Great courses

[mr friendly guy]

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGreatCourses

Apparently they have been around for a few years selling cds or dvds of lectures from professors to the casual person. For example it has courses in history most likely aimed for someone interested in it like me, but not to a student.

Now they have set up shop in Australia and offering these courses as well with massive discounts. I am interested in getting course on writing (sure I am just an amateur but its interesting) and some on physics aimed for the non scientist.

Anyone had experience with them? Do they really manage to cram the basics in 30 minute lectures?

[spaceviking]

I have watched and enjoyed a few of them. The courses are reasonably comprehensive and should provide you with roughly an intro university course level of information (obviously with no academic rigor). Though even with a steep discount they are still over priced.

[mr friendly guy]

I am thinking of direct downloads so it should save a bit of money.

http://www.shopgreatcourses.com.au/tgc/ ... x?cid=2368

http://www.shopgreatcourses.com.au/tgc/ ... x?cid=1240

The following lecture series are what I have my eye on. The first is on writing and the second is on quantum physics. Even if I just get a smidgeon of the science, it might help me coming up with sci fi ideas.

The combine price while discounted (until 6 feb) is less than $90 AUD for 48 lectures, so less than $2 AUD per lecture. At full price it around $305 AUD more than the discounted price. I personally wouldn't buy it at full price, but the discounted price maybe. It depends on how good they are really.

[Elheru Aran]

My parents and siblings did something very similar for edutainment purposes for a few years.

Yes, my family are the sort who just sit down and watch an educational video and then discuss and try to learn from it one way or another, for fun...

Anyway. I think they did Great Courses too, although I could be wrong. Just bear in mind that not all of these video course things are equal, even within the better ones. Some will be excellent; others will be kind of meh. I suggest looking up the lecturer before going for it and perhaps checking out any available previews to make sure you can actually like the speaker. That was one issue my parents mentioned-- every now and then they'd run into someone who obviously knew the material but either did not deliver it very well or did so in an annoying/disagreeable manner (in their perception).

[mr friendly guy]

Well the writing lecture series is mainly available. Youtube has the first ten (of 24) lectures, and looking around including on some foreign streaming sites there are a couple more videos, but not the whole collection. I think this should be sufficient to give me an idea whether I am going to like this lecturer.

I have also managed to watch the first video in the quantum physics lecture, and so far seems ok. I will need to preview a few before deciding how good it is and whether its worth buying the whole set and other lectures.

[Phantasee]

I have the one on great speeches in history, which examines the different oratory skills demonstrated by different speakers. It's kinda entertaining.