Another try at mixing FIRST and MOOCs

[David Lame]

A couple of months back, I started a thread about a new project I was running with Team 247 called BearMooc. The short version is that I would encourage others to enroll in MOOC classes where I was also enrolled, and use that as an opportunity to work with students and mentors on how to relate those topics to FIRST Robotics.

The long version is contained in the original thread, here:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=138512

You can also visit the BearMooc web site,
http://247dabears.vbulletin.net

Unfortunately, the first class I chose as a pilot of the project turned out not to be appropriate. It was too simple.

The good news is that I have found another class that I hope will be more appropriate.

Taught out of MIT via edx.org, it is Introduction to Feedback Control Systems. Did you ever wonder what that PIDController object really does and how it works? This is the class to find out.

It has a “laboratory” portion, in which students will build an Arduino based controller for a propeller driven robotic arm. The course is free, but if you want to build the project, you have to buy some parts. The total cost of the parts is close to 100 dollars, but if you already own an Arduino, a solderless breadboard, and a few other bits you can save on that portion.
It is also only a few weeks long. A simple, but practical, introduction. I don't know exactly the level of the class, but the instructors say that high school algebra and pre-calculus are recommended background.

The bad news is those few weeks start on Monday, January 4th, the week before kickoff. I said I wasn’t going to do this during the months of January-April, but for personal reasons, I really wanted to take this class, so I decided to use it for BearMooc anyway.

If the timing doesn’t appeal to you, a great thing about MOOCs is that you can enroll for free, and you will end up getting access to all the course materials as an “archived course”. Sign up, pay whatever attention you can at the moment, and go back and study it at your leisure later. Meanwhile, it’s only three weeks long anyway, so I hope I can manage to do it, and deal with the first couple of weeks of FIRST season, anyway. Go to edx.org, create an account, and take a look at the class and see if you are interested in enrolling.

Oh, by the way, this is very much an ad hoc sort of project. I’m making it up as I go along. I have no idea where this is going to go, but I invite anyone interested, whether students, mentors, or any other interested parties, to join me in figuring it out.

And good luck with the 2016 FIRST season.

[marshall]

EDIT: Nevermind.

Here is the direct link to the course: https://www.edx.org/course/introduct...-mitx-6-302-0x

[alecmuller]

Awesome idea! I'm a huge fan of MOOCs and share your frustration with robotics courses that run smack in the middle of build season.

Good luck to your team this year too.