Premium Membership allowing full access to over 20,000 classes.

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