Online learning takes many forms, but whether you take your education medicine in live events, self study, video, downloadable presentations, online classes – there’s something available for just about any learning style. I’ll start with some of my own favorites, and then I’ll turn this conversation over to members of the CPA Practice Advisor community who have shared their own learning tools.
Having been a college-level personal financial planning instructor at Education 2 Go (ed2go) for almost a decade, I can recommend the format, the interplay between instructors and students, and the variety of educational offerings. Similarly, I enjoy taking courses through LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com), Coursera and Khan Academy. And you’ve probably heard of the Great Courses? These are available online, and also through Kanopy which you can get for free at your local library.
Donny Shimamoto, managing director of Intraprise TechKnowlogies, turns to online training through Udemy. “I use Udemy for a variety of courses and have had some staff take some of their courses as well.”
Scott Hoppe, founder of Creating Blu, agrees. “I use Udemy.com for a lot of NON-CPE education. That is like Dashboard building in Google Data Studio, how to build apps in Google App Maker, UI/EX Design. I love it and they always run a deal.”
Jacquelyn Tracy, partner, Mandel & Tracy, gets right to the video source and recommends YouTube for instant education. “My husband uses it all the time for how-to videos. Our Keurig machine stopped working this weekend and we were able to find a video that walked him through two ways to fix the machine. One of the methods was to take it apart and the video went through the whole process. Our Keurig machine is now working fine!”
Kacee Johnson, strategic advisor at CPA.com, recommends iReady and TrueUp. “For our daughter we loved iReady by Curriculum Associates this summer. It kept her on track with reading progression and provides insights to both parents and teachers about challenges and milestones. For firms, I like TrueUp which is gamification for recruiting and continuing education.”
Are you interested in learning a foreign language? Rosalind Sutch, shareholder at Philadelphia-based Drucker and Scaccetti suggests you try Duolingo. “Duolingo is a great app for learning a new language. I have multiple staff that use it and my niece recently told me she was using it to ensure she didn’t forget what she learned in her high school language classes!” Natasha Schamberger, CEO/president of the Kansas Society of CPAs, reports that she and her daughter are using Duolingo to learn Spanish together.
Along those same lines, Damien Greathead, vice president global accountants’ programs at Receipt Bank, uses Babel. “Babel has been particularly helpful in the lead up to travel in non-English speaking countries. Being able to say some basic phrases when you arrive makes the world of difference. Whether it be for work or pleasure it’s always nice to know a few introductory words. A little effort goes a long way when guests in another country.”
Jeffrey Moskowitz, director of financial operations at Biomedical Research and Longevity Society, Inc., recommends Quizlet. “My kids love Quizlet. They like it since it’s a great tool to study with and helps you memorize the material. It’s like flashcards and you can play games to test if you know the lesson.”
Are you or someone you know studying for the CPA exam? Megan Lewczyk, COO, of Yaeger CPA Review, told us, “I’d like to recommend the Yaeger CPA Review Instructor Hotline app for CPA Exam tutoring. It’s an online application, not native to any specific device type. CPA candidates have the ability to schedule time with a team of accounting professors who are CPAs. Built into the Yaeger CPA Review platform called AdaptaPASS, it uberizes the studying process and is the perfect fit for struggling candidates who need some 1-on-1 help.”
Daniel Vidal, head of business development at Expensify, recommends Masterclass. “It is a really cool tool for continuing education on a huge variety of subject matters, by people that are regarded among the best in the world in their respective fields. The app and platform make it very accessible and fun to learn things like writing, cooking, photography, architecture, and a whole bunch of other areas.
Geni Whitehouse, founder of Even a Nerd Can Be Heard, and countess of communication for St. Helena, CA-based Brotemarkle, Davis & Co., told us, “I love Insight Timer – it is a meditation app that includes more than 200 courses related to mindfulness, meditation and other internal improvement concepts.” Nancy Schamberger recommends Headspace for learning to meditate.
Similarly, Amy Vetter, CEO of The B3 Method Institute has created a new app. “It’s a website – but the courses are mobile enabled. These are short, weekly lessons, to further your journey and help you achieve your desired potential in your career and personal life through the B³ Method (Business + Balance = Bliss).”
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Tags: Accounting, Firm Management
