If you’re interested in taking math and science classes online, you’ve probably heard of Brilliant.org. As we’ll detail in our Brilliant review below, the platform is a great resource for anyone looking to learn new STEM skills and master difficult concepts.
But what is Brilliant.org, exactly? Is it the right course platform for you? And is Brilliant worth the cost?
In the guide below, we’ll take an in-depth look at Brilliant, including its cost, courses, features, pros and cons, and how it works.
Read on for our full Brilliant review so you can decide if it’s worth your time and money.
What Is Brilliant.org?
Brilliant is an online course website that specializes in offering interactive, feedback-driven classes in a variety of STEM subjects, including math (geometry, algebra, etc.), science (biology, astrophysics, etc.), engineering, and computer science.
The courses on Brilliant are designed to help students of all levels learn new material and improve their problem-solving skills. The platform’s interactive learning approach engages students and helps them retain information better than traditional passive methods like lectures or textbooks.
The motive of Sue Khim, founder of Brilliant, is aligned with providing ease to the learner by breaking down complex concepts into interactive lessons.
Ever since COVID-19 broke out, people realized the necessity for learning from home. This is how the popularity of Brilliant increased as it proved to be an excellent substitute for a tutor.
This site is also heavily used by school-going and college students as a considerable number of students fail to understand core concepts in a classroom setting.
Who Teaches on Brilliant.org?
The instructors at Brilliant are a group of professionals, researchers, and award-winning teachers from renowned places, including but not limited to the following:
- MIT
- University of Chicago
- Caltech
- University of Waterloo
- Princeton University
- University of Cambridge
- Stanford University
- UC Berkeley
- Yale University
- Microsoft
More than 70 professors and researchers from all over the world have been involved in carefully planning the courses and deriving effective learning opportunities for the users.
What Can You Learn On Brilliant.org?
Brilliant specializes in STEM courses that offer an interactive learning experience. This specialization allows the users to have in-depth knowledge about the content of each course.
There are over 60 interactive courses that you can choose from on the online learning platform, and they can be categorized into three groups under which all the courses can be listed.
These are as follows:
- Math
- Science
- Computer Science
When you visit the website and click on the courses tab, you will be able to explore numerous options.
The page shows the most popular course choices, which currently include Logic, Scientific Thinking, Computer Science Fundamentals, and Pre-Algebra. Scrolling below, you can find the popular learning paths. These are Foundational Math, Science Foundations, Computer Science Foundations, and Advanced Topics.
You can browse the specific course you’d like to enroll in each broad category and enjoy learning. The courses are designed uniquely, totally different from the conventional course outlines. Each topic is explained piece by piece in a storytelling fashion to prevent an overload of information and keep the student motivated throughout the course duration. This helps elevate interest and increase the frequency of a student revisiting the site to complete the course(s).
If you’re new to the site, it will ask you to identify yourself as a student/ parent/ teacher/ professional/ hobbyist so that course suggestions may be made accordingly.
How Much Does Brilliant.org Cost?
Brilliant pricing includes a few different options for their Premium subscription which gives you unlimited access to all of the site’s content and features.
The three payment options are as follows:
- Annual – $10.83/month billed once per year ($129.96)
- Monthly – $24.99 billed once per month
- Groups (3+ users) – $299.88 a year
It’s also worth pointing out that Brilliant does have some very limited free content, which includes daily new problems and course previews. Think of this as a way to get a teaser of what the courses are like before you decide to sign up for a paid membership.
Brilliant does offer a 7-day free trial of their premium content so that you can explore and decide if the courses are a good fit for you.
Once you sign up, you will have access to all of the features and content without any limits. You can cancel at any time during the trial period and will not be charged anything.
How Does Brilliant Pricing Compare To Other Platforms?
There’s no shortage of online course websites out there, so you might be wondering how the price of Brilliant compares to some of the alternatives.
Here are the current prices of some competing online learning platforms:
- LinkedIn Learning pricing — $39.99 for month-to-month or $240 for an annual subscription
- Masterclass pricing — $96-$276 a year, no monthly plans available
- Skillshare pricing –$13.75/month ($165 billed annually)
- Coursera pricing — $59 a month or $399 a year for a Coursera Plus subscription
- Udemy pricing — Individual courses sell anywhere from $19.99 to $199 each
With plans starting as low as $10.83 a month, the Brilliant Premium plan is a competitively priced online learning platform.
Remember, you can sign up for a free trial of Brilliant Premium to explore the content and see if it’s a good fit for you. If you decide to commit to a paid membership, you have the option of paying monthly or annually.
How Does Brilliant Work?
Brilliant has structured its courses around the idea of “learning interactively”, whereby all the course content is broken down into problem-solving tasks that take approximately 15 minutes to complete. These are kept short to grab the user’s attention span and keep it.
The lessons have been gamified with lots of visuals and animations, so it feels more like playing a game than rote learning. According to research, teaching through games allow students to nurture social and emotional learning, increase participation and develop their risk-taking ability. Not only this, but people with dyslexia are also able to read better owing to improved spatial and temporal attention.
Puzzles and games intrigue students to take on more challenges than they normally would. This results in quicker course completion.
Therefore, the courses have a design that keeps the student-organized and curious to learn more and develops the ‘never-give-up attitude.
One has the autonomy to customize their learning journey so that it can be as effective and exhaustive as possible. “You do you” this platform allows you to choose what works best for you rather than following the norm. User experience is their USP!
How To Sign Up For Brilliant
Getting set up to take classes on Brilliant is super quick and easy. Here’s how to get started:
- Visit the Brilliant website
- Click the “Get Started” button
- Answer a short questionnaire that will help Brilliant understand your learning goals
- Enter your email or sign up using Facebook or Google credentials
- Choose the type of membership you want (annual, monthly, or group)
- Enter your payment information
- Start your 7-day free trial
That’s really all there is to it!
How To Take Brilliant.org Courses?
In order to take the courses, you have to select a learning path. It may be Science, Math, or Computer Science, and even a combination of courses from these categories.
Brilliant provides course recommendations based on the information you provide.
You can choose any course(s) and then change later, should you have a change of plans.
In each category, there are a set number of courses. For example, Foundational Math has seven courses: Pre-Algebra, Geometry Fundamentals, Mathematical Fundamentals, Algebra through Puzzles, Geometry I, Introduction to Algebra, and Algebra II.
Therefore, it starts from a beginner level and builds upon the concepts gradually, leading to advanced-level understanding.
Brilliant.org Features Explained
There are some free features, while all paid features can be unlocked via an upfront payment subscription plan. Let us dive into those features in detail.
Daily challenges
There are a variety of daily challenges in each course so that the students can be encouraged to develop a habit of challenging themselves academically. Therefore, a “Brilliant learner” does not enroll in a course just to complete it but rather to attain lifelong learning.
You can even call it a warm-up exercise to keep you alert and engaged throughout the course. However, one main drawback is that these daily challenges may not be based on the current courses that you are enrolled in. These are random and may be on the topic the student has not studied before.
Community Wiki
Feeling stuck at some point? No problem at all. It has an interactive community known as a community wiki which experts form from Brilliant. The community consists of a vast variety of content to provide the required guidance and help. This way, it enhances teamwork skills, encouraging everyone to benefit one another and share knowledge. You can access the community and get the desired answers to your problems right away.
STEM Courses
One of the strong features includes these STEM courses are taught in a fun manner to remove any ambiguities while also preparing the student for professional life. A skill-building is a heavily used property in these courses, whereby the skills are built in an incremental manner. Once you have practiced the course material, you take a challenge or two before proceeding to another lesson. Therefore, baby steps with strong foundation-building techniques are used.
Real-life scenarios are inculcated in key concepts to help you relate the problems to the real world. It greatly benefits a learner with a deeper understanding and intuitive building of abstract concepts.
Apart from the main features, complementary tools are added to keep the system learner-friendly always. These include positive messages about the importance of learning from mistakes should you give an incorrect answer at any step. Helpful hints stimulate the thinking process when you are solving a problem. These helpful hints save you from long processes so that you choose an easy direct approach to the correct solution. There are animated explanations at the end of the solutions for you to review and reflect on.
Interactive Features
Brilliant’s courses are all about interactivity. The lessons will usually ask you questions and provide explanations and hands-on activities to help you understand the concepts.The courses are very well-organized, and the information is presented in a way that is easy to understand. The visuals are also very helpful in explaining the concepts.
Brilliant.org FAQs
What is Brilliant?
Brilliant is an educational platform that offers courses in various STEM subjects. The courses are designed to be interactive and engaging, and they cover a wide range of topics.
What is the difference between Brilliant and other online learning platforms?
Brilliant is unique in its approach to teaching STEM subjects. The courses are designed to be interactive and hands-on rather than passive. Additionally, the visuals and explanations are designed to be easy to understand.
Does Brilliant offer a free trial?
Yes, Brilliant offers a 7-day free trial for all of its courses.
How much does Brilliant cost?
A Brilliant Premium membership starts at $10.83 a month when billed annually or $24.49 when billed month-to-month.
What forms of payment does Brilliant accept?
Brilliant accepts major credit cards and PayPal in most countries.
What age groups can take courses on Brilliant?
Brilliant says its classes are for anyone from 10 to 110. However, you must be at least 13 years old to create an account.
Is Brilliant.org Worth It?
After reading the Brilliant review above, you might still be wondering, is Brilliant.org worth it?
The answer is yes!
If you are looking for an interactive and engaging way to learn STEM subjects, then Brilliant is the perfect platform for you. The courses are well-designed and cover a wide range of topics. Additionally, the free trial and reasonable pricing make it a great option for everyone.
Get Started With Brilliant.org!
Click here to try Brilliant free for 7 days!
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