OpenCourseWare MIT versus Distance Calculus Comparison

We are HUGE fans of the OpenCourseware Project at MIT, located here.

Specifically, the Linear Algebra courses by Gilbert Strang, longtime master teacher at MIT, are fabulous!

If you look through these course offerings, you will see that all of them are "snapshots" of previous courses over the past 10-15 years. They include fantastic lectures, awesome course materials, and challenging problem sets.

Keep in mind, however, that these OCW @ MIT courses do not grant academic credit. They are presented more as a resource for learning, and certainly an awesome resource! But if you "enroll" in one of these courses and start engaging the course materials and lectures, you will not be on a path towards earning academic credits for these courses.

Perhaps someday OCW courses will grant academic credit, but for now, they do not.

If you are looking for a non-credit alternative to just learn the course materials, OCW @ MIT is an excellent resource. You really feel like you are in a lecture hall at MIT taking one of these courses.

But if your goal is to earn academic credits for your Calculus course effort, you need to seek out an academic credit-granting program, like Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University.

Comparison of OpenCourseWare @ MIT; vs Distance Calculus

Topic	MyMathLab®	Distance Calculus
Multiple Choice	No	No
Use of Computer Algebra System	No	Yes, Extensive
Tied to Traditional Textbook	Sometimes	No, Reform e-Curriculum
Recursive Grading	No	Yes
Comprehensive Course System	No, just access to lectures and homework problems	Yes
Drill & Practice	No	No

Here are a few videos about Distance Calculus @ Roger Williams University:

Is Distance Calculus for You?

Success Indicators for Distance Calculus

Distance Calculus - Student Reviews

Date Posted: Jun 2, 2021
Review by: Samuel H.
Student Email: samuel.howell@g.fmarion.edu
Courses Completed: Linear Algebra
Review: Nothing but praise for Dr. Curtis. He's an excellent professor who is very responsive and knowledgeable. I did this course at night while working full-time, and I often skyped him late in the evening with questions. He never took long to respond, regardless of when it was. I finished this course in about a month and a half, and I worked for it. For those looking for an easy A, this is not it. You will have to put in serious work, but you will come out of the course with a good understanding of the material, especially if you apply yourself throughout the entirety of the course.
Transferred Credits to: Francis Marion University

Date Posted: Jan 18, 2021
Review by: Coury Gaffney
Student Email: courygaffney@gmail.com
Courses Completed: Linear Algebra
Review: The program used gives an amazing insight into everything that's happening, that you wouldn't get in a traditional course. All of the lessons are clear and clean, and the professor is very helpful along the way. I learned a lot and am happy with taking this course
Transferred Credits to: Virginia Tech

Distance Calculus - Curriculum Exploration

Systems of Equations

P10: Systems of Equations:

P10.1: Systems of Linear 2D Equations

P10.2: Matrices

P10.3: Systems of Linear 3D Equations

P10.4: Non-Linear Systems