San Diego Math Circle

Online Video

Online Video for General Education or Enrichment

Annenberg Media at www.learner.org

Annenberg Media is an arm of the Annenberg Foundation and is generally has the aim of improving the quality of teaching. As such, much of the content at Annenberg Media is directed at the professional growth of teachers; some of it however is appropriate for youth. All Annenberg programs are strictly streaming media, meaning that there is no legitimate mode through which to download or "capture" the video for off-line viewing. To view any video, locate the page for the particular program of interest, then click the "VOD" (Video on Demand) button. You will be prompted to "log in". Don't be daunted by this. Simply enter a legitimate email address that will constitute your login ID, establish a password, and you are set to go.

Some of the best of the Annenberg Videos are:

The Mechanical Universe ... and Beyond

The Mechanical Universe is one of the gems of Annenberg Media. Fifty-two half-hour programs with NOVA-like production values wander in a coherent but engaging tour through the landscape of physics. Programs revolve around a pedagogical core provided in engaging fashion by Caltech physicist David Goodstein. Unlike most NOVA-like programs, the Mechanical Universe actually uses mathematics, including calculus, vectors, and the occasional differential equation. These mathematical elements are not the workhorses of the programs, but they do provide a greater connection with real mathematics and the real underlying laws of physics than is commonly found in popular media.

The World of Chemistry

Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffman guides the viewer through "the world of chemistry", assisted by the Mr. Wizard type demonstrations of Donald Showalter. Essentially NOVA-like content. In many ways, the presentation is obviously dated, but chemistry is chemistry is chemistry. The content continues to have validity and the presentations are accessible to a wide audience.

Algebra: In Simplest Terms

A disarmingly casual, friendly-uncle approach to algebra.

Against All Odds: Inside Statistics  

Statistics in a very instructional mode. This is not likely to be appealing to younger students, but may be of value to older students who may aspire to a better understanding of statistics for use in various applications without necessarily taking AP Statistics - or - to students who could benefit from some supplementation in a course like AP Statistics.

Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish

Spanish language immersion.

Fokus Deutsch

German language immersion.

Online Video Courseware

This category references sets of online video (streaming or downloadable) that provides essentially complete coverage of a full course of study, or at least substantial coverage of a particular topic.

 MIT Open Courseware:

Walter Lewin, Physics I, II, III

Walter Lewin's three-course sequence is one of the best things on the net for independent learning in any subject. His subject is entry-level undergraduate physics, however, so this will mostly appeal to aspiring physics students. He is a very effective lecturer, and these videos capture his presentations very effectively. The videos are available in a couple of formats and intended for streaming mode of delivery. However, it is possible to download the source files and view them offline. It is a bit tedious to do so, but has the benefit of avoiding streaming problems and makes them portable on laptops without having to contend with wireless issues.

Mattuck, Differential Equations

This set of lecture videos ranks up there with Lewin's. This is a mathematics course, but the subject matter is ubiquitous in Physics and Engineering as well as Mathematics, which makes this a very utilitarian course. Mattuck is a very effective and engaging lecturer, whose presentations were effectively captured on the videos. See above for notes on format.

Gilbert Strang, Linear Algebra.

Strang is an expert on the subject and his lectures are authoritative. Mastery of a certain level linear Algebra is a must for almost any higher level Mathematics, as well as Physics and Engineering. He is not a dynamic lecturer, however, and this is compounded by the fact that the video quality is a bit less than could be desired. Like the other MIT videos, however, coverage is complete, allowing the entire course to be viewed online (streaming) or downloaded with additional effort.

Levon B. Page Tutorials

The web resources created by Levon B. Page at North Carolina State University are different than most. Rather than simply recording video of his "live" lectures or getting carried away with the gee-whiz of computer interactivity, Prof. Page has put together several courses delivered through sequences of Quicktime videos of clean, very pedagogical computer graphics with voice-over explanations. Prof. Page has a very gentle voice with a pleasant southern twang, and develops his subjects with great patience and clarity. Unfortunately, Prof. Page has now retired, and of the three courses below, only MA114 continues to be available over the web.

NCSU MA107 Precalculus I

NCSU MA114 Introduction to Finite Mathematics with Applications

www.math.ncsu.edu/ma114/index.html

NCSU MA121 Elements of Calculus

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