Top 25 Rated Learning Websites

I am in the midst of reviewing literature for my dissertation and came across a very interesting paper from the International Journal of Self-Directed Learning (Volume 11, Number 1, Spring 2014), “Analyzing the human learning and development potential of websites available for informal learning” (p. 12) and wanted to share a handy list included in the work. After developing a list 305 free websites for informal learning, eight criteria were used to evaluate each and all were placed into one of six categories. Included in the paper is a list of the top 25 rated learning websites according to this study. Here is that listing (Table 3, p. 19).

Language Learning

• Livemocha (http://www.livemocha.com/)
• BBC Learning English (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/)
• ChinesePod (http://chinesepod.com/)

Outdoor / Adventure learning

• Earthducation (http://lt.umn.edu/earthducation/)
• Jon Bowermaster (http://www.jonbowermaster.com/)
• Nautilus Live (http://www.nautiluslive.org/)
• Explore (http://www.explore.org/)

Social Change / Global Learning

• iCivics (http://www.icivics.org/)

Virtual Education

• MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) (http://ocw.mit.edu)
• MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) Highlights for High School 
(http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school)
• Khan Academy (http://www.khanacademy.org)
• Open University UK-OpenLearn (http://www.open.uk/openlearn/)
• Ed Tech talk (http://edtechtalk.com/)
• John Hopkins OpenCourseWare (http://ocw.jhsph.edu/)
• NASA for Educators (http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html)
• Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/)
• Smithsonian (http://www.si.edu/)

Learning Portals

• MERLOT (http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm)

Shared Online Video

• National Geographic Education (http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/)
• Academic Earth (http://academicearth.org/)
• Discovery News Video (http://news.discovery.com/videos/)
• Wonder How To Videos (http://www.wonderhowto.com/)
• Explo.tv (http://www.exploratorium.edu/tv/index.php)
• Link TV (http://www.linktv.org/)

What do you think? Any of these new to you?