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Harvard University Free Lectures

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Re: Harvard University Free Lectures

#11
I m doing online studies at the University of London ( http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/ ) and we have in some modules to every section a Video to give an overview and PDF for revision and Quizzes for testing yourself. The actual exam can be taken on campus or at your near British Consulate or Embassy.

Its pretty hard studying this way in comparision to study on campus. but far more convient and cheaper.

I assume that this is the same with other US Online studies like at Harvard or Standford. I just notice that the lectures in the Harvard videos that I ve watched, they seem to be aware of Online Students watching this later as an recording, and they are far more appealing to watch.

This is the Youtube channel to my Online Uni

http://www.youtube.com/user/UniofLondon?blend=16&ob=5

This Video id say is a better one, but many others are bad to watch online.

http://www.youtube.com/user/UniofLondon?blend=16&ob=5#p/...

I wonder what you thought of the British Style in this video to the US ones you have seen.

thanks

Re: Harvard University Free Lectures

#13
post #2

Stanford's lectures are way better.

I'm not sure if you're just trolling or if you have an actual critical comparison to make. Can you elaborate? There are a number of things you could be referring to when you say the Stanford lectures are "way better". Which Stanford lectures are you talking about? The recent AI, DB and ML classes? The general Stanford open course stuff? Are you talking about the content, presentation, selection of material, structure…

[moved from top post to reply here]

I have not seen the Harvard lectures yet, but if you want some specifics, here are some areas where Stanford is doing a fantastic job:

* HD resolution, with SD as well for those who want that.

* Excellent picture (good lighting, etc.)

* Tight editing

* Tracks between instructor, board, and slides very well. You don't get those moments where you wonder why they won't show you the presentation.

* Very high quality audio. Good mic placement and use. Cannot emphasize this enough.

* Courses are being refined in successive semesters, using what they've learned. They don't just put out one semester and then consider their job done.

* Closed captioning.

* Instructor repeats every question.

* Great, useful topics of wide current interest.

* Great web sites to go along with the course, with links to videos and course materials as PDFs and zip files.

* Instruction quality (of course this is a given at most good schools; professors don't get where they are by being bad. No problems with this at Stanford).

* Really the key thing you can see with Stanford videos is that someone is actively thinking about the quality and doing everything they can think of to make the entire experience great. My guess is it's because they see a future looming where online is more and more important, and they want to continue to be a leader in that new world, not just in the current one, and they realize that the quality of the whole package matters.

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