Parents' Guide to

The Great Courses Plus

By Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Streaming videos feature engaging teachers, topics galore.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Mac , Android , Chromebook Free to try Education
The Great Courses Plus Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • The Great Courses App: Screenshot #1
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Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is shared for third-party marketing.
  • Personalised advertising is displayed.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Data profiles are created and used for personalised advertisements.
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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?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

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

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