The Great Courses Plus
Common Sense says
- iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Mac, Android, Chromebook
- Free to try
- Education
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that The Great Courses Plus is a collection of several hundred video lectures from university professors from around the world. It’s a subscription-based streaming service that works on mobile devices and also on a variety of TV-connected devices like Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast. While most of the lectures are geared toward college students, there’s an increasing amount of content created exclusively for elementary, middle school, and high school students. Read the developer's privacy policy for details on how your (or your kids') information is collected, used, and shared and any choices you may have in the matter, and note that privacy policies and terms of service frequently change.
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What's it about?
THE GREAT COURSES PLUS is a digital streaming service that offers lecture series from college professors available for a monthly or annual subscription. Before TED talks or Netflix, there was The Great Courses, a video lecture series featuring professors from around the world on a range of subjects from ancient history to modern medicine and more; this new product brings that content online. Lectures are typically 30 to 45 minutes long, and you can save series to your watchlist and download individual lectures to your device for offline viewing. While the original Great Courses were geared mostly toward adults, the streaming offerings include more and more courses created specifically for elementary, middle school, and high school students.
Is it any good?
This subscription streaming service has been called the "Netflix for learning," and that’s not far off. the Great Courses Plus is a vast library of high-quality content that feels like you can learn anything, from elementary school math to history of classical music to cooking to sewing. Although the subscription price is steep, it’s comparable to the price of other streaming video services. The only downside may be the clunkiness of the app, especially on mobile devices: The navigation can feel a little inconsistent, and it’s disappointing that you can’t download audio-only versions of the lectures for offline listening. Overall, this is a terrific collection of engaging, expertly delivered talks on a wide range of subjects that can appeal to curious minds of all ages.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the pros and cons of learning from streaming videos like the ones in The Great Courses Plus. How is technology changing how people access information and build knowledge? What videos are the most interesting to you? Why?
Talk about learning by watching or listening to video lectures. How are these videos especially helpful? Talk about how you can use the video format to your advantage by changing its speed or replaying a section.
Many of these lectures are based on lecture-style college courses. Talk about how teachers can structure their courses differently, with components like lectures and discussion and, sometimes, tests. Ask your kids about how how they like to learn. Do they enjoy listening to lectures? What questions might they ask these instructors if they had the chance? How else might you teach the same information?
App details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Mac, Android, Chromebook
- Subjects: Math: algebra, arithmetic, fractions
Science: biology, chemistry, physics
Social Studies: geography, global awareness, government, historical figures, history
Arts: dance, film, music, photography
Hobbies: cooking - Skills: Self-Direction: academic development, personal growth
- Price: Free to try
- Pricing structure: Free to try ($19.99 monthly, $179.99 annually)
- Release date: May 23, 2019
- Category: Education
- Topics: Cooking and Baking, Arts and Dance, High School, History, Middle School, Science and Nature
- Size: 48.70 MB
- Publisher: The Teaching Company
- Version: 3.3
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 10.0 or later. Android 5.0 and up.
- Last updated: August 26, 2019
Our editors recommend
For kids who love streaming video and educational apps
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.