Online University Resources
At various times there have been calls for covering real, non-TW topics in this section. Since we created this section a few years ago, there have been a number of universities and non-profits offering free online courses, and those courses have become a lot more robust. It would therefore not be very useful for anyone to re-invent the wheel, so here's a brief list of online sites which offer courses and other educational assistance, primarily at the college level. Hopefully this will help anyone looking to self-educate. Feel free to post additions or updates in a reply, or your experience of any of the sites. Please do not list any sites that require a transaction for participation in the course.(List current as of: December 7th, 2012) Key: ~ = Offers introductory courses on the subject matter ^ = Offers advanced undergraduate to post-graduate courses on the subject matter @ = Courses feature substantial media supplements, such as videos and interactivity ! = Denotes the degree of completeness in coverage of the field (! to !!!) Index
Coursera (link) Description: Coursera offers a wide array of online courses from numerous accredited institutions (33 at time of writing). Unlike some of the other sites, it's less focused on having a progression, but has more eclectic and advanced topics as a result.Distinguishing Features Enrollment Based: Coursera is based on active enrollment in courses and participation with fellow classmates. It does not seem to maintain a repository of completed courses, but rather focuses on courses currently in session. During enrollment there is some interaction with the Professors.Certification: Coursera offers certification of completion if you're able to complete a course with a passing evaluation. These certificates can be considered by colleges, especially those part of the program. They do not currently articulate to units, but may in the future.Broad Subject Range: The main thing that sets it apart from the other sites is its broad subject range. It's less useful for someone wanting an introduction to a subject and then progression through it, but more useful to someone just looking to learn something new in a given area.Subjects Most disciplines, availability changes based on enrollment start dates
edX (link) Description: edX is a new interactive online study option created by MIT and Harvard, with collaboration from other schools. At time of writing, it features a few courses each from MIT, Harvard, and UC Berkeley. Courses are offered for enrollment and certification, and will potentially be archived.Distinguishing Features Strong University Ties: MIT and Harvard are two of the leading universities in the free online education sector, as well as being two of the most prestigious universities in the United States. The courses attempt to provide the same rigor as these institutions offer.Certification: Students who complete courses in a given semester will receive a certificate indicating their proficiency in the subject matter with the University on it. They're currently free, but may require a small fee in the future.Subjects Computer Science (~@!!) Fall 2012 is its first semester, more courses likely forthcoming
Khan Academy (link) Description: Founded by Salman Khan following the success of his popular YouTube lessons, and supported by various non-profit entities, Khan Academy is "on a mission to help you learn what you want, when you want, at your own pace." The site is not directly tied to any University. It offers the most pre-college content of any current open educational site, especially in the area of mathematics. On the other hand, it doesn't have many advanced undergraduate or post-graduate courses available yet.Distinguishing Features Skill Practice Tree: Khan Academy features an interactive tree that allows you to practice proficiency in various skills in a subject matter. Currently it only covers Mathematics, but it is probably the most robust treatment of Math at the pre-college level, allowing you to start watching videos and doing problems at Basic Addition, and fluidly work your way up to Differential Calculus.Coaching/Teaching: The coaching system allows anyone to request help from a "Coach", and anyone on the site can become a "Coach" for another user and upload media relating to a subject matter. Teachers can also use the site to get metrics on how their students are working through course material.Achievements/Badges: Basically just a way to capitalize on the game approach. Students can earn badges and achievements by participating on the site in various ways, such as watching video or answering a certain number of problems. It may serve as a motivational tool for some.Subjects Biology (~@!) Chemistry (~@!) Computer Science (~@) Economics (~^@!!!) Mathematics (~^@!!!) Physics (~@!!!) ...and various other science/humanities topics
MIT OpenCourseWare (link) Description: MIT OpenCourseWare was one of the originators of free online access to college course material, and it's still one of the largest repositories. It offers thousands of courses across basically every discipline with various levels of information. Some of the more high level, obscure courses may just be some notes, while the most comprehensive treatments are labeled "OCW Scholar" (currently 12 across 7 disciplines).Distinguishing Features Massive Course Repository: There are thousands of courses available, from college level introductory courses to advanced post-graduate topics. If you're looking for vetted material on any subject, especially higher level ones, this is a good place to start. Some courses even have multiple iterations as taught in different years.OCW Scholar: OCW Scholar courses are more fully featured offerings that are intended to provide the full class experience. They feature taped lecture videos of actual classes being taught at MIT, lecture note supplements, TA recitation videos, problem and answer sets, quizzes and exams, and in some cases supplementary textbook resources.Subjects Everything. Literally. There's probably a course on how to read this thread.
Udacity (link) Description: Udacity is another non-profit organization founded by three roboticists seeking to provide their education online. It has a heavy Computer Science tilt, but offers some courses in other areas as well. Along with Khan Academy it probably has the smoothest interface and least barriers to getting started and completing mastery, including class wikis, video step-by-steps, and StackExchange-like Q&A boards.Distinguishing Features Fluid Course Progression: On their Courses page, Udacity divides their offerings into Beginning, Intermediate. and Advanced. Each previous category gives you some or most of the background you need to take related courses in the next tier. Within a given course, the subject is divided into Units, each of which have modular video lessons, question/answer sections, and problem sets at the end.Real World Focus: Most, if not all of the courses offered at Udacity contain their information within the context of a real world problem. For example, the introductory course on Computer Science guides students in building an internet search engine. Rather than have a bunch of compartmentalized throwaway programs, Udacity courses start with the basics and build on skills in one overarching project.Certification: As with edX and Coursera, Udacity offers certification of mastery after having taken one of their courses. Unlike the other two sites, Udacity allows you to receive certification after completing the material at any time, rather than in a set schedule.Subjects Computer Science (~^@!!!) Physics (~@!) Statistics (~@!) Template
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