MOOCs you've done or started, and your opinion of them

[Ideas]

What MOOCs or other coursework have you completed or started working on? Did you feel it was worth paying for?

Especially any that were at least $99 or thereabouts. I would especially like to hear about those with a bigger commitment of time or money (like hundreds). 

Did you learn a lot? If you completed it, did it help you get a job or anything?

I thought we could have an official thread for good ones (or warnings about mediocre ones so someone can save their money or time).

[cookderosa]

What MOOCs or other coursework have you completed or started working on? Did you feel it was worth paying for?

Especially any that were at least $99 or thereabouts. I would especially like to hear about those with a bigger commitment of time or money (like hundreds). 

Did you learn a lot? If you completed it, did it help you get a job or anything?

I thought we could have an official thread for good ones (or warnings about mediocre ones so someone can save their money or time).

??? Mine have all been free (I've taken tons) with the exception of 1 credential that I purchased from Stanford University for $40. It was outstanding btw. Not that you're interested in Childhood Nutrition, but if you were, I'd highly suggest it. I've collected many professional development units for free too - what are you looking at that is in the hundreds of dollars?

[Ideas]

I'm not looking at anything in particular, just wondering about some of those tech ones, which are sometimes 6-10 courses. I'm personally also interested in non-tech, and figure someone might have a recommendation that helps others.

Not saying people should pay for them - I thought some people would have gotten them free through scholarships Or maybe even work, although I know workplaces can be weird about paying for anything that's not directly from a RA school.

I am thinking of applying for an EdX scholarship, in case I don't feel ready to commit to the MBA yet.

I barely remember that bjcheung got accepted into one big one, like Cisco? I don't think that was an MOOC, but a certification? And eriehiker got into the same one? However, I guess certifications are too different to lump in. It still made me wonder as eriehiker is finding so many types of credits.

---

Someone mentioned this recently, which is almost $3000. I guess it just helps you prepare for the PMP certification. https://www.coursera.org/professional-ce...management

This costs 5000 Euros, but you get 30 college credits! https://www.coursera.org/professional-ce...ertificate

[bluebooger]

I did a bunch at coursera back when everything there was free -- python programming from Rice University (great set of courses), Statistics from Duke University (great course) , couple of R courses from johns hopkins (ok courses), C++ for programmers (awful course), C# game development (awful course)

I don't think I'd pay for anything at coursera (even though they're only $49 a month now)

I've done a bunch at edx for free -- CS50 might be the best mooc ever if you're really interested in learning computer science in detail , also did a 3D programming course (awful)

did a unity and a gamemaker course through udemy -- both were great -- got them on sale for $12

[jsd]

in late 2013/early 2014 i completed three Coursera courses:

* Sports and Society (Duke University)
* The Global Business of Sports (University of Pennsylvania)
* Information Security and Risk Management in Context (University of Washington)

The first two are kind of surprising because I'm not much of a sports fan outside of one niche sport (though I've always loved Sociology), but the third one makes sense because it is directly related to my job (of the three, that last one was the worst and was not worth the effort and served only to poorly advertise other for-pay UW courses). Oddly enough, my TESU capstone ended up being focused on sports psychology and I think those first two courses are directly responsible for piquing my interest.

Not only did they pique my interest in sports psych, but I would credit them directly for my decision to go back to my community college to finish my AA that i had virtually abandoned a decade prior, which would then lead to considering a BA and finding this forum. I had written off traditional education, but Coursera got me excited about learning again. And now here I am getting a second bachelors, all because of how Coursera led me to the alternative methods we talk about on this forum.

A guy who had given up on even a simple Associates degree is now nearly two bachelors deep with visions of a Masters (dare I say doctorate?) in the future. I hadn't really realized this until you asked this question, but Coursera/MOOCs are definitely how I found this path. 

Odd.

[Ideas]

Not only did they pique my interest in sports psych, but I would credit them directly for my decision to go back to my community college to finish my AA that i had virtually abandoned a decade prior, which would then lead to considering a BA and finding this forum. I had written off traditional education, but Coursera got me excited about learning again. And now here I am getting a second bachelors, all because of how Coursera led me to the alternative methods we talk about on this forum.

A guy who had given up on even a simple Associates degree is now nearly two bachelors deep with visions of a Masters (dare I say doctorate?) in the future. I hadn't really realized this until you asked this question, but Coursera/MOOCs are definitely how I found this path. 

That's great! 

I'm glad you realized because of my question. I hope that others are doing the same, taking MOOCs and realizing they can get a degree or college certificate.

I hate how "certificate" has so many meanings!

Let's both go for the Masters and doctorate (I really want to, but how soon depends on my work, finances, etc.)

[burbuja0512]

I think the value depends on your field, but also how you market it. I did a MOOC that I loved - Harvard Contract Law (I think it was with Coursera.. but could have been EdX) However, I just make a minor mention of it on my resume so I'm not really trying to do much with it.

I'm now looking at a few more international marketing and social media-type courses that might actually be useful. But before I take them, I would want to seriously think about how I'll position them on my resume to get the most bang for my buck. Honestly, since most people are used to seeing traditional education, my thought is "how do I make this look more like traditional education without any sort of truth-stretching?" ...But that's for me and my field.

[Ideas]

But before I take them, I would want to seriously think about how I'll position them on my resume to get the most bang for my buck.  Honestly, since most people are used to seeing traditional education, my thought is "how do I make this look more like traditional education without any sort of truth-stretching?"   ...But that's for me and my field.

Personally I don't want to put "certificate" unless it's a long MOOC with multiple courses/assignments, because it sounds too much like an undergrad certificate. But I think that's why many like MOOCs. They can put "certificate" right by the school name and course name. (To be more honest, they are only a "certificate of completion".)

Personally, I don't want to be asked about why I did so courses from so many different schools. (I haven't yet, but I assume I will do more MOOCs if I get the time.) I think it will be obvious it was done online if there are too many different schools/locations.

[burbuja0512]

But before I take them, I would want to seriously think about how I'll position them on my resume to get the most bang for my buck.  Honestly, since most people are used to seeing traditional education, my thought is "how do I make this look more like traditional education without any sort of truth-stretching?"   ...But that's for me and my field.

Personally I don't want to put "certificate" unless it's a long MOOC with multiple courses/assignments, because it sounds too much like an undergrad certificate. But I think that's why many like MOOCs. They can put "certificate" right by the school name and course name. (To be more honest, they are only a "certificate of completion".)

Personally, I don't want to be asked about why I did so courses from so many different schools. (I haven't yet, but I assume I will do more MOOCs if I get the time.) I think it will be obvious it was done online if there are too many different schools/locations.

I've wondered if they started adding the multi-course "specialties" to Coursera and EdX to solve this problem.  I agree that I don't feel comfortable saying that I have a "certificate" from Harvardx, even though it's true.    With the group of 4-6 courses in a specialty, I would feel better about giving more fanfare to the specialty on my resume.

[Ideas]

I've wondered if they started adding the multi-course "specialties" to Coursera and EdX to solve this problem.  I agree that I don't feel comfortable saying that I have a "certificate" from Harvardx, even though it's true.    With the group of 4-6 courses in a specialty, I would feel better about giving more fanfare to the specialty on my resume.

Also you said Harvardx in your post, and that's another issue. Some feel that you can't say you took a course at that school, or that the certificate was from that school. It was actually from "Edx" or "Harvardx"  But others feel you can say it was a course by that school or from that school.