edx online course MITx: 12.340x Global Warming Science

[Chuck Yokota]

MIT is offering its course on global warming science online through edx.  I have just registered for the course.  It looks informative and interesting, though challenging - the prerequisites include math through differential equations, and college physics.  Anyone else interested?

[Jim Hunt]

I take it this is the course you mean Chuck?

https://www.edx.org/course/mitx/mitx-12-340x-global-warming-science-1244

Fortunately I posses all the prerequisites, so I've signed up to merely "audit" the course:

Can't commit to all of the lectures, assignments, and tests? Audit this course and have complete access to all of the course material, tests, and the online discussion forum. You decide what and how much you want to do.

Thanks for the heads up.

[crandles]

I have signed up though I wonder whether I should have gone for the audit option.

I also posted link at
http://climateapps2.oerc.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/forum_thread.php?id=7736#48014
so not sure if the places might go rather quickly.

[Jim Hunt]

not sure if the places might go rather quickly.

I've been promoting the course also, but I figured it was a MOOC, and therefore not subject to a hard limit on the number of participants. Have you seen any evidence that invalidates my hasty assumption?

[crandles]

Your performance in the course will be graded on a combination of weekly online problem sets and an online final exam. There will also be short exercises accompanying the video lectures, but these will not be graded.

If it is all automatic marking then I wouldn't see any reason for a limit. Not sure whether or how the marking could be all automatic. If it requires considerable time grading weekly problems and online final exam, then who pays for extra time in grading additional students work? There again, who pays anyway if the course is free?

Edit:
Looking at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EdX
indicates edX is all about MOOC. So it looks like you are right.

[Chuck Yokota]

Jim - Yes, that is the course.  Thanks for posting the link.

I signed up to try for the certificate, to give myself a little more motivation to stick to it.  Besides, there are no actual negative consequences if I don't pass.

[Jim Hunt]

It's just been pointed out to me that my local university launched a MOOC on the topic of "Climate change: challenges and solutions" last week.

This one doesn't mention partial differential equations though, and is led by Tim Lenton:

The course is aimed at the level of students entering university, and seeks to provide an inter-disciplinary introduction to what is a broad field. It engages a number of experts from the University of Exeter and a number of partner organisations.

No previous experience or qualifications required.

[crandles]

There are also a few more free courses hosted on Coursera starting soon:

(University of California)
https://www.coursera.org/course/4dimensions

(The world bank)
https://www.coursera.org/course/warmerworld

(University of Chicago)
https://www.coursera.org/course/globalwarming

[Jim Hunt]

The first assignment is due in today. I have to admit that thus far I have only watched the brief introductory video. Nonetheless I somehow managed to scramble 50/50 marks on the first test.  The next week looks rather more challenging though:

This section will provide a broad overview of the physics of climate. Specifically, we will cover the basics of atmospheric climate physics, including its role in the Earth's energy balance. The material covered here will prepare you to learn about paleoclimate and the instrumental record of Earth's climate in the next two sections. It will also serve as background for the remainder of the course.

How's everyone else getting along?

[crandles]

I watched all the videos but thought 50/50 looked quite achievable without doing so. The videos were only short, a total of about 29mins. It said introduction would be short but then there is only about 48 mins of video for the next section 'a little climate physics'.

[Chuck Yokota]

After watching all the videos, it wasn't hard for me to score 10/10 on the questions.  I expect it will get harder when real math in needed in future problems.

[Jim Hunt]

There is only about 48 mins of video for the next section 'a little climate physics'.

However you do get to experiment with an "N-layer radiative equilibrium model" of global climate, and the reading list does include "Chapter 2.2 and Chapter 2.4 of the IPCC WG1 AR5 Report".

[icefest]

Thanks for the link.

This calendar year is rather hectic for me (we have our final exams in our penultimate year) but I'll have plenty of time to do this next year. 

I've been wanting to try an online course like this before and this topic is more relevant to my interests than many.

[crandles]

How's everyone else getting along?

My problem set scores now read 100% 82% 94% 100% - a few silly mistakes and one not considering what the question meant carefully enough.

[Jim Hunt]

I fear I have some catching up to do 

I've been too busy trying to teach the Great British mass media some elementary climate science.

That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!

[Chuck Yokota]

How's everyone else getting along?

My problem set scores now read 100% 82% 94% 100% - a few silly mistakes and one not considering what the question meant carefully enough.

My problem set scores have all been 100% - but it's a good thing they give us 2 or 3 tries at getting the right answer.

[rwmsrobertw]

I'm really enjoying the class. The problems can be challenging because they introduce new concepts the extend the concepts in the short lectures. Because you usually get multiple chances to get the right answer, if I think I understand the question, I make my attempt and if I get the wrong answer, I red the discussions and search the Internet for more information. There are usually some good pointers in the discussions directed and those who are having issues with each problem.

I've also signed up for the University of Chicago course even though it is light on mathematics. What makes it interesting to me is that it will cover the use of several atmospheric models (see http://climatemodels.uchicago.edu/models.html ), which I an hoping will dovetail nicely with what I learn from this class.

[prometheus]

0%, 100%, 100%, 93% (I signed up just after the first assignment was due  , but I got a 100% on it when I did it)

[Chuck Yokota]

I've started watching this week's videos.  Oh my, the level of mathematics in the lecture has jumped up now that we are past the introduction. 

[rwmsrobertw]

I've started watching this week's videos.  Oh my, the level of mathematics in the lecture has jumped up now that we are past the introduction. 

Yeah, it's definitely going to be more of a challenge. I'm excited that it looks like we are going to cover the material to rebut the denialist claim that the ability of the atmosphere to absorb CO2 is saturated.

[rwmsrobertw]

If anyone is interested, another course started yesterday that will have less of an emphasis on the mathematics. The first week covers a simple radiative model of the earth with no greenhouse gasses. I signed up for it because it will emphasize use of on line interactive models, including one that makes use of the HITRAN database. I'm hoping it will dovetail nicely with the MIT course.

Global Warming: The Science of Climate Change
Prof: David Archer, The University of Chicago
https://www.coursera.org/course/globalwarming

Robert

[DoomInTheUK]

RWM,

Well I've taken the plunge and signed up for that one. I'm looking forward to joining up all the dots that I've picked up over the years.

Thanks for the link....time to keep the dog away from my homework.

[anthropocene]

Damn i missed the MIT course again. Does anybody know how frequently it runs? I'm on the chicago course. You still have enough time to sign up & do the first week homework (just). Highly recommended. The maths (so far) is straight forward & no matter how much you think you know the topic it's always good to rehash the basics (e.g. solve the blackbody temp for earth. ). The course (so far) gives a very good viewpoint on climate change. I.e. climate is not just weather averaged over time. Climate is an physics\energy system.

[crandles]

So anyone reached the pass mark yet? 

No the grin doesn't mean I have. You would need 100% each week to have reached the pass mark. I am languishing at 54% which I think means I need 15% on the final exam or maybe slightly less with a good last week problem set.

[Chuck Yokota]

I'm at 46% myself.  I'm finding that I don't remember enough of the math I learned 40+ years ago, especially the calculus and differential equations.  I'm glad they said that the final will be more conceptual.

[crandles]

I'll settle for 91% 

3 hr Final Exam is more like a 20 minute exercise.