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🎓 Path to a free self-taught education in Computer Science!
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UBCx: HtC2x How to Code: Complex Data - cost 9 dollars #480

Closed hribeirosantana closed 6 years ago

hribeirosantana commented 6 years ago

I'm not exactly sure of the cost criteria for a course to be recommended as part of the curriculum, but I got very upset to learn that my path to a free self-taught education will be incomplete, I'll just skip this one.

Anyways, UBCx: HtCx How to Code: Simple Data was free to enroll.

Thanks

joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

To me it appears to be free. Is edX still switching it back and forth...?

On Sat, May 19, 2018, 1:18 PM Hugo notifications@github.com wrote:

I'm not exactly sure of the cost criteria for a course to be recommended as part of the curriculum, but I got very upset to learn that my path to a free self-taught education will be incomplete, I'll just skip this one.

Anyways, UBCx: HtCx How to Code: Simple Data was free to enroll.

Thanks

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hribeirosantana commented 6 years ago

Oh!, I see, I'm sorry. It might be the country I'm in? Do you have access to the week 8a: Two One-of Types? screen shot 2018-05-20 at 18 56 53

zlatin commented 6 years ago

My observations about Software Development MicroMasters Program as for now:

  1. Every second course of the program is paywalled.
  2. If I open from mobile browser (tried on android) all courses are free.
  3. The paywall is only for new students, so if I enrolled earlier I have access to full program.
  4. To see paywall just log out.

So my suggestion is to try open paywalled courses from mobile device and try to enroll all courses of the program.

tiffany-washburn commented 6 years ago

I'm in the US.

I tried opening "How to code: complex data" on mobile, and am still hitting a paywall, unfortunately.

Weirdly, I can't seem to find that course on the edX app at all.

netship02 commented 6 years ago

In India it is free try to enrol with some vpn.

joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

I contacted edX asking them to clarify whether it's free or not. If it's not free for anyone, it has to be removed from the curriculum. I'll post here once I get a response.

Ruzo commented 6 years ago

I hope that I'm not the only one who's ok with paying for a quality course. I'm not really sure when "free" became a requirement since it's not listed as one in the description. Maybe there should be a free course as an alternative when the main one is behind a paywall? I think that a paid course could still be a much more accessible option than an on-site one at a University.

joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

Having paid alternatives/upgrades is fine, but our current policy is that there has to be a free track because the point of the curriculum is to have the highest quality possible "do it yourself" style education. We have no idea what the economic situations are of OSSU students; $9 may be a lot for some people, even if they somehow have access to a computer (perhaps they're borrowing one in a library).

On Mon, May 21, 2018, 6:01 PM Richard Rouzeau notifications@github.com wrote:

I hope that I'm not the only one who's ok with paying for a quality course. I'm not really sure when "free" became a requirement since it's not listed as one in the description. Maybe there should be a free course as an alternative when the main one is behind a paywall? I think that a paid course could still be a much more accessible option than an on-site one at a University.

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oldink commented 6 years ago

Indeed Jack Ma founder of Ali Baba had a monthly salary of $10. He had to eat and fulfill the necessities of life within that. He applied to several courses in several universities but got rejected, he picked a different path although and is now a billionaire. But content like this gives people living in abject poverty a way to pick them selves up, and helps people with potential the education system in countries like China, India and several Asian countries based on route learning can not recognize. For example also even if people are able to gather that amount they may not be able to pay it because local village banks do no provide cards or any means of transactions that paypal or something like that will accept. In my country $9 can feed a family of 3 for a week.

Being of privilege $9 is about sacrificing a pizza from an American fast food chain for me. But for a lot of people using this to help their economic conditions it's a dead end.

ShirazSuleman commented 6 years ago

Can't we not have the free option but also list a paid alternative, for people who can afford it?

joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

That's my intention for now. We will have to replace How to Code with the book it's based on in the official curriculum, but with a note that students can take the (possibly paid) course as an alternative.

amorriscode commented 6 years ago

@hanjiexi I think a book really isn't a fantastic replacement for a full course.

1) Some people might not have access to the book at their library, or even access to a library at all. 2) I doubt that any computer science books can be snatched up for under $9 (the price of the edX courses). 3) More personal but following along with just a book is more difficult for me.

Due to the three reasons above, I don't think a book is really the perfect alternative for a "free" option.

joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

@amorriscode You're right, it's not a good replacement, but edX is leaving us little other choice. We came to depend on them and now they're de-stabilizing their pricing. Here is the reply I received from edX:

I apologize for the confusion. This is a soft paywall which we are testing at the moment. Some students will see this others won't since it is still very much in the testing phase. Please keep in mind that this $9 soft paywall is optional, so anyone who sees it is welcome to bypass it and still access the course for free.

I don't know how students are supposed to bypass the paywall; he didn't give instructions for doing this.

Regarding the book, it is entirely free.

The "How to Code" courses are based on How to Design Programs, which itself is an attempt at rethinking the pedagogical approach of The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs. Another option is using a course based on SICP such as this MIT OCW course, but that course's links to the online textbook are broken.

However, using an SICP-based course would change the curriculum even more than using the HtDP textbook, which would at least vaguely preserve the same topics.

ChrisTsou commented 6 years ago

i checked again the course today and the paywall disappeared for me.

edit: scratch that. pay to unlock it is back.

hribeirosantana commented 6 years ago

Not to be annoying guys, but the UBCx: Software Construction: Data Abstraction also does cost 9 dollars now here where I am (I ended up paying and did the UBCx: HtC2x How to Code: Complex Data, btw)

joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

Is it still unavailable for free for anyone? I'm unable to verify as they all appear to be totally free for me.

anoddduck commented 6 years ago

Under my old edx account, which has several completed courses, some of which I paid for a certificate, — HtC2x requires $9 to access full course. I created a new edx account three weeks ago, the full course is appeared as free.

On Fri, 28 Sep 2018 at 09:36, hanjiexi notifications@github.com wrote:

Is it still unavailable for free for anyone? I'm unable to verify as they all appear to be totally free for me.

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joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

@anoddduck Are you suggesting that they make some free courses appear as paywalled to users have paid before? I wasn't able to verify this with my account but it could still be true.

anoddduck commented 6 years ago

@hanjiexi -- I thought the paywall may have remained for accounts enrolled at a specific time when paywall introduced, or for accounts that completed HtC1x. I just checked my old account, and the paywall has now been removed. May have occurred within the last 1.5 weeks, as I checked my old account during that time to avoid repeating first coursework section.

I also created my new account in a new region - due to moving. To test, I just created a new account via VPN in Europe, and declared European residence on account. No paywall appears for the new account.

On Fri, 28 Sep 2018 at 09:48, hanjiexi notifications@github.com wrote:

@anoddduck https://github.com/anoddduck Are you suggesting that they make some free courses appear as paywalled to users have paid before? I wasn't able to verify this with my account but it could still be true.

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joshmhanson commented 6 years ago

Thanks @anoddduck, I'm closing this for now until more evidence turns up that edX have started paywalling again.

dancek commented 5 years ago

I enrolled today. The course is now visible only for a limited time for free:

Audit Access Expires Sep 23, 2019 You lose all access to this course, including your progress, on Sep 23, 2019. Upgrade by Aug 26, 2019 to get unlimited access to the course as long as it exists on the site.

Additionally all the quizzes are hidden unless you pay.

Questions are only available for Verified Track learners
kenuxi commented 5 years ago

@dancek I have the same. Tried from a couple of other countries and it seems there is only the option of buying it for $125.... I'd be happy to pay $9 for it but this is just a bit much for some basic coding. Looks like the whole micromaster now costs $900

s7oev commented 5 years ago

Same. I'd be fine with paying $9, but $125 for a whole course is a bit too much, IMO. And it's a shame, since I've been planning to take it from some time, but apparently this change is very recent. I signed up for it in February, just to check the content, and now I've lost the access to it. I do think a new account should solve that.

But, going back to @dancek 's post: can someone that knows the course comment on whether the situation was the same with the quizzes before as well? I.e., it does say to pay for graded assignments, which makes sense. But, is it new that they are completely hidden? Does this make taking the free version of the course useless?

Edit: I'm actually talking about simple data, just now I realize this post is about complex data; but I don't think this matters much

waciumawanjohi commented 5 years ago

I've opened an RFC about How to Code. Please comment! https://github.com/ossu/computer-science/issues/588