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Ohio State Introduces Massive Open Online Calculus

Posted by timothy on from the back-to-school-special dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Professors at the Ohio State University are embracing MOOCs, with a Massive Open Online Calculus Course — it is completely open source; everything is on github. There is are free videos, free online assessment system, and a free textbook!"

10 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. Is are by SIR_Taco · · Score: 5, Funny

    Is are a free English and grammar course too?

    --
    I say don't drink and drive, you might spill your drink. Before you get behind the wheel just stop and think.
    1. Re:Is are by Cryacin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hey, all your base are belong to us.

      --
      Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
    2. Re:Is are by sumdumass · · Score: 3, Informative

      No state did that. IIRC there was a bill long ago in the Indiana state legislature years ago (1800's) that would have done so but it wasn't ever voted on. In 1961, the the novel a stranger in a strange land commented on a fictional law in Tennessee doing so but it was all fiction.

      You are probably thinking of one of the email satires that spread back in the 90's when New Mexico was trying to supplant evolution with creationism.

    3. Re:Is are by Lotana · · Score: 3, Funny

      Are you implying that beyond feeling the usual smugness, I could also lovingly stare at a certificate on a wall proving my superiority to the grammar-challenged heathens?!

      Where do I sign up? I believe that I have enough narcissism to qualify!

  2. Sadly, calculus is not all that useful... by gweihir · · Score: 4, Interesting

    While I enjoyed the proof techniques and the clean structure of the theory, I have had almost zero use for it in 20 years of IT research and consulting. Modern algebra or set theory would have been far more useful, but I had to each that to myself...

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    1. Re:Sadly, calculus is not all that useful... by mark_reh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Calculus may not be directly useful in many fields but it trains one to approach problem solving in an organized way and with attention to detail.
      Physics is similar in that even if you never use specific facts learned in the class, the approach to problem solving stays with you -if you are the sort who realizes that the physics approach is generally applicable and not limited to solving physics homework problems.

  3. What's most important to learn? by UBfusion · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm all for Open Courses, especially when the Universities, Professors and Research are funded by the state (I'm not talking for US only). However, IMO the issue is, what should the priorities for self-learners be?

    Math is considered as the language of science, but sometimes I wonder whether open courses on human relationships, empathy, self-help and helping each other (i.e. things that our parents taught us and are seldom, if ever touched upon by today's parents), and most importantly, detoxification from technology (I'm thinking of the billions of man-hours spent on texting, sexting and the so-called "social networking") might be more important for today's youth.

  4. The Language God Talks by Gim+Tom · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Learning some calculus can give you insight into how the world works better than many other areas of mathematics.

    Herman Wouk wrote a short book called The Language God Talks. The title came from a statement made to him by Richard Feynman when Wouk was interviewing him for some background on the Manhattan Project for Wouk's two books on World War II. In their first meeting Feynman asked Wouk if he knew calculus and Wouk said no. Feynman told him that he should learn it since, "It is the language God talks."

    I am an engineer and while I didn't actually USE much calculus on a daily basis, it did help me understand the relationships and equations that I did use every day.

  5. Re:cute graphic by qubezz · · Score: 4, Informative

    but does it count to credits?

    Information about the actual course is located on https://www.coursera.org/course/calc1

    Notable information is the class start date, August 23, and the result of taking the class, which is that you get a certificate signed by the instructor. The class is currently in progress (you're too late); the class lecture videos are much of the content are are on various instructor's YouTube channels.

    What is checked into Github is the website and backend. There is no license that I can see for any content except (c) 2013, mooculus team, at the bottom of the site's non-doctype'd HTML. Math geeks can't nerd.

  6. Did anyone actually read the book? by AliasMarlowe · · Score: 3, Informative

    The colophon of the book states it clearly enough:
    "This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ or send a or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. If you distribute this work or a derivative, include the history of the document."
    "The source code is available at: https://github.com/ASCTech/mooculus/tree/master/public/textbook"

    I guess the rush to post overwhelmed any curiosity in the material itself. Yes, the repetition "or send a or send a" exists in the textbook.

    --
    Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire