OnlineDegree.com Is Finally Open

[bsimi]

It looks like the core part of each course comes from either Great Courses or UCI Open Courseware. Each lesson includes the main lecture (from one of these sources) and then supplementary videos and materials. The quiz description says that the quizzes are based on the main lecture.

For some people who prefer to use text instead of video/audio, some of them have closed captioning (but not all). Transcripts are available from Great Courses if you buy the course in some format (cheapest is audio). For example, the Cyber course can be purchased for 19.95 in the audio format and $15 for the transcript addon ($34.95). Another option is to buy the Great Course Plus membership (14 day free and $0.99 for the first month, $19.99 thereafter), and then you can guidebooks for each course. While the guidebooks don't have the transcripts, they do have all the key points of every lecture in Great Courses. The UCI Irvine courses do not have transcripts or close-captions. Also, the quality of the Great Course videos is significantly better than UCI Irvine videos (which is to be expected, since Great Courses is a commercial entity). It does make me wonder how Open Degree has obtained licenses to distribute Great Courses for free. Some of them are rather pricey on Great Courses.

There is also quite a bit of content from Crash Course (which does not allow for distribution if someone has to pay), and many OER Creative Commons resources (also does not allow the material to be used for commercial purposes), thus Online Degree cannot charge for their courses. Thus, it seems the service has to remain free. I still wonder about the business model.

A bit of searching and reviewing videos, it appears that the main lectures from each course are from the following sources:

Great Courses:
CyberSecurity: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...rfare.html
Nutrition: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...rcise.html
Finance & Accounting: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...ccess.html
Marketing: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...ccess.html
Cooking: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...oking.html
Robotics: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/robotics.html
Modern History: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...story.html
Computer Science: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...cises.html


UCI Irvine
Introduction to Public Health: http://open.uci.edu/courses/pubhlth1_pri...ealth.html
Education - Language and Literacy: http://open.uci.edu/courses/education_15...eracy.html
Astronomy: http://open.uci.edu/courses/physics_20b_cosmology.html
Climate Change and Cryosphere: http://open.uci.edu/courses/ess_21_on_th...phere.html
Intro to Micro Economics: http://open.uci.edu/courses/the_power_of...world.html
Psychology: http://open.uci.edu/courses/psych_9bpsy_...ntals.html
Biology: http://open.uci.edu/courses/biosci_94_or...stems.html

[cookderosa]

It looks like the core part of each course comes from either Great Courses or UCI Open Courseware. Each lesson includes the main lecture (from one of these sources) and then supplementary videos and materials. The quiz description says that the quizzes are based on the main lecture.

For some people who prefer to use text instead of video/audio, some of them have closed captioning (but not all). Transcripts are available from Great Courses if you buy the course in some format (cheapest is audio). For example, the Cyber course can be purchased for 19.95 in the audio format and $15 for the transcript addon ($34.95). Another option is to buy the Great Course Plus membership (14 day free and $0.99 for the first month, $19.99 thereafter), and then you can guidebooks for each course. While the guidebooks don't have the transcripts, they do have all the key points of every lecture in Great Courses. The UCI Irvine courses do not have transcripts or close-captions. Also, the quality of the Great Course videos is significantly better than UCI Irvine videos (which is to be expected, since Great Courses is a commercial entity). It does make me wonder how Open Degree has obtained licenses to distribute Great Courses for free. Some of them are rather pricey on Great Courses.

There is also quite a bit of content from Crash Course (which does not allow for distribution if someone has to pay), and many OER Creative Commons resources (also does not allow the material to be used for commercial purposes), thus Online Degree cannot charge for their courses. Thus, it seems the service has to remain free. I still wonder about the business model.

A bit of searching and reviewing videos, it appears that the main lectures from each course are from the following sources:

Great Courses:
CyberSecurity: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...rfare.html
Nutrition: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...rcise.html
Finance & Accounting: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...ccess.html
Marketing: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...ccess.html
Cooking: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...oking.html
Robotics: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/robotics.html
Modern History: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...story.html
Computer Science: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...cises.html


UCI Irvine
Introduction to Public Health: http://open.uci.edu/courses/pubhlth1_pri...ealth.html
Education - Language and Literacy: http://open.uci.edu/courses/education_15...eracy.html
Astronomy: http://open.uci.edu/courses/physics_20b_cosmology.html
Climate Change and Cryosphere: http://open.uci.edu/courses/ess_21_on_th...phere.html
Intro to Micro Economics: http://open.uci.edu/courses/the_power_of...world.html
Psychology: http://open.uci.edu/courses/psych_9bpsy_...ntals.html
Biology: http://open.uci.edu/courses/biosci_94_or...stems.html

Thanks for pulling that list together!!
I saw a post on The Great Courses Plus' Facebook page advertising "$10 per month for life" but when I click / share the link it just takes me to their regular 1 month free, $29.99 after deal- so I *think* there is a coupon/deal, but I can't seem to get to it. I will also say that I have heard you can stream some of the TGC+ videos through Amazon Prime but I can't confirm.

[Merlin]

It looks like the core part of each course comes from either Great Courses or UCI Open Courseware.  Each lesson includes the main lecture (from one of these sources) and then supplementary videos and materials. The quiz description says that the quizzes are based on the main lecture.

For some people who prefer to use text instead of video/audio, some of them have closed captioning (but not all).  Transcripts are available from Great Courses if you buy the course in some format (cheapest is audio). For example, the Cyber course can be purchased for 19.95 in the audio format and $15 for the transcript addon ($34.95). Another option is to buy the Great Course Plus membership (14 day free and $0.99 for the first month, $19.99 thereafter), and then you can guidebooks for each course. While the guidebooks don't have the transcripts, they do have all the key points of every lecture in Great Courses. The UCI Irvine courses do not have transcripts or close-captions. Also, the quality of the Great Course videos is significantly better than UCI Irvine videos (which is to be expected, since Great Courses is a commercial entity). It does make me wonder how Open Degree has obtained licenses to distribute Great Courses for free. Some of them are rather pricey on Great Courses.

There is also quite a bit of content from Crash Course (which does not allow for distribution if someone has to pay), and many OER Creative Commons resources (also does not allow the material to be used for commercial purposes), thus Online Degree cannot charge for their courses. Thus, it seems the service has to remain free. I still wonder about the business model.

A bit of searching and reviewing videos, it appears that the main lectures from each course are from the following sources:

Great Courses:
CyberSecurity: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...rfare.html
Nutrition: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...rcise.html
Finance & Accounting: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...ccess.html
Marketing: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...ccess.html
Cooking: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...oking.html
Robotics: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/robotics.html
Modern History: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...story.html
Computer Science: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/...cises.html


UCI Irvine
Introduction to Public Health: http://open.uci.edu/courses/pubhlth1_pri...ealth.html
Education - Language and Literacy: http://open.uci.edu/courses/education_15...eracy.html
Astronomy: http://open.uci.edu/courses/physics_20b_cosmology.html
Climate Change and Cryosphere: http://open.uci.edu/courses/ess_21_on_th...phere.html
Intro to Micro Economics: http://open.uci.edu/courses/the_power_of...world.html
Psychology: http://open.uci.edu/courses/psych_9bpsy_...ntals.html
Biology: http://open.uci.edu/courses/biosci_94_or...stems.html

Nice... I already own some of those great courses videos.

[homeschoolmom1]

Fyi, especially for homeschoolers: you have to be 18 years old to use this platform (from their faqs)

[alram]

"I have heard you can stream some of the TGC+ videos through Amazon Prime but I can't confirm."

That's true prime has 50 or so subjects from guitar and film to excel and calculus for free. The other courses you have to pay per lesson or by a season.

[graduatesoon]

Thanks for pulling that list together!!
I saw a post on The Great Courses Plus' Facebook page advertising "$10 per month for life" but when I click / share the link it just takes me to their regular 1 month free, $29.99 after deal- so I *think* there is a coupon/deal, but I can't seem to get to it.  I will also say that I have heard you can stream some of the TGC+ videos through Amazon Prime but I can't confirm.

I had to log out of my free account on cellphone and desk top then it worked

–$10/Month FOR LIFE When You Order a 3-Month Plan

• https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/3-mo...ign=163459

[cookderosa]

Fyi, especially for homeschoolers: you have to be 18 years old to use this platform (from their faqs)

that's a bummer - removes my temptation, probably a good thing

[bluebooger]

@alram
> That's true prime has 50 or so subjects from guitar and film to excel and calculus for free.

got a link ?
I've got amazon prime -- I did a search on amazon and all I found were free courses if I signed up for audible

[eriehiker]

I am now just about done with the econ class and I have noticed that the site seems to remember the time spent in the video from previous sessions. For example, I start watching a video and then lose focus doing laundry or feeding the kids and then I come back later after my computer has been off and it will let me click the "mark complete" button.

[bluebooger]

was just looking at the rules for the proctoring

http://www.softwaresecure.com/wp-content...amples.pdf

correct = Exam must be taken at a desk or table.
incorrect = Any exam taken on a bed, a couch or the floor is a violation.

why is sitting on the couch and having your laptop on your lap a violation ?
why is sitting on the floor a violation ?

as long as you show then you don't have any notes or anything around you what difference does it make ?