Education is an industry that’s constantly evolving, but free online courses for educators are a great way for teachers to stay up to date with the latest. Thanks to websites like Coursera and edX, anyone from anywhere in the world can take online classes from the world’s top colleges and universities. That means you can learn– on your preferred schedule — about tech in the classroom, brush up on child psychology, and brainstorm ways to bring diversity into the classroom. Though dozens of online education classes are available, we’ve got the rundown on 30 of the best online courses for educators.
American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice
University of Pennsylvania
American Education Reform is a free online teaching course made available by University of Pennsylvania. The class examines the history of education reform in the United States, focusing on key players, decisions, and turning points. Participants may complete the 14-hour course at their own pace.
Art & Inquiry: Museum Teaching Strategies for Your Classroom
Museum of Modern Art
Unlike most of the free online education courses on our list, Art & Inquiry is offered not by a university, but by the Museum of Modern Art. The class explores the ways in which teachers can incorporate works of art into their classrooms using the same inquiry-based teaching methods originally developed for in-gallery museum education. The class is flexible and self-paced, and takes about eight hours to complete.
Assessment in Higher Education: Professional Development for Teachers
Erasmus University – Rotterdam
Assessment in Higher Education is a free online course offered by Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Taught entirely in English, the class guides participants through the different phases of preparing for, creating, and evaluating the assessments in one’s course. It takes approximately 18 hours to complete Assessment in Higher Education, though the class is entirely self paced.
Becoming a More Equitable Educator: Mindsets and Practices
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Becoming a More Equitable Educator is the first of two free online education courses offered by MIT. In this course, participants will explore the mindsets and practices that help students to thrive and feel valued. A special emphasis is placed on working with underserved students. The course is designed to take 10 weeks to complete, though all lessons are self paced.
Critical Issues in Urban Education
The University of Chicago
The University of Chicago offers educators from anywhere in the world this free online course titled Critical Issues in Urban Education. The course is self-paced, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 19 hours to complete. Its syllabus includes lessons on the No Child Left Behind Act and Common Core state standards.
Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Virtual K-12 Classroom
University of California – Irvine
Emerging Trends & Technologies… is a free online course offered by U.C. Irvine. The class is self-paced with flexible deadlines, and takes about 10 hours to get through, start to finish. Its syllabus includes discussions on the role of technology and the use of games in virtual education, among other topics.
Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Developing Relationships
Commonwealth Education Trust
Commonwealth Education Trust is a U.K.-based charity which invests in the professional development of teachers across the Commonwealth. The organization provides this free online course, Foundations of Teaching for Learning, via the popular website Coursera. The class covers the importance of, and the ways in which teachers can form relationships with students, colleagues, and others. It is all self paced, and takes about 13 hours to complete.
Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Learners and Learning
Commonwealth Education Trust
Another free online course offered by the Commonwealth Education Trust is Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Learners and Learning. In this 13-hour course, participants will discuss the ways in which children learn from their peer group, and how educators can engage with their students. Special emphasis is placed on exploring how children learn and shape their identities.
Get Interactive: Practical Teaching with Technology
University of London
Educators who have found themselves suddenly teaching online will surely want to take advantage of this free online course offered by University of London. Get Interactive is a beginner-level course which takes about 14 hours to complete. Over the course of the class, students will learn to create dynamic online lessons using multimedia tools and collaboration opportunities.
Get Organized: How to be a Together Teacher
Relay Graduate School of Education
Teachers are often expected to juggle exhausting schedules and time-sensitive tasks. That’s why Relay Graduate School of Education, a NYC-based grad school just for teachers, offers this free online course via Coursera. The course is about 13 hours. Participants examine the reasons for planning ahead and learn about various tools for tracking commitments and deadlines. Teachers will also be able to develop a personal organization system that aligns with their day-to-day tasks.
Intercultural Competency in Education
The University of Iceland
Intercultural Competency in Education is a free online course for teachers and administrators offered by The University of Iceland. The five-week course is conducted entirely in English, and it is recommended that participants spend 2-4 hours per week working through it. Over the course of the class, participants will learn to develop strategies to deal with identities in a fairer and more coherent way, ultimately become more interculturally competent.
Introduction to Family Engagement in Education
Harvard University
Introduction to Family Engagement in Education is a free online course from Harvard University that anyone involved in education is sure to find helpful. The six-week course covers the ways in which families and educators can successfully collaborate when it comes to students’ learning, and the improved outcomes for schools when this happens. Though the course is self-paced, it is recommended that participants dedicate 2-4 hours per week.
Introduction to Multilingual and Multicultural Education
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Founded in 1992, the National Research University Higher School of Economics is one of Russia’s top universities. This free online course, titled Introduction to Multilingual and Multicultural Education, is taught entirely in English and takes about 10 weeks to complete. The course evaluates different teaching practices in multilingual and multicultural settings. By the end of the class, participants will have a better understanding of the needs of a multilingual/multicultural classroom.
Journeys to Education Teach-Out
Emory University
A “teach-out” is a public online educational event meant to spark discussion and/or action around a certain topic. Emory University offers the free online Journeys to Education Teach Out via the website Coursera. The flexible, self-paced course takes about six hours to get through. Participants will explore and discuss what it means to be educated, and the ways in which we become more educated in different stages of our lives.
Launching Innovation in Schools
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Launching Innovation in Schools is a free online course offered by MIT. The 16-week course is self-paced, though it is recommended that participants commit 2-4 hours per week. Over the course of the class, students will learn how to take the first step towards launching initiatives that could improve teaching and/or learning.
Leaders of Learning
Harvard University
Harvard University offers a slew of free online courses, one of which is Leaders of Learning. This 10-week-long course is self-paced, though 2-4 hours per week is recommended. Over the course of the class, participants will begin to understand their own implicit theories of learning and leadership. Those theories will be challenged by discussions on the ways in which neuroscience affects learning, what leadership looks like in different learning environments, and how an organization’s structure reflects its theories of learning.
Learning to Teach Online
The University of New South Wales – Sydney
In this day and age, knowing how to teach well online is a skill every teacher must possess. For those educators who are making the leap to distance learning, there is Learning to Teach Online. It’s a free web-based course offered by The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The self-paced course takes about 17 hours to complete, and guides participants through understanding the ways in which online technologies can enhance the design of a class.
Literacy Teaching and Learning: Aims, Approaches and Pedagogies
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois offers this free online course to anyone interested in teaching literacy. Literacy Teaching and Learning is completely self-paced, and takes about 22 hours to get through, start to finish. The class begins with an explanation of what literacy seeks to achieve, then goes on to discuss various approaches to literacy.
Minecraft, Coding, and Teaching
University of California – San Diego
Minecraft, Coding, and Teaching is an beginner-level course provided by U.C. San Diego. The four-week course teaches the ways in which educators can teach coding skills to their students using Minecraft, one of the most popular games in the world. Though this class is self-paced, it is recommended that learners spend 2-3 hours per week working through it.
Organizational Analysis
Stanford University
Organizational Analysis is an introductory level course offered by the Stanford Graduate School of Education for free online. The 11-week course provides course participants with multiple theories of organizational behavior, and provides ways in which the theories can be applied. Though the course is self paced, it is recommended that those taking the class dedicate about two hours each week.
Saving Schools: Reforming the U.S. Education System
Harvard University
Saving Schools is a free online course offered by Harvard University. The class provides participants with an overview of the past, present, and future of the U.S. public K-12 education system. How the U.S. system compares to other systems around the world is examined in detail, as are the theories and implementation of alternative schools like charter or voucher schools. The course is self-paced, but typically takes 10 weeks to complete.
Supporting Children With Difficulties in Reading and Writing
University of London
Supporting Children With Difficulties in Reading and Writing is a free online course from University of London in collaboration with the organization Dyslexia and Literacy International. Participants will learn exactly why some students have so much difficulty with reading and writing, and some best practices for teaching literacy based on recent scientific discoveries. The course takes approximately 19 hours to complete.
The Teacher’s Social and Emotional Learning
University of Colorado Boulder
Social and emotional learning, also known as SEL, is a hot-button topic in education these days. While SEL programs have proven successful in schools, this free course offered by University of Colorado Boulder examines why SEL programs need to be available for teachers, too. The course takes approximately 13 hours to complete, and is actually the first in a five-course series.
Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom
Cornell University
Ivy League Cornell University provides this free online course to anyone who is interested. Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom explores how educators can create and maintain inclusive learning environments. The course consists of real stories, research-based lectures, and opportunities for reflection. It takes five weeks to complete the course.
Teaching Character and Creating Positive Classrooms
Relay Graduate School of Education
Relay Graduate School of Education, a private school for teachers located in New York City, offers this free course via the website Coursera. Teaching Character and Creating Positive Classrooms explores the most important elements of positive psychology as they apply to K-12 pedagogy. The course consists of lectures, interviews, and classroom footage, and takes approximately 15 hours to complete.
Teaching Children with Visual Impairment: Creating Empowering Classrooms
University of Cape Town
Currently, there is a global movement away from segregated special schooling and towards inclusive classroom. Teachers keen to know more about educating children with visual impairment, check this free online course from University of Cape Town. The class discusses what learning is like for the child who is visually impaired, and how educators can expand their core curriculum to include content areas of value to impaired learners. The course takes approximately 14 hours to complete, though participants can work through the lessons at their own pace.
Teaching Impacts of Technology in K-12 Education: Fundamentals
University of California – San Diego
Teaching Impacts of Technology: Fundamentals is the first of six courses making up a series on the impact of technology on K-12 education. The course is offered by U.C. San Diego, and takes about 14 hours to complete. The course begins by examining the myriad ways in which a K-12 student interacts with technology in a 24-hour period. Then, the course dives into the impacts computing and streaming media have had on our lives both in and out of the classroom.
Teaching Critical Thinking Through Art with the National Gallery of Art
SmithsonianX
Teaching Critical Thinking Through Art… is a free online course offered by SmithsonianX. The course guides teachers of all levels and subjects in integrating works of art using “Artful Thinking” routines. The 16-week course is self-paced, though it is recommended that participants dedicate 3-4 hours per week to completing it.
Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects
SmithsonianX
Teaching Historical Inquiry with Objects is another free online course offered by SmithsonianX. Ideal for teachers of middle and high school history, this fascinating class provides educators with new techniques for motivating students with an inquiry-based approach to learning. The course can be completed in six weeks.
Understanding Child Development: From Synapse to Society
Utrecht University
Anyone involved in K-12 education knows the importance of a knowledge of child development. Teachers and other educators can brush up on the latest research by participating in this free online education course from Utrecht University. The class, which takes approximately 23 self-paced hours to complete, covers topics ranging from brain and motor development to social-emotional development.
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