ALISON: A 9-million member, global community of free and certified learning

Is ALISON Free?

Yes, ALISON is free! And this is how they do it and why.

They are inspired by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads: “Everyone has the right to education.” ALISON was founded by global leader and innovator Mike Feerick in 2007 in Galway, Ireland.

They financially support the publishing/offering of their courses in two ways: they host advertising and offer parchments for purchase to those who have successfully completed a course. 

The ALISON parchments (which are available framed or unframed or, as PDFs for some courses,) are similarly priced in relation to the average income of countries. The cost ranges from €4 to €115 plus shipping.

There is of course no obligation to purchase a parchment. The students are entitled to cite the fact that they have completed a course, regardless of whether they have the hard-copy certificate or diploma.

Innovation & Technology

ALISON is a globally social enterprise, dedicated to providing free certified education and workplace training skills to any individual, anywhere, anytime, on any subject over the web.

With 9 million learners in 250 countries, ALISON is changing how the world learns. Recognized as the first MOOC (Massive Open Online Courseware), ALISON has increased global reach and reputation. Some 1 million people all over the world have graduated with free certificates and diplomas using this program.  More than 10,000  students have shared their stories of empowerment and success, adding their testimony to the positive change ALISON has brought to their lives.

In 2009, a UK government report stated that "ALISON opens up the world of knowledge offering new, flexible, and exciting ways to learn”.  In 2010, ALISON was recognized by UNESCO through UNESCO’s Innovation in ICT in Education Award. Also in 2013, ALISON received the World Summit for Education Award for "outstanding quality and exceptional impact on education through innovation."

ALISON engages new technology and innovative business models. Lead by a group of highly talented and socially aware technologists and professionals from around the world, ALISON leads the way to enable people to educate and upskill themselves for free. This helps  to build a better, more sustainable global community.  As pointed out by Nelson Mandela, "education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world".

Course Providers/ Publishers

ALISON’s course material comes from Subject Matter which is provided by: Amazon Web Services, British Council, Cambridge University, Google, Harvard, Lund University, Microsoft, MIT, Sun Microsystems, UN World Health Organization, University of Kansas, University of North Carolina, University of Texas at Austin, University of Western Sydney, US AID, and others.  Course content is redesigned digitally for an immersive, interactive and enriched learning experience.

What To Do If Interested?

1.       Decide what subject area you want to study.

2.       Find the right course for you (from ALISON’s 750 courses).

3.       Get enrolled. Sign in or register your free account on ALISON, and then click on the “start course” button. ALISON courses are free and self-paced.

4.       Take the assessments (which you may retake if needed).

5.       Get your certificate.  Once you have completed your course, you can download your learner record as proof of your accomplishment. Should you like something more official, you can purchase a certificate.

Available Courses

To explore ALISON’s 750 Certificate/Diploma level courses (which have been grouped into 100+ subject areas) and other details, please click here. 

Posted by Dr. Nat Tuivavalagi