MOOC + ALEKS or DSST = Simple Credit

[KittenMittens]

I have sampled the Sophia course. And it will work for almost anyone who can cram similar to an InstaCert scenario to pass their requirements for stats. However, IMHO you will not really be left with any lasting knowledge. The course modules are poorly sequenced and unstructured. While you are pushed to finish fast by design (60 days w/o extension) you are constantly hunting and pecking through the various video lessons with no understanding of the "big picture". Save money; learn more; try my recommendation; let's see what happens!

That's where MOOCs courses like Udacity, or Stanford, Coursera, KhanAcademy, etc. really shine. A lot of people have this misconception that doing an MOOC from an ivy league school is going to be too hard. No, a lot of the times the course is really interesting, well done, and polished. Best course I ever took was Harvard CS50x - the best introduction to Computer Science ever. I wish every course was like that one.

[SuzanneD]

I'm game to try. I'm finishing up a b&m class on the 25th. So after that I will give it a try.

[DIYCOLLEGE]

Ok, JohnnyHeck. I'm in!
I'm terrified of math and stats and things like that, and am just about to embark on the path towards earning a BA in Psychology - simultaneously with my 16 year old son who has the same goal. We're planning on accomplishing this by taking CLEPS/DSSTs, etc and by spending as little money as possible. So... why not jump in with one of the things I'm most worried about and just get it out of the way?
I've been enjoying EdX & Coursera MOOCs already, so let's give this a go...
By the way this sold me: "BTW this stats MOOC is taught by sociologists and not mathematicians or engineers." Thanks!

[LaterBloomer]

You know, DIYCollege, there used to be discussions on this board about whether one should start with easy courses/tests/etc., or dive into the hard stuff. Jumping into the hard courses/tests/etc. that don't have perquisites can be a good idea. That way, you get the tough stuff out of the way first, and it doesn't loom over you. Should you not succeed on your first attempt, you have more wiggle room in which to schedule make up courses/exams, etc. Good luck to both of you.

[CM1999]

is it too late to try this?

[bluebooger]

is it too late to try this?

I don't know about that course, but this one just started a couple of days ago

https://www.edx.org/course/math-sports-n...x-mat150x#!

===
In this course you will learn:

How a basic understanding of probability and statistics can be used to analyze sports and other real life situations.
How to model physical systems, such as a golf swing or a high jump, using basic equations of motion.
How to best pick your Fantasy Football, March Madness, and World Cup winners by using ranking theory to help you determine athletic and team performance.
===

[Mamasaphire]

Have there been any updates from people who don't like math but took the I heart stats and used the knowledge to earn credit?

I really have a math phobia, and am supposed to take Stats next semester for my AA.LA ... just watching one of my children take a Stats & Prob class at the local B&M is freaking me out. It doesn't help me that some people say "stats isn't really math, it's more like word problems"... ummm, still scared.

[dfrecore]

I took Finite Math in college many years ago, it's the course just before Stats. It was extremely easy, I wish I had taken Stats right afterwards. Now, it's so many years later, and I am out of practice. So, I am using KhanAcademy to brush up and get through as much math as I can. I started with Algebra Basics, but have gone through and started all of the lower level math as well, each night a little bit at a time. It feels good to get the percentages up in all areas, plus learning things at a lower level actually fills up some of the upper level stuff as well (like if they go over some geometry stuff in 4th grade, it actually shows up as a percentage here and there for actual Geometry).

It's free, and easy to get through - similar to ALEKS, but I think being able to do lower-level stuff is nice. Gives me a boost as I progress through everything. There is a stats course in there, you might want to start working through it or anything else in Khan now, so that when you start the Stats course, it will feel familiar.

I started the I Heart Stats course, but I didn't love it. It seemed really slow, and I didn't feel like I was learning a lot. But, I also don't think I gave it a fair shot. Can't hurt to look at it yourself and see what you think.

[Mamasaphire]

I signed up for ALEKS twice in the past couple years, and have looked at Khan, but the math just slips back out of my brain when I'm done.
I wish we had a finite math option locally. My dd took finite math last year in an out-of-state U and said that she feels that class alone is why she is doing so well in current stats class.

I think I'm going to need my hand held with stats, so will probably end up taking at local CC, and crying every day for a semester.

[cookderosa]

For the fearful, I have never - even to this day- taken algebra, and I passed stats. So, no algebra in high school and no algebra in college.

I dropped out of ALEKS stats before being able to assess at 70%, but switched to Khan videos and doing the whole series (taking notes, and doing practice problems) was absolutely enough for me to pass the DSST.

Before you decide if you can learn statistics, watch the Annenberg series Against All Odds. You'll see, you can do it! (at least watch the first one) Resource: Against All Odds: Inside Statistics

PS I wanted to add that I did stats DSST after I finished my degree. I just wanted to see if I could do it - no pressure of "needing" the credit. :hurray: It can be done!!