Best Online Classes? Any Sailor faves?

[KNSnowy]

I've been looking around for a calc.-based physics class I can take asap to improve my packet. I haven't had any luck so far, but now I'm wondering:

1. What (if any) online classes have you taken and from what institutions? What do you recommend and what have you loved? For specific job designators/communities as well as just in general.

2. Are there classes or institutes that are particularly popular in the Navy? Maybe for great quality content, or flexibility, or military tuition reduction?

3. Anybody take the open-source free route when it comes to continuing ed?

I've done some independent work in Code Academy and MIT's free courses and really loved both. Now, whether a review board would laugh me into the trash can if I tried to include this on my packet is a totally different issue But you still learn a lot!

For anyone interested, a nonprofit site called EdX partners with Harvard, MIT, and a lot of other top-notch schools to offer a grab bag of free online courses that you actually register for, follow along on a weekly schedule, and submit your work to. You're given a Pass/Fail grade at the end, so it's not great to show your proficiency, but the structure and feedback is cool. I might sign up for the CS50X course in January as it's pretty legendary.


If anybody knows a physics class I can take asap, I greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[PrudasJiest]

I'm not a Sailor but my first year of undergrad was done entirely through UMUC, which plenty of sailors use and seems to have a brick-and-mortar establishment on many Navy bases. UMUC is pretty great in that it's accredited, they offer trimester online classes (usually), application process is super quick, and the credits seem to transfer to just about every regular school if you want to use them toward something in the long run.
I'm also in a few coursera courses and the CS one from MIT that just started on edX, is the one in January different from the one going on now?

 

[Steve Wilkins]

I've been looking around for a calc.-based physics class I can take asap to improve my packet. I haven't had any luck so far.

And sadly, I don't think you are going to have much luck. The main issue has to do with labs. I have never come across an accredited calc based physics class due to the lab requirements. And not for lack of trying on my part. It's simply one of those things that you can't really virtualize like you can an online class without labs. If you have access to a community college, that is your best best. And honestly IMO, you'll learn more there than at a major institution where class size is in the hundreds.

 

[KNSnowy]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Agreed Steve, I'm near the Santa Monica community college and it would be ideal, but it wouldn't happen before my board review. I might would take it anyway of course, or whatever else might help with my job

I'm also in a few coursera courses and the CS one from MIT that just started on edX, is the one in January different from the one going on now?

Prudas, it's probably the same. I've never followed a course "live," where you can submit your work and get a Pass/Fail grade. If you're doing that, that's very cool.