As college costs rise and the Internet grows, online courses are an increasingly attractive option for people looking to learn new skills without breaking the bank. Over the years, the breadth and speed of virtual educational systems has exploded.

The 1970s brought significant changes to remote learning as computers began to replace televisions as the most progressive medium of teaching. Offline computer-assisted instruction gained momentum during the 1980s and by 1984, the first online learning network was established, which connected schools in Israel, Japan, Mexico, California and Alaska.

At the close of the decade the University of Phoenix launched, offering an academic degree program that could be obtained entirely online. Their courses were accessible by a much larger audience than any other remote learning service available and their early success was a precursor to today’s surge in online learning outlets.

Fast-forward to 2013 and the online learning landscape is quite a different beast than its original predecessors. What started as only a handful of online universities in the early ‘90s has snowballed into over 500 accredited online colleges in just a few short decades.

Today’s virtual classes are no longer constrained to just conventional educational courses thanks to a desire to devour a great range of information and develop skills that widely vary. What were once common barriers to learning (such as time, money and accessibility) are no longer significant obstacles to obtaining specialized skills from experienced instructors. In the past three years, courses that offer different outcomes than credits or a degrees have become particularly popular. People are yearning to learn for not just educational and professional development, but also for personal advancement and satisfaction.

It’s not surprising that a wide range of classes on a variety of subjects (think anything from knitting to HTML coding) has sprung up recently. Sites that offer online learning taught by instructors with varying levels of expertise allow students to pursue their passions, no matter how specific they may be.

The following sites are great sources for virtual learning:

•  Skill Share is “a global community centered around creativity, collaboration and learning by doing” that gives people the chance to learn with anyone, anywhere, by connecting teachers and students from around the world. There is a wide variety of classes offered, and prices range from free to about $50.

• Lynda offers classes for all skill levels and gives members unlimited access to their library of 1,867 video courses. Classes center mostly on learning new software and web design and are free to members. There are two tiers of membership, which cost $25/month and $37/month respectively.

• CreativeLive connects students with the world’s most inspiring teachers, live. Instructors are renowned professionals in fields ranging from productivity to photography and business to software development. Classes are free during the initial live viewing and are available for purchase after the fact. Costs range from $39 to $149.

• Craftsy is an online community of 1.5 million makers who learn creative skills such as quilting, knitting, cake decorating and cooking from expert instructors. Class costs vary from free to about $50.

As online learning booms, so has a demand to understand the ins and outs of the food world. Cook Taste Eat gives food lovers the opportunity to connect with and learn from the crème-de-la-crème of chefs. We aim to deliver inspiration and incredible recipes with our free content and with our newly launched on-demand classes, where home cooks have a chance to dive deeper into the principles of balanced cooking (Enter code DOTCOM15 for 15% off your first class).

People are hungry to go beyond the surface of recipes and dig into not just the hows, but also the whys of cooking. Thanks to years of experience and culinary knowledge from legendary chefs, our on-demand lessons go way beyond what most cooking classes (both online and in-person) manage to teach. Not only will you learn techniques you’ve never seen before, but you’ll also gain skills that will impact how you approach cooking from here on out.

Cook Taste Eat shares digital videos featuring some of the best chefs in the world in order to teach foodies how to elevate their home cooking one insider trick and tip at a time.

Unlike many cooking courses offered through conventional culinary schools, Cook Taste Eat’s on-demand classes are affordable (lessons start at only $12!), easily accessible (watch anytime from the comfort of your home kitchen) and come in a flexible format that is designed for your busy life. Hours of on-demand videos, fact-filled charts, hands-on homework suggestions and irresistible recipes – plus an invitation to take part in our interactive community of fellow students and Cook Taste Eat experts – are just some of the tools we want to share with you to reinvent the way you cook, taste, and eat. Get ready to transform your cooking game for good!

Meet Carleigh

After exploring the culinary scenes of Chicago, Baltimore, Washington D.C., New York and Paris from the resident’s perspective, Carleigh’s passion for food and wine inevitably led her to the epicurean mecca of San Francisco where she spends her days working as Cook Taste Eat’s Director of Content. Before tackling the world of online media and culinary production, Carleigh was was the Executive Editor of Culinary Trends magazine, covering everything and anything related to the West Coast’s dining scene. She has contributed to various publications such as Every Day with Rachael Ray and Chicago Magazine, and has dabbled in the dairy business as a cheesemonger for Cowgirl Creamery.

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