Ongoing Education

[Gregory Matthews]

For t hose who want to continue their learning, I suggest a company called The Great Courses

www.getgreatcourses.com

800-832-2412

The standard prices for their course are not cheap.  However, it always has some sort of a sale that  is going on.  Once a year, it reduces some of its courses by 75% to 80% off.  IOW, costs at 20% to 25% of the standard price.  It currently has such a sale going on now through August 13, at 80% off.

I have purchased a number of courses from them and currently have an order that is in transportation.

Shipping costs are based upon the purchase cost, and top off at $25.  For an additional $5 you can get 2nd day delivery.

Their courses can typically be purchased on either a CD or a DVD.  Many will have included a book.

One course on Astronomy and the Universe contains 48 hours of DVD lectures.  Its standard price is $800 and its  sale price is $140.  Included is a 552 page book.

Another course on how to make your brain smarter, faster and better has a standard price o $200 and a current sale price of $20. 

One of the courses that I purchased a year ago is a 12 hour course on how to take better pictures.  Its standard price is $270 and its current sale price is $40.

I have found them to have excellent customer service.  On my order last year, I felt that they had overcharged me by $5.  One telephone call and it was immediately fixed.   They wanted me to be happy.

Their courses are many and cover a very wide range of subjects--languages, mathematics, cooking, science, genealogy, music, religion, investments, history, healthful living, writing, new age and much more..

While some are very expensive, they have many courses that are $20 to $40 when they go on sale.

The professors are all top notch.

NOTE:  I only purchase at their 80% off sales. 

 

 

 

;

Edited August 4, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[Outta Here]

And I recommend Coursera and Khan Academy--both free.

[Gregory Matthews]

Well check them all out and decide what is the best value and provides what you want.  I Find the video to be of great value.

But, your point is well taken, there is much free available.

 

 

[lazarus]

For t hose who want to continue their learning, I suggest a company called The Great Courses

Fantastic stuff. I've listened to their material for years. My local libraries have them available for free. I couldn't afford it otherwise.

[Gregory Matthews]

You will note that I only purchase from them at their 80% off sale.  But, their quality and customer service is excellent.

Consider:  Their professors are well either recognized in academics and teaching, or professionally in their fields.  E.G. My photography courses feature  a National Geographic photographer. l Think about what it would cost you to take a university course from one of these same people.  Of course, you do not get academic credit from these courses.

 

 

 

 

 

[Outta Here]

That's why I shared Coursera. Check them out sometime. Their professors are top-notch in their fields. The courses are free and a person can get credit for taking some of the courses. They are all video based. Some are "learn at your own pace" and others are only offered in a predetermined window of time. Coursera

Khan Academy is great for brushing up on Math. Also good for exploring other fields--science, finance, computers, arts and humanities. This site gives plenty of "practice" questions as well to track your learning.

Another good, free site for learning code: Codecademy

 

[Bravus]

I just completed a course at Coursera on Python programming (got 100%!), and am currently doing an EdX course on Introductory Biology.

Great Courses sounds like the Steam of education, Gregory! Steam is where I buy all my computer games, and only on the big sales.

I'm half-tempted to acquire the photography course for my daughter, who has an interest in that.

My theory with the old brain is 'use it or lose it': keep on learning!

[Gregory Matthews]

I have purchased two of the photography courses:  (Each lesson 30 minutes.)

The Art of Travel Photography, six lessons, by Joe Sartore

Fundamentals of Photography,  18 lessons, also by Joel Sartore,  Sale price $40 through the 13th.  (I do not know what the price would be where Bravus lives.)

I clearly recommend the Fundamentals course.  The Travel course has a bit of duplication with the Fundamentals course.

I have also purchased a couple of math courses and a writing course.

I have serval other courses that will be delivered today.  I am most interested in a 48 hour course on the Universe which is taught by Alex Filippenko of the University of California. at Berkley.  I have waited for a full year for it to come on major sale again.

My wife has also ordered some courses which will also be delivered today.  These courses were shipped from North Carolina Monday afternoon and arrived in Denver yesterday afternoon.  I Expect t o have them today.

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2015 by Gregory Matthews

[B/W Photodude]

If you are using Apple devices (don't know if any other platforms are supported) you can take an enormous amount of different courses through the iTunes University. There is an iOs app for that. Courses I currently have in my list include some from the Library of Congress, Loma Linda Univ, and others. These are to the best of my knowledge all free courses

If you are into more the inventor level of learning and doing, the is an iOs app called "Instructables" (free) which has a lot of inventer level projects ranging from cooking to photography to construction to anything else you can imagine. You can even upload your own invention plans. I just built my own device for doing panning time lapse movies, unfortunately, several days ago someone else invented the same thing and posted it!

[B/W Photodude]

My theory with the old brain is 'use it or lose it': keep on learning!

Some recommend that every decade, you take on and achieve a significant level of learning in some field of knowledge radically different than your previous learning accomplishments. I would say that by doing so, each time you begin a new learning experience, it will continue to go well. If you haven't for several decades done this, your work is going to be cut out for you.

[Gregory Matthews]

Good advice.

In the set of course that will be delivered today, I have purchased a coupled on Astronomy.

Previous courses that I am working with include:

Writing Creative Nonfiction--12 hour  course.

The Joy of Mathematics--12 hour course.  This course covers a wide range from Fibonacci numbers, to Calculus andmuch more.

The Mathematics of Games & Puzzles, From Cards to Sudoku--6 hours.  I purchased it because I am interested in probability.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I'd love to learn the Czech language, but haven't found a good (cost-wise) online source yet...

[Gregory Matthews]

Well, The Great Courses has  some 43 different languages courses.  Other than Latin, they are not general learning to read, write and speak a language.  Their courses have standard prices ranging from about $90 to $960.  Some are on sale beginning at about $50.00.  There is a strong focus on linguistics.

 

[Gregory Matthews]

 

The following statement will give you some ideas as to where you can obtain information as to free/almost free university courses available to the general public.  NOTE:  The statement below comes from the August issue of MILITARY OFFICER.  The acronym MOCC stands for Massive Open Online Course.

 

The primary MOOC suppliers are nonprofits Khan Academy and edX and for-profits Udacity and Coursera, although there are many other platforms. MOOC aggregators help users explore the huge number of available courses and sort them by subject, provider, difficulty, starting date, popularity, and duration. Some offer previews as well as ratings and reviews by previous users. Aggregators include

www.class-central.com

,

www.coursetalk.com

,

www.coursebuffet.com

,

www.mooc-list.com

, and others. [/quote]

 

[Gerr]

I've gotten a few from "Great Courses"; I would give them 5 stars.

[james423]

You might want to check out Great Courses Plus, which is their streaming service.  Same video  lectures, same guidebooks but all online and streamed - all for a standard price for a certain length of time. You can watch as much as you wish during that time, even over and over again.  I keep a video listing of what I've watch (up to about 35 pages now).