Whether you are new to the computer or just want to brush up on your skills, you can find a free course online to meet your needs. Working through tutorials is a great way to practice computer skills you can use every day at home or work.
Entry-Level Free Online Computer Classes
GCFLearnFree - This treasure trove of free classes is designed for all computer owners, whether you're a PC, Mac or Linux fan. Free classes cover basic skills, email, internet browsers, Mac basics, internet safety and Windows basics. For more advanced users, free classes in social media, using the cloud, image editing, search skills and mobile devices bring you up to date with the most recent hardware and software.
ALISON - ALISON ABC IT is a free online information technology IT course that teaches everyday computing as it relates to work and life. The course focuses on Microsoft Office applications and touch typing. Topics include:
- Computer software and hardware
- Skills to manage files
- IT Safety
- Use of email and word processing programs
The program takes 15 to 20 hours to complete. A score of 80 percent or more in each of the course assessments qualifies you for a self-certification from ALISON.
Home & Learn - All the free online tutorials at the Home & Learn site are aimed at complete beginners. You don't need experience to begin. Tutorials include multiple tutorials for Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 10. Several courses cover dealing with spyware. The beginner's guide to going wireless addresses the basics, routers, what to buy to go wireless and safety. Outlook Express is the subject of 10 tutorials.
Free-ed - Offers a collection of free e-books, courses, and tutorials on the topics of computer programming, operating systems, database operations, web scripting and design, networking, communications, game design, animation, and virtual reality.
Meganga - Provides free basic computer training for beginners and seniors. The video tutorials cover computer basics, the desktop, Windows, troubleshooting, Word, Outlook and other topics.
CT Distance Learning Consortium - The CTDLC offers a free four-module tutorial that covers computer skills, email skills, word processing skills and web skills. Each of the modules is self-paced and comes with review questions so you can evaluate your progress. The computer skills module includes instruction on using a mouse, click and double-click, opening and closing files, locating saved files and copying and pasting between files or text.
Education Online for Computers.com - Offers both free and paid training. The free training includes instruction on computer software including Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, Powerpoint, Photoshop, Flash and web development.
Free Online Computer Classes for Intermediate and Advanced Users
FutureLearn - Offers hundreds of free online courses from top universities and other organizations. These classes last up to several weeks each and are suitable for intermediate and advanced computer users. Topics include robotics, social media, digital accessibility, managing your identity, searching and researching and cyber security.
Skilledup - Offers a collection of free online computer science courses. Although some classes are self-paced, some require weeks or months of study, just as they did in their original college presentation. Among the topics covered are cryptography, compilers, program design, hardware security, fundamentals of programming, web development, web intelligence and big data.
