A week ago searching for alternatives to the Open University courses on logic a search led to this wonderful institution
http://www.saylor.org/
This offers a range of Free Online courses which are equivalent to courses studied at American Universities. Unlike coursera or Future learn which are examples of MOCC's the courses available can be accessed at anytime. Also they can be put together to earn the equivalent of a full degree provided you stay the course.
What is really impressive are the maths courses
http://www.saylor.org/majors/mathematics/
Having looked at the course content I think it's fair to say that they are at least equivalent to the OU and some such Abstract Algebra II and Real Analysis II go further than the OU do.
I have always wanted to understand politics and economics better and so am aiming to do at least the core sections in these disciplines.
http://www.saylor.org/majors/economics/
I've registered for microeconomics and also calculus of a single variable I which has a really good explanation of the epsilon delta definition of continuity. The great thing is that you can take your time there is no scrambling to complete a TMA Anyway hopefully I can zip through a lot of the maths courses in the next two years I'maiming for 1 module in maths every three months or so.
The great thing is that all this is free and the courses are being recognised as equivalent to having studied equivalent to that in an American universities. It can only be a matter of time before this becomes more and more widespread. When the OU is becoming more and more inflexible and restricted in the options they offer and the prices they charge unless it get's it act together institutions like Saylor will rightly supersede them.
As a bit of light relief I'm also doing the Future learn course on the Higg's boson
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/higg
The lectures seem a bit more advanced than the assessment. the second lecture on the derivation of conservation laws such as momentum from imposing translational invariance on Newton's law is really neat. However the assessment is confined to a few multiple choice questions on general principles.
Anyway it's hello Saylor the way to go.
