e-learning (Free Online Courses)

Did you start on the edX course yet? Mine started, but I haven't really got into it yet, just been looking around and made sure sure I understand the system there, completely different platform from coursera and takes a bit to get used to.

I started it but I'm struggling to get my head around it at the minute. Although I posted that pic on the 17th (Wed), I didn't get chance to sit down properly until Thursday. On Friday my housemate invited a load of mutual friends around and then the rest of the weekend was spent at my parents house with my kids. I was working last night as well. The irony is that I had next to nothing to do at work but the edX site doesn't function properly there! I want to crack on with it today before my next shift but my girlfriend just sent a text saying she's finished work and wants to pop in for a couple of hours!
I think if I just dip in and out of the course then I will struggle to understand it so I need to really sit down and have a go at it and that's proving difficult. The temptation is to think, "ah well, it's only a free course" but it's something I want to do and if I can't even manage this then surely a "proper" course will be too much.
My first assignment has to be in by Sunday so considering I'll probably be away from home again next weekend, I need to hit this properly!
In a sense, I suppose it's good that I'm finding this out now before starting a paid for qualification.

Just finished Networked Life, with a score of 138 out of 142, or 97%

I have also signed up for Computer Science on edX but haven't even started it yet.

I see they've added the course CS184.1x: Foundations of Computer Graphics

Could be of interest to a few people on here if they check it out. It requires a level of computer programming already so that rules me out but it does look interesting. Only runs from Nov 5th - Dec 12th with 12 hrs per week as well so no huge commitment:

https://www.edx.org/courses/BerkeleyX/CS184.1x/2012_Fall/about

So far I've earned certificates for 3 Coursera courses, they are: Fantasy and Science Fiction, Gamification and Networked Life. I'll probably get one for Model Thinking as well.

I have not received any certificates yet though.

Looks good Reprobate, might give it a try if I I'm not full already around that time, already in 2 courses right now.

Diego, you should have certificates here https://www.coursera.org/account/records
My gamification one already is anyway.

Perhaps we should ask for this thread to be renamed something like Free Distance Learning or Free Online Courses ?

Probably a good idea. The technical term for these sites is MOOC, Massive Open Online Courses. Though just E-learning could work as a title too.

https://www.edx.org/press/edX-announces-proctored-exam-testing

EDX ANNOUNCES OPTION OF PROCTORED EXAM TESTING THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH PEARSON VUE

Online learning venture edX continues to transform higher education by announcing today its agreement with Pearson VUE to offer learners the option of taking a proctored final exam.
"Our online learners who want the flexibility to provide potential employers with an independently validated certificate may now choose to take the course exam at a proctored test site," said Anant Agarwal, president of edX. "This option enhances the value of our courses in the real world, helps us maintain our goal of making high-quality education both accessible and practical and thus is a natural evolution of ed's core philosophy of transforming lives through education."
Pearson VUE, a Pearson business, is the global leader in computer-based testing. Due to this new agreement, edX learners now have the option of taking a course final exam at one of over 450 Pearson VUE test centers in more than 110 countries. Proctors at the centers will verify the identity of the examinee and administer the tests. Examinees using the Pearson VUE centers will take the same rigorous exam as online learners and will be charged a modest fee for the proctoring service. EdX will offer the option to test takers for one of its online courses this Fall.
Robert Whelan, president and chief executive officer of Pearson VUE said, "We are thrilled to collaborate with edX and help its learners improve their employability and career prospects. Pearson VUE is also pleased to help edX protect the integrity of their courses by providing the option of proctored exams."

This will really increase validity to these courses, especially further down the line as this develops. Udacity is doing the same thing, also with Pearson Vue: http://blog.udacity.com/2012/06/udacity-in-partnership-with-pearson-vue.html

Is that the future of education? Learning online, and being tested locally at testing centers.

Diego, you should have certificates here https://www.coursera.org/account/records
My gamification one already is anyway.

Yeah thanks, I found that when reading the discussion forums, my Gamification certificate is there too. However I (and none of the people I know that also did this course) have received anything related to the Fantasy and Sci-Fi course.

Perhaps we should ask for this thread to be renamed something like Free Distance Learning or Free Online Courses ?

That's a good idea!

I'll be honest, I'm wayyy out of my depth with this Chemistry course. I'm not being defeatist, just realistic. I have no grounding in chemistry or physics and even though it say that you don't NEED any high school experience, to be able to solve the equations given, you need to have a sound knowledge of maths and the symbols used. Even when I can get my head around the concepts shown in the videos, expressing what I've learned in a mathematical equation or solving the equations given is impossible when I haven't come across the symbols before  In fact, when the formulas have been in a format I can 'read', I've managed to calculate the correct answers.
It may well be possible for me to learn these things but it would take far too long for me to be able to complete the assignments on time (1 every 2 weeks).
Going to have to look for something else 

I've got so many certificates already

Anyone doing Think Again: How to Reason and Argue? I watched the first few lectures last night and it seems to be a great course, with the ideas presented in a funny way. It's not late to enroll if anyone is interested, the first quiz isn't up yet, only ungraded exercises.

Signed up for Nutrition for Health Promotion and Disease on Coursera, starting next month.
It recommends prior knowledge so I'm not expecting to do particularly well but I'm doing it more out of personal interest than to get a certificate.

Anyone doing Think Again: How to Reason and Argue?

A few people on here could probably run parts of the course.

The Open University has put together it's own, free eLearning initiative called Futurelearn.

Some may see it as jumping on the bandwagon but I can only see it being a good thing, as long as they keep it free.

Read more here:

http://www.open.ac.uk/platform/news-and-features/futurelearnannouncement?ONEML=pf2021&MEDIA=pf0910os_1269

I noticed Coursera are trying to encourage people to sign up to a verification system at $69 a shot. Hmmm.

Not really a bad thing Reprobate about coursera doing that. All these sites are looking for a sustainable model, I think coursera just wants to break even. But so far they're keeping the actual courses free and not limiting them in any way, they're just making you pay if you want to add more credibility to your certificate in some way, verification of your identity or doing exams at actual test centers and things like that. And I agree about Futurelearn, the more the better!

I took a small break during the holidays, but started again. Yesterday I started with Introduction to Philosophy,  and Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life. Next week The Language of Hollywood, and The Modern and the Postmodern are starting. All at coursera. So I'll be busy enough for a while.

I took a small break during the holidays, but started again. Yesterday I started with Introduction to Philosophy,  and Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life. Next week The Language of Hollywood, and The Modern and the Postmodern are starting. All at coursera. So I'll be busy enough for a while.

I'm doing all of these as well, except for Astrobiology. As usual I am enrolled in way too many courses, so I'll invariably have to drop some of them, but I always try to take as many as I can.

All these sites are looking for a sustainable model, I think coursera just wants to break even.

Yeah, it's fair enough really. It just struck my as a slightly underhanded way of going about it, making out that they're offering you extra for your money when the extra administration costs for the new certificates is probably very little. If they were upfront and said they were now charging for the courses then they'd lose "customers" to other schemes, I suppose.

For anyone with some interest on Economics, I would highly recommend that you take Microeconomics Principles.

I've only watched a couple of lectures so far but I'm impressed. The videos are nicely produced and a lot of effort has been put to doing the lectures, apparently. Much better than the usual guy simply standing in front of a camera type of videos.

I think one of the benefits of giving a class through videos is that you can explore a lot of different possibilities, give the student an experience he wouldn't be able to get in a classroom - and so far, I haven't seen it being much exploited. This is the 1st course I see that tries to make better use of its options.

Free online courses are a great opcion to learn. I wanted to join one about Android but I hadn't the required previously knowledge, so I'll have to wait

I haven't signed up for any Coursera or edX courses but for good reason. I've often thought about trying my hand at degree level studies but there's no way I could afford Open University fees and when I last looked, a year or two ago, you couldn't apply for a student loan whilst in full time employment (and earning over x amount).
Well I mentioned this to somebody a few months back and they explained that things had changed and you can in fact now get a student loan of up to £5000 in total, which you begin to pay back as and when your earnings reach a certain level. I checked on the OU website and it was true.

So, I am now officially studying my first module of a Business degree!

£5000 will only cover 4 modules but on top of work, it may take me up to two years to complete them anyway. I initially signed up for two to run concurrently but a tutor advised me to defer one until October and see how I coped with one first so that's what I've done.
I sent in my first TMA (assignment) today and although I was fine with the concepts, I have no experience of writing these reports so it took me a while and the word limits were a killer! There was so much I had to say but I had to keep editing back to remove unnecessary words in order to stay under the limit.

It's a long, long road but I've started on my way and hopefully it will hold my interest and become more of a hobby than a chore.

I haven't signed up for any Coursera or edX courses but for good reason. I've often thought about trying my hand at degree level studies but there's no way I could afford Open University fees and when I last looked, a year or two ago, you couldn't apply for a student loan whilst in full time employment (and earning over x amount).
Well I mentioned this to somebody a few months back and they explained that things had changed and you can in fact now get a student loan of up to £5000 in total, which you begin to pay back as and when your earnings reach a certain level. I checked on the OU website and it was true.

So, I am now officially studying my first module of a Business degree!

£5000 will only cover 4 modules but on top of work, it may take me up to two years to complete them anyway. I initially signed up for two to run concurrently but a tutor advised me to defer one until October and see how I coped with one first so that's what I've done.
I sent in my first TMA (assignment) today and although I was fine with the concepts, I have no experience of writing these reports so it took me a while and the word limits were a killer! There was so much I had to say but I had to keep editing back to remove unnecessary words in order to stay under the limit.

It's a long, long road but I've started on my way and hopefully it will hold my interest and become more of a hobby than a chore.

Sounds great mate, I'm happy for you. I've heard of the Open University before, but I'm not exactly sure of how they work. Are their courses online as well?

Sounds great mate, I'm happy for you. I've heard of the Open University before, but I'm not exactly sure of how they work. Are their courses online as well?

Yes mate, they're a major university over here but set up for distance learning. They offer full qualifications such as diplomas and degrees, same as any other university so they aren't cheap.

Yes mate, they're a major university over here but set up for distance learning. They offer full qualifications such as diplomas and degrees, same as any other university so they aren't cheap.

Hmm, I see. I might keep an eye on them in the future. I'm a total nerd and when I think of myself in the future, I hope to have a CV full of different diplomas and degrees - even if they aren't really directly relevant to what I do. I just really appreciate learning.

Online learning helps this idea a lot, but prices are the major block. That's why I love coursera, but obviously it only offers a limited learning experience, and does not substitute a university degree.

By the way, if anyone is interested, there's a Coursera course that started this week called "Sports and Society". It looks great and it's not too late to enroll either - the quizzes are only due in June.