neadods: (bleh)
neadods ([personal profile] neadods) wrote2010-01-31 09:56 am
Entry tags:

The downside of iTunes U and Open Courseware

After having gotten all excited about Open Courseware and iTunes U, I've been exploring both... and finding that neither is quite suiting what I'm looking for.

I'm listening while I'm driving, so it can only be audio, and in a clear voice. I'm used to The Teaching Company, which has a professor speaking directly into a mike (the later editions don't even have a live audience, however respectfully silent.)

However, most of the juiciest-looking MIT open courses don't have an audio component at all, whereas iTunes U is almost exclusively audio, but it's audio created with a microphone in class - lots of student talking, time spent discussing school issues, muffled teacher voices.

Grr. Argh.

Anyone know any good educational podcasts? Shakespeare, literature, history? Something like Dr. Kiki's science hour would be a lot closer to what I'm looking for than what I'm finding in the online universities.

[identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com 2010-01-31 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I haven't tried googling that; I'll do that next, and open.ac.uk looks luscious! In a roundabout way, iTunes podcasts/educational pointed me at the British Library, which has a variety of things from last year. Fortunately, there are no major changes in Tudor thought recently. :) So I can listen to those as well.

But it's a bit frustrating. Teaching Co is so perfect, but there's only so many in the library system.

ext_3965: (Books John Smith)

[identity profile] persiflage-1.livejournal.com 2010-01-31 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Have you not come across the OU before? The Open University is famous over here for educating vast numbers of people to degree level while they continue to work/look after their families. [livejournal.com profile] padawanpooh is getting her degree for the OU...

[identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com 2010-01-31 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
No, I haven't. I shall explore...
ext_3965: (Freema Reading)

[identity profile] persiflage-1.livejournal.com 2010-01-31 07:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I feel guilty now for never mentioning it!

[identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com 2010-01-31 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
De nada! No reason for you to have, really - I'm doing this more for personal growth than a degree... although I wouldn't mind having another one!
ext_3965: (Dreaming Spires: Oxford)

[identity profile] persiflage-1.livejournal.com 2010-01-31 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
*nods* Plenty of people do courses of study with the OU for personal growth rather than because they want a specific degree...
Edited 2010-01-31 20:11 (UTC)