Next Question
RSS
There are plenty of free courses shown online, and not saying that people should use these as a substitution to a formal education, but there certainly is something interesting to be said that some of the most well known universities have video lectures online, which certainly levels the playing field for those who want to challenge their minds and not have to pay the high cost of tuition to some of the world's most prestigious universities. It's my opinion that anything done strictly online is not the same as actually being there or "really doing it," but there's no doubt in my mind that some people will benefit from this kind of learning, and others absolutely need to be there in order to be more regimented with their studies. For the self learner, this is certainly beneficial, but you have to realize that you are not offered live office hours or the ability to speak with a teaching assistant if you need more assistance or to understand things. The benefits and potential of the Internet to learn and do a lot of things is tremendous, but it's no substitute to getting off the computer and going to a class. I'm sure there are a lot of people in earlier generations who believe that online learning is not practical, whereas there are others who strongly believe it's the best way.
If you plan to use your knowledge in whichever field you study to get a job in that field, the main challenge I see with an online learner of free course material has to do with explaining your independent online study to an employer. This is especially true if you do not have a grade for the coursework, or a degree. Not that this is at all true, but to an outsider, someone who solely studies free courseware online might be perceived as lazy or not motivated to take a paid course. It also may make you seem less social or to appear less friendly as a human. However, this can be the complete opposite, so if you are looking to get a job in a field where you can take courses online, you best be able to explain your reasoning behind why you took courses online.
On the other hand, if you are starting your own business, then you don't need to prove to anyone that your online education is valid, but if you are a job seeker, then it's a totally different story. If you actually graduate from MIT rather than simply take online courses there, the graduating part looks more impressive. I also believe the major challenge with online education is the social aspect of being together to take a class and study with people you meet in class. This is something that distance learning challenges us.
Fields in: Business, Psychology, and Engineering can be seen as online intense, and you might benefit from an online course. I've seen sites out there like Academic Earth and Free Video Lectures that are interesting to look at.
Here are some sites that you might benefit from:
Academic Earth
http://academicearth.org
Free Video Lectures
http://freevideolectures.org
Scitalks
http://scitalks.com
Lecturefox
http://lecturefox.com
50 Free Ivy-League Lectures on the Economy http://www.onlineclasses.org/2009/09/30/50-free-ivy-league-lectures-on-the-economy/
100 Ivy League Business & Entrepreneurship Courses You Can Take for Free http://www.bschool.com/blog/2008/brain-trust-100-ivy-league-business-entrepreneurship-courses-you-can-take-for-free/
Oxford University on iTunes
http://itunes.ox.ac.uk
McGill Courses Online
http://cool.mcgill.ca
Open Yale Courses
http://oyc.yale.edu
WebCast UC Berkeley
http://webcast.berkeley.edu
MITs Open Courseware offers 1900 courses for free
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm
Tags: lectures, university, learning, online
Helpful Answer?
(3)
(0)
Permalink |
Report
They use video and transcripts from real college classes including Yale.
Course topics include:
Economics
Accounting
Marketing
Farming
Automotive Systems
Computer Programming
This free online education website is for the lifetime learner and anyone who wants to absorb as much information as possible.
Source(s):
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/
Permalink | Report
To be completely honest anything in this area would be high level when used to describe my ability in HTML. I knew nothing of these codes before Mahalo and this tutorial. I have learned the limited amount that I do know from working here on Mahalo and using these tutorials.
Source(s):
http://www.html-helper.net/
Permalink | Report
So as a project, I found a high school curriculum:
http://www.hslda.org/highschool/curriculum.asp (this link has several to choose from)
And a place to take free courses which I plan on using as a refresher and a supplement to self study:
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm
My goal is to have a well rounded classical education. On paper, I currently do have one. However, I probably remember 20% of what I learned.
Once I go through the high school curriculum, I'll examine which areas I want to expand on and take things to the next level. From what I know about myself now I'd pursue science and physics topics as well as literature, writing, art, religion, and language. I'll call this "college". Looking back on my college education I took some great courses. I'd love to replicate that on my own.
Resources I plan on using to gather information include:
http://www.howstuffworks.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ (for free language tutorials)
http://www.learn-to-draw.com/ (to learn how to draw)
http://www.britannica.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page (there are a ton of free public domain books out there)
Source(s):
Sources listed as links in the body of the answer
Tags: education, expert, learn
Helpful Answer?
(1)
(0)
Permalink |
Report
Take for example MITs open course program with 1900 available courses!
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm
The difficult thing about a free education is not availability of information, it is the trust in a free education. For example you may go into business for yourself using what you learned on the internet, however you may have a very difficult time convincing a potential employer that your free MIT engineering background is viable. The courses are uncredited and untested so you will lack the ever important degree a similar paid education would give.
It is also note worthy to consider that some people learn more effectivly in a classroom setting. Two people who try self study may have wildly different results.
Permalink | Report
Another field would be computer repair. There are literally thousands of tutorials, written and video, online that will teach you anything you want to know about repairing and even building computers. In fact, I have a friend who learned how to build computers by using online materials and library books. He makes in the neighborhood of $70,000 a year now.
Graphic and website design would be another field that you could learn pretty much completely online. You can learn everything you need to know about coding on w3schools.com, and there are tutorials that teach all the software from Dreamweaver to Photoshop.
Of course, there is always the obvious...Online Marketing. If you can't learn to do that right here on the internet, you're not paying attention. The problem there is knowing which sources to trust, but there are some great ones out there that give away tons of useful information on a regular basis. It's proven that if you do it right, online marketing can be very lucrative.
Forums and communities abound where you can communicate and get help from people in the same field, even some of the seasoned pros.
I'm sure there are other fields as well. Of course, fields like engineering, medicine, fine arts and others need a specialized education, and are not really conducive to being self-taught. There will always be a need for institutions of higher learning, but there are many occupations you can learn completely online.
As for not being able to get a degree without attending a college or university, that just isn't so. For all but the higher level courses, there are life experience equivalency tests you can take that will actually give you credit for the course without your ever having taken it. I personally know someone who skipped the first two years of his business degree this way.
Permalink | Report
I would start by watching the free A+ videos at http://www.professormesser.com/
And sign up to receive his daily quizzes.
Then you would need to memorize a lot of fact, but there are enough free flashcards available at various places. First, I would try
http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/search.php?tag=true&search=A%2B
And after you do enough memorization you can try their practice exams.
There are many forums where you can get more help on A+ certification.
I think basic computer repair is very doable in terms of a free education, as mentioned earlier. However, although you could basically read all the classic philosophical texts for free, it would be unlikely that you would therefore become a good philosopher. I think something like philosophy requires some guidance, kind of like learning woodworking. Most people would need a skilled craftsman to give direct guidance to early attempts at learning the art. Although, once someone gains a certain level of proficiency they may then be able to "go on" by themselves. This "going on" idea comes from Wittgenstein, voted by many philosophers as the greatest philosopher of the 20th century.
Source(s):
http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/search.php?tag=true&search=A%2B
http://www.professormesser.com/
http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/greatest-philosopher-of-the-2...
Permalink | Report
Hope this helps,
George
Source(s):
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/index.html
Permalink | Report
Source(s):
http://www.backalleypress.com/solution-for-lost-diploma.php
Permalink | Report
Answered Question
M$3.50
October 19, 2009 04:23 PM
What are some fields in which someone could educate themselves to a high level using only free online resources?
Feel free to interpret "field", "high level" and "resources" in any way you like!
I'd love to be surprised by the answers. :)
For example, fields could be traditional academic disciplines, practical or vocational skills, or technologies.
You'll probably want to explain at least some of the resources available in that field too.
I'd love to be surprised by the answers. :)
For example, fields could be traditional academic disciplines, practical or vocational skills, or technologies.
You'll probably want to explain at least some of the resources available in that field too.
RSS
Best Answer Chosen by Asker
| October 20, 2009 10:54 AM |
If you plan to use your knowledge in whichever field you study to get a job in that field, the main challenge I see with an online learner of free course material has to do with explaining your independent online study to an employer. This is especially true if you do not have a grade for the coursework, or a degree. Not that this is at all true, but to an outsider, someone who solely studies free courseware online might be perceived as lazy or not motivated to take a paid course. It also may make you seem less social or to appear less friendly as a human. However, this can be the complete opposite, so if you are looking to get a job in a field where you can take courses online, you best be able to explain your reasoning behind why you took courses online.
On the other hand, if you are starting your own business, then you don't need to prove to anyone that your online education is valid, but if you are a job seeker, then it's a totally different story. If you actually graduate from MIT rather than simply take online courses there, the graduating part looks more impressive. I also believe the major challenge with online education is the social aspect of being together to take a class and study with people you meet in class. This is something that distance learning challenges us.
Fields in: Business, Psychology, and Engineering can be seen as online intense, and you might benefit from an online course. I've seen sites out there like Academic Earth and Free Video Lectures that are interesting to look at.
Here are some sites that you might benefit from:
Academic Earth
http://academicearth.org
Free Video Lectures
http://freevideolectures.org
Scitalks
http://scitalks.com
Lecturefox
http://lecturefox.com
50 Free Ivy-League Lectures on the Economy http://www.onlineclasses.org/2009/09/30/50-free-ivy-league-lectures-on-the-economy/
100 Ivy League Business & Entrepreneurship Courses You Can Take for Free http://www.bschool.com/blog/2008/brain-trust-100-ivy-league-business-entrepreneurship-courses-you-can-take-for-free/
Oxford University on iTunes
http://itunes.ox.ac.uk
McGill Courses Online
http://cool.mcgill.ca
Open Yale Courses
http://oyc.yale.edu
WebCast UC Berkeley
http://webcast.berkeley.edu
MITs Open Courseware offers 1900 courses for free
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm
| Asker's Rating: |
Tags: lectures, university, learning, online
Helpful Answer?
(3)
(0)
Helpful: philipy, dsaldridge, anilarora
Tip easyeboy for this answer
Reply
Other Answers (9)
October 19, 2009 04:43 PM
Free-ed.net is a place where you can enhance your educational studies. You can't actually 'earn' a degree but their free courses can help you in everything from plumbing to human anatomy. They use video and transcripts from real college classes including Yale.
Course topics include:
Economics
Accounting
Marketing
Farming
Automotive Systems
Computer Programming
This free online education website is for the lifetime learner and anyone who wants to absorb as much information as possible.
Source(s):
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/
Permalink | Report
Reply
October 19, 2009 06:58 PM
That is an interesting site.
It's not so clear who makes it and why, and it looks like ultimately it's mainly a collection of pointers to various free materials on the web. Some of them are definitely very good.
Also it makes me wonder how far it's really possible to learn some of those subjects without getting some kind of feedback.
Report
It's not so clear who makes it and why, and it looks like ultimately it's mainly a collection of pointers to various free materials on the web. Some of them are definitely very good.
Also it makes me wonder how far it's really possible to learn some of those subjects without getting some kind of feedback.
October 20, 2009 05:20 PM
Philipy, there are so many forums and groups online that can help one with the feedback on any subject. Most of the time, when trying to learn to do something online, I will go to a forum or group that has people knowledgeable in that area of expertise. I would think the same would apply to any field of study online.
Report
October 19, 2009 06:37 PM
I'm not so sure about what high level is but I have been using these tutorials to learn HTML. http://www.html-helper.net/ To be completely honest anything in this area would be high level when used to describe my ability in HTML. I knew nothing of these codes before Mahalo and this tutorial. I have learned the limited amount that I do know from working here on Mahalo and using these tutorials.
Source(s):
http://www.html-helper.net/
Permalink | Report
Reply
October 19, 2009 07:30 PM
You know, I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I graduated from high school over ten years ago and have since graduated from college (that was over six years ago). Sadly, I don't remember a lot from my education. For example, I used to know how to do Calculus. Do I need calculus now? No - but I think it would be fun to have skills like that again. So as a project, I found a high school curriculum:
http://www.hslda.org/highschool/curriculum.asp (this link has several to choose from)
And a place to take free courses which I plan on using as a refresher and a supplement to self study:
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm
My goal is to have a well rounded classical education. On paper, I currently do have one. However, I probably remember 20% of what I learned.
Once I go through the high school curriculum, I'll examine which areas I want to expand on and take things to the next level. From what I know about myself now I'd pursue science and physics topics as well as literature, writing, art, religion, and language. I'll call this "college". Looking back on my college education I took some great courses. I'd love to replicate that on my own.
Resources I plan on using to gather information include:
http://www.howstuffworks.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ (for free language tutorials)
http://www.learn-to-draw.com/ (to learn how to draw)
http://www.britannica.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page (there are a ton of free public domain books out there)
Source(s):
Sources listed as links in the body of the answer
Tags: education, expert, learn
Helpful Answer?
(1)
(0)
Helpful: philipy
Tip kohuether for this answer
Reply
October 19, 2009 11:02 PM
I can empathise. Though if you re-learn calculus, you're only going to forget it all over again! Unless you do get to use it regularly this time. :)
Report
October 19, 2009 07:35 PM
There is a spectacular amount of high quality free information on the internet. Take for example MITs open course program with 1900 available courses!
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm
The difficult thing about a free education is not availability of information, it is the trust in a free education. For example you may go into business for yourself using what you learned on the internet, however you may have a very difficult time convincing a potential employer that your free MIT engineering background is viable. The courses are uncredited and untested so you will lack the ever important degree a similar paid education would give.
It is also note worthy to consider that some people learn more effectivly in a classroom setting. Two people who try self study may have wildly different results.
Permalink | Report
Reply
October 19, 2009 11:11 PM
There is indeed lots of great material online.
But the imlicit part of my question, which you touch on, is whether that material is sufficient to actually learn something to a high level, and if so, what.
Some of the potential problems I could forsee are:
- the material available only covers bits and pieces of what would make up a total coherent programme
- without the feedback of tutors, peers, assessment etc, it maybe hard to know if you actually "got it", and also maybe hard to stay motivated
- some things lend themselves to learning online, others don't
So it would be interesting to discuss all that. But the main question comes back to: Taking all those things into account, what could someone actually learn to a high level using only free resources?
And "resouces" in that context could include things like communities that could support a person by answering questions, providing motivation.
Report
But the imlicit part of my question, which you touch on, is whether that material is sufficient to actually learn something to a high level, and if so, what.
Some of the potential problems I could forsee are:
- the material available only covers bits and pieces of what would make up a total coherent programme
- without the feedback of tutors, peers, assessment etc, it maybe hard to know if you actually "got it", and also maybe hard to stay motivated
- some things lend themselves to learning online, others don't
So it would be interesting to discuss all that. But the main question comes back to: Taking all those things into account, what could someone actually learn to a high level using only free resources?
And "resouces" in that context could include things like communities that could support a person by answering questions, providing motivation.
October 19, 2009 10:50 PM
To answer your real question, I'm thinking there are quite a few, starting with my field, horticulture. Using the university extension sites, along with botany.com and other gardening sites, you could easily educate yourself to be a horticulturist, nursery owner, or landscape designer. Another field would be computer repair. There are literally thousands of tutorials, written and video, online that will teach you anything you want to know about repairing and even building computers. In fact, I have a friend who learned how to build computers by using online materials and library books. He makes in the neighborhood of $70,000 a year now.
Graphic and website design would be another field that you could learn pretty much completely online. You can learn everything you need to know about coding on w3schools.com, and there are tutorials that teach all the software from Dreamweaver to Photoshop.
Of course, there is always the obvious...Online Marketing. If you can't learn to do that right here on the internet, you're not paying attention. The problem there is knowing which sources to trust, but there are some great ones out there that give away tons of useful information on a regular basis. It's proven that if you do it right, online marketing can be very lucrative.
Forums and communities abound where you can communicate and get help from people in the same field, even some of the seasoned pros.
I'm sure there are other fields as well. Of course, fields like engineering, medicine, fine arts and others need a specialized education, and are not really conducive to being self-taught. There will always be a need for institutions of higher learning, but there are many occupations you can learn completely online.
As for not being able to get a degree without attending a college or university, that just isn't so. For all but the higher level courses, there are life experience equivalency tests you can take that will actually give you credit for the course without your ever having taken it. I personally know someone who skipped the first two years of his business degree this way.
Permalink | Report
Reply
October 19, 2009 11:13 PM
Interesting answer.
In horticulture, isn't there a lot of practical work involved? Not knowning a lot about it, I find it hard to imagine that it's something you can learn remotely.
Report
In horticulture, isn't there a lot of practical work involved? Not knowning a lot about it, I find it hard to imagine that it's something you can learn remotely.
October 20, 2009 02:11 AM
I'm sorry, maybe I misunderstood the question. I thought it was about educating yourself to a high level online. Of course with horticulture I meant you could educate yourself about it online. Just like with the other two I mentioned, you would need actual practice and experience. You can't learn to design websites without designing a few, and you can't learn to grow plants without growing them. There is practical work involved in any field you pursue. Of course you can't just educate yourself and go out and start doing it. You must practice first, as with anything.
Report
October 20, 2009 04:29 PM
My question was open-ended, and your answer was very interesting rather than different from what I was looking to hear about.
My question is not so much whether you can learn anything without practice, as whether you can do the practical work on your own, at low cost, and still reach a pretty good standard?
Report
My question is not so much whether you can learn anything without practice, as whether you can do the practical work on your own, at low cost, and still reach a pretty good standard?
October 20, 2009 05:16 PM
As a horticulturist, I can tell you that the most important element is knowledge, not necessarily practical experience. That being said, the practical experience would be moot, because someone who did not enjoy working with plants, gardening, or designing landscapes would not even attempt to be in the field. As my professor said to us our first day of class, "If you don't like being hot, cold, dirty, wet, or tired, leave now." It's a hard business. Most people who go into it already have experience with plants. One usually does not just say "I think I want to be a horticulturist" like one says "I want to be a doctor". The love of nature has to be there already.
Report
October 20, 2009 12:03 AM
You could get all the material you need, for free, to study for the CompTIA A+ exam. With this certification you can get a job doing desktop support. I would start by watching the free A+ videos at http://www.professormesser.com/
And sign up to receive his daily quizzes.
Then you would need to memorize a lot of fact, but there are enough free flashcards available at various places. First, I would try
http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/search.php?tag=true&search=A%2B
And after you do enough memorization you can try their practice exams.
There are many forums where you can get more help on A+ certification.
I think basic computer repair is very doable in terms of a free education, as mentioned earlier. However, although you could basically read all the classic philosophical texts for free, it would be unlikely that you would therefore become a good philosopher. I think something like philosophy requires some guidance, kind of like learning woodworking. Most people would need a skilled craftsman to give direct guidance to early attempts at learning the art. Although, once someone gains a certain level of proficiency they may then be able to "go on" by themselves. This "going on" idea comes from Wittgenstein, voted by many philosophers as the greatest philosopher of the 20th century.
Source(s):
http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/search.php?tag=true&search=A%2B
http://www.professormesser.com/
http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/greatest-philosopher-of-the-2...
Permalink | Report
Reply
October 20, 2009 12:49 AM
I would have to say you could learn just about any programming language out there via free online resources. For many of them there are free compilers and editors available. For instance, I am working on learning Java right now. The free tutorial I am using is citied below. The editor I use call netbeans is also free. You would get instant feedback as well. Your program either works or it doesn't. Hope this helps,
George
Source(s):
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/index.html
Permalink | Report
Reply
November 06, 2009 08:49 AM
Attaining the fake university degree is now just a few clicks away. There are a huge number of authentic looking fake university degree certificates that can easily shape your career. Your educational dreams will be going to fulfill by attaining these certificates. So without making any delay, click to get such fake certificates from our website. All kinds of fake university degree that includes any major, replacement diploma, etc of any college are available in our site. We provide better customer care service which can help you to get the things right at your hand without any extra effort. Our product for fake university degree is from actual university from around the country. The personal details or information that you provide us will all be displayed in the well designed customized fake certificate.
Source(s):
http://www.backalleypress.com/solution-for-lost-diploma.php
Permalink | Report
Reply
Answer this Question
Related Questions
Ask a Question
Buy Mahalo Dollars with Credit Card or PayPal
Top Members
Most Popular Tags
Categories
- Anonymous
-
Arts & Design
-
Beauty & Style
-
Books & Authors
-
Business
-
Cars & Transportation
-
Consumer Electronics
- Coupons Deals
-
Education
-
Entertainment
-
Environment
-
Fitness
-
Food & Drink
- From Email
- From Iphone
- From Twitter
-
Health
-
History
-
Hobbies
-
Home & Garden
-
How Tos
-
Humor
-
Jobs
-
Legal
-
Local
-
Love & Relationships
-
Mahalo Answers Community
-
Money
-
Music
-
News
-
NSFW
-
Parenting
-
Pets
-
Science & Mathematics
-
Services
-
Shopping
-
Social Science
-
Society & Culture
-
Sports
-
Technology & Internet
-
Travel
-
Video Games
Welcome New Members
- shole, November 28, 2009 04:20 AM
- adrianwong, November 28, 2009 04:20 AM
- puja, November 28, 2009 04:11 AM
- jonathanbernard..., November 28, 2009 04:06 AM
- dimpleroop, November 28, 2009 03:48 AM
Mahalo Dollars are the currency of Mahalo Answers.
Each Mahalo Dollar costs $1.
Once you earn more than 40 Mahalo Dollars, you can request to be paid via PayPal. Each Mahalo Dollar is currently worth $0.75 when paid out via PayPal. Learn More
I'm surprised you think business, psychology, and engineering are esp suited to online learning. I'd have thought they'd be fields where it's especially important to get hands-on, interact with peers etc.
Interesting the range of subjects people have come up with so far!