How Good Are Skillshare's New Learning Features?

Online learning platforms are increasing in popularity and prevalence more and more every year. Websites that used to offer a handful of classes now offer thousands of courses on almost every topic imaginable. With so many options, it can be difficult to decide which learning platform is right for you. Skillshare is a high-quality, user-friendly website that offers an abundance of courses led by experienced educators in order to help you build the skills you need to develop professionally.

Skillshare Overview

Skillshare is an online learning platform that launched in 2012 with only 25 courses in the beginning. Since then, it has grown to offer more than 27,000 courses in vastly different categories, including creative, technology, business and lifestyle. Courses are typically 30 minutes to an hour long. Users can take classes both on their computer and their phone with a mobile app. If you are a paid member, you can even download courses to take if you are offline and on the move. For your convenience, you can switch between your computer and phone effortlessly, and Skillshare will save your progress accurately and instantly.

Members gain unlimited access to the courses on Skillshare with a monthly subscription fee of $15 or a yearly subscription of $99, although there are more than 2,000 classes that are free for all users. Skillshare also offers a two-month trial for those who would like to try it out before committing to a subscription.

If you are looking for a certificate for completing a course, Skillshare does not offer that formality because the courses are not accredited. However, the courses will still be a useful addition to your resume or portfolio, as you will receive a URL to any projects you create and can then include them in your professional materials and job applications.

While there are many excellent classes with skilled teachers on the platform, it is important to note that anyone can technically become a teacher on Skillshare (that what makes it different from Udemy) , so it is crucial to read reviews before enrolling in a course and investing time in it. However, Skillshare is usually vigilant about removing any classes that are not the highest quality.

For everyone who has grown frustrated with paying thousands of dollars for a college education where the classes are broad and impractical, Skillshare is quickly becoming a great alternative, as it offers quality information and assignments that are practical, real-life applications for every new skill you gain.

Best of all, users can choose from three different kinds of learning experiences: normal classes, workshops and live sessions.

A New Way Of Learning On Skillshare

Live sessions empower users to ask questions in real-time through a chat function and work alongside teachers to build new skills. The classes are hosted on Zoom, and students can turn on their cameras to participate, although it is not mandatory.

To sign up for a live session, select the “Remind me” button next to the class. In these sessions, the number of available spots are limited to 300, so it is important to look at the schedule and reserve a spot well in advance. The system will notify you 15 minutes before the live session starts so that you do not miss the course.

The best aspect of live sessions is that only the top teachers are approved to oversee the courses, so you will be learning from the most skilled teachers on the platform.

"I really enjoy the set-up for the live events from Skillshare,” Skillshare user and internet marketing expert Vitaliy said. “It is well-organized, well-maintained, and the fact that there are no ‘random’ teachers makes me want to come back for more. "

Read my "Is Skillshare worth it in 2022?" review to learn more about the platform

How workshops are different from live events

Whereas normal classes are available any time, workshops occur on a set schedule that spans a few weeks and holds students more accountable to stay on track. Workshops are ideal for users who are searching for a more intense learning experience and would like to receive a greater amount of feedback from teachers and other students. Like live sessions, workshops are typically taught by the top Skillshare educators.

Unlike live sessions, students do not have to reserve a spot for most workshops, but occasionally unique workshops will have limited availability and might even cost a bit of additional money. However, these rare workshops are usually of the highest quality and worth the extra cost.

It is important to keep in mind that free members cannot participate in workshops, so you will have to pay for a subscription if you are interested in this benefit.

To learn more about Skillshare and the courses you can take to build your skills as well as your resume and online portfolio, visit IMHO Review