ALISON,  which is known for its free global learning opportunity recently improved its online learning site by launching a newly designed website.

The new website of ALISON now have many new social networking feature and interested people can now register faster. But what I like in the new ALISON is its more intuitive study area and new free tools to make learning, teaching or training even better than before.

Under the new portal, one can easily create virtual classroom for a group of learners  that can be managed and monitored with the free ALISON Manager. This tool is free to trainers and teachers  of IT-skills certification ALISON ABC IT, the Microsoft Digital Literacy curriculum (MS DLC), and many other courses.

With all these new features, ALISON remains free to all; hence learning a new course or  improving your workplace skill will not cost you anything.  So check out the new and improved ALISON free online learning for all to experience faster and convenient online learning. Register for free and start improving your skills.

And unlike other Mandarin tutorial, this free Mandarin online lesson came from Heriot-Watt University,  a well-known educational institution.  This Mandarin lesson is available through SCHOLAR. SCHOLAR is an online learning tool that is originally available to all Higher and Advanced Higher students in Scotland but Phillip John, the Dean of science and engineering at the university and executive chair of the SCHOLAR Forum, offer this to general public so that any individual who want to learn Mandarin can now possibly learn for free. All you need is a computer with internet access!

So if you want to start learning Mandarin now, simply visit this site.

But fret no more because just like free online courses in computing technology, there are also some resources where nurses can avail of free online continuing education. One online portal that I know is the Medi-Smart, a website about nursing education resources.

Medi-Smart compiled a directory of Free Nursing Continuing Education Resources that can be accessed online.  Some of the free online courses were:

Culture Advantage-  This offers 3 free online CE courses which are accredited for contact hours in Kansas and 15 other states. This site requires registration prior to taking courses

Nellcor Puritan Bennett – This offers a good selection of free, accredited online educational courses for registered nurses and respiratory therapists

Journal of Nursing Risk Management – This is composed of free 14.5 Contact Hours nursing continuing education for full-time military and federal health care providers

Female Urinary Incontinence – Offers free 2 Hour course that is accredited by the California Board of Registered Nursing

With these free courses, even those budget-constrained nurses can now equip themselves with continuing education that may help them to advance in their profession or at least empower their knowledge in providing better health care services.

The advantage of the platform of Innovative Language Learning is that students can simply download the lessons in podcast format. This means, they store it in any portable media players. And since it is distributed in iTunes, one can get the latest lessons as soon as they are published. Definitely no hassle!

Another good thing about the Innovative Language Learning is that their lessons are recorded on location; therefore students can also have cultural insight and become more familiar with current events of the particular country.

Some of the foreign languages that you can learn from Innovative Language Learning are French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic and Korean. And if you want to learn English, Innovative Language Learning also has one too.

So check them out and learn your chosen second language for free! You can even interact with vibrant community and communicate with other listeners around the world through their forum.

The online learning center of Sony Backstage is offering several short online courses that aims to provide updated curriculum in Microsoft products which are taught by instructors who are expert in these subject matters. For those who want to learn Windows Vista, they currently have courses such as:

Understanding Microsoft® Windows Vista® Business Edition
Windows Vista® Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Windows Vista®: Find Information in the Registry
Windows Vista®: Finding Files Using Basic Search

And for those who want to maximize their knowledge in Office 2007, Sony Backstage Online Learning Center has the following courses that can surely help us:

Introduction to Microsoft® Excel® 2007
Introduction to Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2007
Introduction to Microsoft® Word 2007
Manage Your Personal Finances with Intuit® Quicken® 2009 Software

All these courses are taught online and offered for free. So grab this opportunity and improve your computing skills at no cost on your part.

The online course is also has written lesson with various examples. Students will upload their photos to receive helpful feedback and advice. This is indeed a great way to learn online photography at no cost. Students will definitely enjoy the supportive and interactive learning environment where they can ask questions, discuss ideas and participate to activities.

The things that students can learn form this online photography class are the following:
* Exposure – exposing for you subject, bracketing, exposure compensation
* Shooting in a snow storm
* Finding things to shoot when you have no snow
* Focusing – auto-focus, manual focus
* Preparation – staying warm and dry, you and your gear
* Moonlit night reflections
* Locations
* How to protect your gear
* Subjects – landscapes, ice patterns, snowmen, animals, decorations
* Light – overcast, sunshine, reflective, soft, harsh, contrasts

Enrollment is now going on and class will start on February 2, 2009. To enroll in this online photography course for free, simply use the coupon code SNOWINFEB at checkout.  Students will also be asked to complete an assignment and top photo from this activity will be awarded a $20 gift card from Amazon.com.

This is a four-session course that will help you discover what separates Windows Vista from previous Windows XP and how to make the most of its benefits. The lessons are divided into the following topics:
Lesson 1: A First Look at Windows Vista – where you will learn about some of the benefits of Windows Vista and how to upgrade your hardware.

Lesson 2: Exploring the Windows Vista Interface – This lesson takes you on a tour of the new interface where students can learn how running programs and managing files has changed for the better.

Lesson 3: Maintaining Your System – explains how Windows Vista Business helps you maintain your PC’s health and troubleshoot any problems that may occur.

Lesson 4: Managing and Securing Data – find out how Windows Vista Business helps you protect your important data better and more easily.

This course is composed of 8 sessions with the following topics:
* Examine the key elements of a successful business
* Learn methods for differentiating your product or service
* Determine fair pricing for your product or service
* Understand how to communicate value to your customers
* Learn strategies for building a successful management team
* Learn how to create and package your business plan

The online instructor is Yvonne Phelps, a business consultant and professional educator who has expertise in writing business plans, strategic plans and marketing plans for entrepreneurs and growth companies. To learn more or to enroll for this entrepreneurial course, please click here.

Tufts OpenCourseWare is part of a new educational movement initiated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and just like the MITCourseWare, it does not require any registration and it does not grant any degree, credit or certification after course completion. But online learners are guaranteed to get the same quality education because its course offering are the same with standard Tufts course materials.

To find out more about the free online courses of Tufts University, please visit this link. The list of available courses can be found here.

As mentioned here before, MIT is offering free online courses that can be accessed by the general public all over the world. And although MIT’s free online classes provide no formal college credit, there are still lots of people all across the globe who is taking MIT free online courses because they see value on these classes as the people behind these programs are real educators and that the lectures are given by legitimate and highly qualified professors.

Here is the direct link to access the free online Physics lectures of Prof. Walter Lewin over the MIT OpenCourseWare.