09-30-2017, 08:18 AM
Provider: Straighterline
Course: Microeconomics/ECON102
Course content: 24 topics, each with a corresponding e-textbook chapter and a quiz (20 questions for 30 points per quiz.) Not all topics have slide show type lessons, but most do. A mid term exam with 70 questions with 140 points available. Proctored final exam is 60 questions for 140 points.
Final exam format: 60 multiple choice questions, 140 points available.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: Pretty good, although I thought the final was a little less taxing than some of the unit exams.
Time taken on course: A week.
Familiarity with subject before course: I had taken macroeconomics previously, some content transferred over.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: The book is by the same authors and follows the same format as the book used in Macroeconomics, and there is an overlap for some of the chapters/topics. I found that the book often fell short of helping me to understand how to address questions in the quizzes, and the lessons weren’t much better. Additionally, the textbook is problematically old – for example, there is a chapter on the economics of health care in the US, and the current environment is completely different from when the book was written in the late 2000s. Again, this guy's videos did a pretty good job clarifying anything the course material didn't do a very good job of: https://www.youtube.com/user/ACDCLeadership
Difficulty level: I’m not going to call this one easy. As I mentioned, I don’t think the provided materials helped me prepare for the tests. Even the practice tests sucked for… practicing.
Provider: Straighterline
Course: American Government/POLS 110
Course content: 14 topics with corresponding E-book content and slide show lessons. Quizzes (25 questions, 125 points available.) Mid term exam is 50 questions with 200 points available. As of this writing, the E-Book was very recent, less than a year old.
Final exam format: 60 multiple choice questions, 300 points available.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: Very close, no surprises.
Time taken on course: Half of a week.
Familiarity with subject before course: Very familiar – see below.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: If you graduated from High School in the US, chances are none of this material is new to you. If you follow politics, chances are you’ll be even more prepared.
Difficulty level: As I mentioned, if you are US educated I don’t think you’ll find this one difficult. Even if it’s not your thing, I think the course is straightforward.
Provider: Straighterline
Course:US History I and US History II
Course content: History I is 15 topics, II is 14. There is some overlap at the end of I/beginning of II. Both courses have four unit quizzes (40 questions, 125 points available) and a midterm exam (50 questions for a maximum of 250 points.) The proctored final is 60 questions for 300 points. The book is the same for both courses. History I stops at and II picks up at about the time of reconstruction.
Final exam format: 60 multiple choice questions
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: History I - No surprises. History II – a lot of stuff came from way out of left field. Use caution.
Time taken on course: could have done both in a full weekend
Familiarity with subject before course: I liked studying history in high school, and I even remembered much of it, so fairly familiar.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: I would recommend taking both US history courses along with American Government – they complement each other well.
Difficulty level: While I’m sure many find history somewhat boring, most US educated students have seen this material before and shouldn’t find it too terribly difficult. However, I will note that the history II course had an unpalatable number of pedantic questions, with ambiguous choices that didn’t have a clear correct answer. History I was much more straightforward.
Course: Microeconomics/ECON102
Course content: 24 topics, each with a corresponding e-textbook chapter and a quiz (20 questions for 30 points per quiz.) Not all topics have slide show type lessons, but most do. A mid term exam with 70 questions with 140 points available. Proctored final exam is 60 questions for 140 points.
Final exam format: 60 multiple choice questions, 140 points available.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: Pretty good, although I thought the final was a little less taxing than some of the unit exams.
Time taken on course: A week.
Familiarity with subject before course: I had taken macroeconomics previously, some content transferred over.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: The book is by the same authors and follows the same format as the book used in Macroeconomics, and there is an overlap for some of the chapters/topics. I found that the book often fell short of helping me to understand how to address questions in the quizzes, and the lessons weren’t much better. Additionally, the textbook is problematically old – for example, there is a chapter on the economics of health care in the US, and the current environment is completely different from when the book was written in the late 2000s. Again, this guy's videos did a pretty good job clarifying anything the course material didn't do a very good job of: https://www.youtube.com/user/ACDCLeadership
Difficulty level: I’m not going to call this one easy. As I mentioned, I don’t think the provided materials helped me prepare for the tests. Even the practice tests sucked for… practicing.
Provider: Straighterline
Course: American Government/POLS 110
Course content: 14 topics with corresponding E-book content and slide show lessons. Quizzes (25 questions, 125 points available.) Mid term exam is 50 questions with 200 points available. As of this writing, the E-Book was very recent, less than a year old.
Final exam format: 60 multiple choice questions, 300 points available.
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: Very close, no surprises.
Time taken on course: Half of a week.
Familiarity with subject before course: Very familiar – see below.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: If you graduated from High School in the US, chances are none of this material is new to you. If you follow politics, chances are you’ll be even more prepared.
Difficulty level: As I mentioned, if you are US educated I don’t think you’ll find this one difficult. Even if it’s not your thing, I think the course is straightforward.
Provider: Straighterline
Course:US History I and US History II
Course content: History I is 15 topics, II is 14. There is some overlap at the end of I/beginning of II. Both courses have four unit quizzes (40 questions, 125 points available) and a midterm exam (50 questions for a maximum of 250 points.) The proctored final is 60 questions for 300 points. The book is the same for both courses. History I stops at and II picks up at about the time of reconstruction.
Final exam format: 60 multiple choice questions
Final exam content vs course content/practice exams: History I - No surprises. History II – a lot of stuff came from way out of left field. Use caution.
Time taken on course: could have done both in a full weekend
Familiarity with subject before course: I liked studying history in high school, and I even remembered much of it, so fairly familiar.
Pitfalls, high points, things others should know: I would recommend taking both US history courses along with American Government – they complement each other well.
Difficulty level: While I’m sure many find history somewhat boring, most US educated students have seen this material before and shouldn’t find it too terribly difficult. However, I will note that the history II course had an unpalatable number of pedantic questions, with ambiguous choices that didn’t have a clear correct answer. History I was much more straightforward.
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