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Apps for online learning

If you’ve ever talked about taking an extra class or two to acquire a new skill but never had the time, there’s no longer an excuse.

As PC Mike Wendland reports, online courses available through apps can help you learn anytime, anywhere.

MasterClass has two defining characteristics that set it apart from any other online learning system. First is the talent. MasterClass recruits A-listers as its instructors. Steve Martin teaches comedy, Serena Williams teaches tennis, and so on. Second, the classes are supremely high quality in both production value and course composition. An all-access pass costs $180 per year or $15 per month, and the app itself is free for iOS and Android.

Skillshare is a fully online learning community with thousands of classes offered daily in design, illustration, business, tech, photo and film, entrepreneurship, writing, and more. Think of it as the Netflix for online courses, offering immediate access to more than 28,000 classes to improve and inspire you. Membership starts at $15 per month, but the app is free for iOS and Android.

CreativeLive is another collection of educational video courses. Content ranges from creative pursuits like photography, flower arranging, drawing and music composition to lifestyle content such as business skills and personal growth. Each individual lesson has a 30-second preview to aid in your decision-making. Courses range in price from $9.99 to $199, though the app is free for iOS.

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.