Did anyone take the Coursera course?

[Horus]

I noticed that there was some interest shown a while ago regarding the Coursera/Manchester University short course ‘Ancient Egypt: A History in Six Objects’ Did anyone on here actually take the course? I noticed Jane Askars name pop up a few times, so am assuming that she at least did so.

[Who2]

Yeh! I did, passed with flying degrees and a gold star just like all those A levels I lied about....

[Horus]

Shame you had to lie then George, you must really try harder.

[Glyphdoctor]

Coursera is a joke. The few courses I tried seriously seemed like they were designed for the level of a 13 year old's mind, which is a bit strange considering that 57% of people taking Coursera courses have a college degree. You seriously could learn more about the topics in question by reading the For Dummies book version. I say that from having gotten the For Dummies book for the topic of one of the courses I tried. It's like diet soda. You get the taste but no substance.

[Horus]

So let me get this correct, you took several courses? So that implies you went back for more, but you are quite prepared to denigrate them as worthy of a 13 year old for anyone else who tries them?

[Brian Yare]

I started this Coursera course, but could not complete it because the internet in Luxor was so slow. What I saw of it was of a reasonable quality, although covering mainly stuff that I already knew from various University courses.

I certainly would not denigrate what I have seen so far on Coursera.

[Horus]

Thank you Brian, nice to hear a real opinion for a change, like you I found that although I knew quite a bit already and I started the course late, I was able to catch up and then finish a week early, but it meant putting in more hours in between. Regardless of what other may tell you it was not at the level of a 13 year old, unless of course all Egyptologists have qualifications that most 16 year olds could pass. I always find it amusing that a relatively small group of academics can create a whole lifestyle and even earn a living around a subject that most of us do part time and purely for fun. So we have window cleaners, car mechanics, dentists, engineers, computer programmers, IT specialists and many more occupations than I could throw a stick at who are all to a fair degree quite knowledgeable of this specialised subject, but how often is the reverse true? And of course you cannot count the Computer Literacy skills that many of them trumpet about, we can all do that. I can only say Brian that it was an enjoyable course to do and I for one enjoyed it very much and we had very capable lecturers such as Dr Joyce Tyldesley, Dr Glen Godenho & Dr Campbell Price who presented the videos and lecture material, they also took an active part in the discussions and forums. I am looking forward to some of the others on offer and who knows I may even reach the level of a 14 year old by the end of next year, anyway must dash I have to dig out my Hieroglyphs for Dummies book, I should be an expert by around 10 pm tonight.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I didn't take the Egyptology course but I did take another course about a year ago via Leiden University in the Netherlands and it was quite comprehensive. I would have put it definitely on a scale of what one would find in 3rd or 4th year University courses. Definitely way beyond the 101 first year courses that are rather boiler plate and touch on minimally absolutely every aspect of a subject but never get into any real depth.

There was also reading external to the course and then weekly assignments along with the video lectures and group discussions and threads. It was quite time consuming and while maybe you could have skimmed the surface IMO if you actually committed to really getting into the subject matter it was pretty deep. I didn't take the exams at the end as I wasn't going for the certificate.

[Horus]

There was also reading external to the course and then weekly assignments along with the video lectures and group discussions and threads. It was quite time consuming and while maybe you could have skimmed the surface IMO if you actually committed to really getting into the subject matter it was pretty deep. I didn't take the exams at the end as I wasn't going for the certificate.

A fairly good summation of this course, although at an academic level it was probably not quite as high as the one you mention, but it was far from being as basic as is being implied. During the peer review of the submissions stage there were certainly some very knowledgeable people giving their own assessments of other peoples work, so we can only assume that these people enjoy taking courses below their own ability just to look good and impress others.

[Glyphdoctor]

Just to be clear, I am not talking about the Egyptology courses, but other courses that have nothing to do with Egyptology whatsoever. However, one of the courses had a more narrow focus of a topic that I took an INTRODUCTORY course in in college for non-specialists and it was really so simple and dumbed down in comparison.

And don't even get me started on the discussion forums. One course the video lectures were good and I did learn some useful info, but the discussion forums were so banal I wound up just downloading all the course materials to view and read offline later.

[Horus]

Well as my opening post was about the recent Coursera Egyptology course asking if anyone else on here had taken it and my question was based purely on an earlier thread some weeks ago when it was being talked about by a few interested members of this site. Then your initial response of:

Coursera is a joke. The few courses I tried seriously seemed like they were designed for the level of a 13 year old's mind,

was strange to say the least, as was your 'like' for the buffoons (or is that Magnoon's) post

[Glyphdoctor]

Why is it strange? It's my experience. The courses I enrolled in fell far short of my expectations. I wasn't looking for edutainment. I was looking to learn some practical information that would enhance things I do every day.

As for liking Who's comment, I think he summed up the assessment process in these courses. Anyone could pass them with high scores without actually learning much at all, because they have things like multiple choice quizzes that you can look up the answer for. I wouldn't trust a certificate from one of these courses as showing someone learned anything at all because it is too easy to cheat.

You want to take the courses for personal enrichment, fine, if you feel you get something out of them like that, then good for you. Beyond that, I think they are worthless.

You get what you pay for, or not, as the case may be.

[Who2]

Question ? 'what hotel in Luxor is now fully booked in fact overbooked....

[newcastle]

Question ? 'what hotel in Luxor is now fully booked in fact overbooked....

Sounds like a trick question...the local police cells? ...

Go on then.....which?

[Horus]

Anyone could pass them with high scores without actually learning much at all, because they have things like multiple choice quizzes that you can look up the answer for. I wouldn't trust a certificate from one of these courses as showing someone learned anything at all because it is too easy to cheat.

First of all who would wish to cheat? after all you would only be deceiving yourself, but perhaps you have more experience in that direction than I do and as for the value of any certificate, well I am hardly going to be applying for a University teaching position with it am I? In your usual “I will **** on everyone else’s parade” mentality, you pop up like the proverbial troll to spit your venom and belittle anyone and everyone regardless of the topic. Is it any wonder that regulars and ex regular members don’t bother to post on here anymore as even the most mundane of questions will usually be turned into an issue one way or another by the likes of you. Is there by any chance any, even just one topic that you are not an authority in?

[Who2]

A:
The 1 full of Archeologists, 1 clever German and 1 clever Ahmed el Rasoul.
It has to be Sheik Ali's. qed. 'who needs tourists ?' not I, said the tomb raider!
Ps: I have tons of 'oligies...
Pss: It's all boll***s you know, 'this paper /certificate sh**.
If you don't know where to dig no amount of certificates will help.
nb; retired tomb-raider tonbridge wells..

[Glyphdoctor]

Horus, you are acting crazy. Do you own stock in the Coursera company? Otherwise, I don't see why you should be so upset that the courses did not give me the knowledge and skills I was looking for. I wasn't taking the courses to become a professor. I was taking them to enhance my ability to do some things I need to do every day around the house. Not even career or job related in the slightest. Your outrage over this is just bizarre. How you think sharing my personal experience equates to belittling others is beyond me.

[FABlux]

I signed up for it, started to download the first one and then got an email which meant I had to devote myself to urgent matters in the UK, so I never did do the course, maybe next time.

[HEPZIBAH]

I'm curious to know what kind of courses are offered by this company that are helpful for normal, everyday things around the home. I've only seen the Egyptology courses mentioned by others and I was not likely to be looking those up.

[LovelyLadyLux]

@Hepzi - Coursera offers a really wide range of courses in everything from History to Anthropology/Psychology/Sociology to Physics, Computers, Math and Science. The courses they're offering are mostly based on courses that can be conducted via a video taped lecture with text book type reading. To enhance this they also offer groups discussion, weekly assignments and peer review(s). From what I've seen, although my own personal focus is usually something psychologically oriented so I'm usually only looking at those, most of the Courses offered would equate to Senior University level or possibly even early Graduate School level courses.

Some of the courses are very narrow in focus and are based on a specific Researchers own narrow area of research (which otherwise would be published only in an Academic Journals where only a few would read it. This Coursera format allows for Researchers to spread 'the word' much further and share with a much wider audience that would otherwise be happening)

What you cannot do via Coursera would be the Internship type courses or programs that require a hands on approach. Just not possible in today's cyber world really but any type or style of learning that can be accomplished via a text book + lecture(s) + group discussion + daily/weekly assignments + extra assigned reading can be done.