The spring of 2020 has brought about many challenges to every corner of the world. The pandemic has affected each sphere of human lives.

However tragic the crisis circumstances may be, they also tend to give rise to novelties. Be it the tech sphere or communication and cooperation between people, the nearest future is doomed to face many great innovations.

Such an important part of social life as education is no exception. More and more digitalized world has already offered many amazing breakthroughs to all involved. There are endless opportunities to study online today.

Everything regarding academics, some can argue, has become easier. There are many MOOCs, which stands for massive online open courses, and different open libraries. One does not have to do all the work today. There are professional custom essay writing services, possibilities to get tutoring assistance, and whatnot.

There are both supporters and opponents of education going digital, yet one thing is for sure. There is no going back, so one better concentrate on reaping benefits from such shifts.

In this article, you will find five top webinar platforms. Educators from all over the world use them extensively to ensure an uninterrupted curriculum in their institutions.

Decide on Criteria First

Before listing the best options, it is important to identify the main criteria each educator should consider first. For this purpose, it is necessary to answer the following questions:

• How large is the audience? The choice of the platform will depend on how many learners will be among viewers/listeners of your webinars;

• Are you into in-browser or external software? While the first option may look simpler (no downloading is involved), you should consider both. Usually, the quality is better if each counterpart in the educational process has a platform installed on their devices;

• What about the budget? Though there are some free options available now, usually, webinar platforms have differing pricing. The rates depend on the entity you present, your needs and expectations. Do your research with all these points mind before making a choice;

• Are there any recommendations from your institution? There can be in-campus platforms developed. And if the college, uni or school you work for has rather strict policies, better oblige with whatever option is on the plate.

However, if you are free to go in any direction, pick one of the platforms described below.

GoToWebinar

As webinars can be called a product of marketing moving online, many of the platforms were created for those involved in e-commerce. However, in times like these, there is no shame in going into the field of others. And using GoToWebinar may be a good choice.

This will be the general advice applying to any platform described here - trials are there for a reason. GoToWebinar offers seven days of free usage for the audience up to 100 people. You can start with it and later switch to another platform.

This option is great if you would like to track the lecture or a presentation - the quality will surprise you. However, the chat feature is not so well-thought, which can be an obstacle for a group discussion.

Google (News - Alert) Hangouts

This option will be especially convenient if you and your audience possess and actively use Gmail accounts. This way, there will be no need for any downloads from the web. Google Hangouts are already in-built in each account.

Having evolved from a maximum of fifty participants to one hundred, Google Hangouts offer easy managing with less effort from all sides.

WebEx

Brought to the world by the distinguished Cisco Systems (News - Alert), WebEx is one of the best options to conduct online meetings and webinars.

Surely any educator will be glad to hear that the company strives to address the challenge of COVID-19. To this end, they have a separate section, "WebEx for education." There, one can find many great materials on each step of creating and managing a virtual classroom.

Driven by the motto "It's more important than ever to keep classrooms connected," WebEx has prepared detailed tutorials for both students and tutors. There are also great offers that will suit even the tightest budget.

Webinars OnAir (News - Alert)

This platform postulates to offer all the features one needs for a smooth flow of as many webinars as may be necessary. There are options for automation of the materials, and many features for engagement with the audience.

As an educator, you might find the possibility to create polls and surveys on the go beneficial. If you want a top-notch webinar platform, this one is worth considering.

Zoom

This particular webinar platform's popularity has skyrocketed in the recent months. Indeed, this option is the one many specialists turn to now. It incorporates all the features necessary to conduct meetings, lectures, and presentations.

Some even use it for online protests in the times of quarantine. However, there were some scandals involved with Zoom. Many meetings were leaked into the web, so if you care about data security, think twice and choose the platform responsibly.

Wrapping Up

Today, there are many options offered for conducting educational webinars. Decide on what exactly it is you need, check the features available, and choose what speaks to you. Consult with the students as well. Being a tech-savvy generation, they will definitely help you.

Luckily, with all the technological advances, nothing can stop sharing knowledge nowadays.