Friday, November 28, 2014

Some Physics MOOC courses

There are now quite a few such courses which look really useful for high school and university students. Here are a just few I noted below at random. I have not done any but may be a reader has and can comment. Coursera had many (35 matching PHYSICS) and EdX even more (95 matching PHYSICS). Reviewing so many is beyond me!

Coursera
Introductory Physics I with Laboratory - "Explore motion in the real world using modern tools and techniques (video capture and analysis, computer modeling) guided by fundamental physics principles."

Energy and the Earth - "Learn how all energy systems depend on the finite resources of the Earth, and how this relationship can provide a unique “big picture” perspective on energy supply."

Introduction to Electronics - "This course introduces students to the basic components of electronics: diodes, transistors, and op amps. It covers the basic operation and some common applications."

Introduction to Thermodynamics: Transferring Energy from Here to There - "In this course, you will learn how to characterize the energy state of a system and the mechanisms for transferring energy from one system to another. These are the tools necessary to understand stationary and transportation power systems from small scale, like batteries, to large scale, like nuclear power plants."

EdX
Preparing for the AP Physics 1 Exam - "This is a challenging course designed to help high school students prepare for the AP* Physics 1 test. The course covers all of the material for the test, supported by videos, simulations, and online labs. Topics include motion, forces, gravitation, energy and momentum, rotation, harmonic motion, and an introduction to electric charge and basic circuits." This seems to be part of a series.

Electronic Interfaces: Bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds - "Learn by doing: analyze, design, and build electronic interfaces between sensors and a micro-controller to build a robot or your own creation in this hands-on lab course."