The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts known traditionally for research and education in the physical sciences and engineering, and more ...
This class is an introduction to the practice of deep learning through the applied theme of building a self-driving car. It is open to beginners and is designed for those who are new to machine learning, but it can also benefit advanced researchers in the field looking for a practical overview of deep learning methods and their application.
A foundational study of waves and vibrations will prepare learners for advanced courses in physics and related fields of engineering. The skills utilized in analyzing these phenomena are applicable to many different systems because vibrations and waves are so ubiquitous. For instance, learners will understand how the “resonant” modes of a tall building are analogous to simple systems of coupled oscillators. Moreover, learners will come to appreciate that the concept of “resonance” applies not only to systems of masses on springs, but to sound waves, 2D surfaces, atoms, and a wide range of other systems. This course explores many properties that are universal to all wave systems as well as many particular cases.This course will prepare learners to analyze problems that involve mechanical vibrations and waves with such topics as simple harmonic motion, superposition, damping, forced vibrations and resonance, coupled oscillations, normal modes, continuous systems, reflection and refraction, and phase and group velocities. The course also explores electromagnetic waves and various associated properties like polarization, Snell’s law, Huygens’s principle, interference and diffraction. It ends by giving learners a taste of Quantum Mechanics.
This college-level, calculus-based Introductory Newtonian Mechanics course covers all of the topics and learning objectives specified in the College Board Course Description for Advanced Placement®Physics C (Mechanics). It covers Newton’s Laws, Kinematics, Energy, Momentum, Rigid Body Rotation, and Angular Momentum. The course covers applications of these basic principles to simple harmonic motion, orbital motion, and to problems that involve more than one basic principle. These principles also underlie the 12 online laboratory activities.Our emphasis is on helping students learn expert-like ways of solving challenging problems, many of which are similar to problems on previous Advanced Placement Examinations in Mechanics C. We stress a key insight: mechanics is about forces changing motion. We apply this concept to organizing the core knowledge in a way that helps students apply it to sophisticated multi-concept problems. We feel this is the best way to prepare students for success not only on the AP Examination but also in other college-level science, technology, engineering and math courses that emphasize problem-solving.If you are a teacher looking to learn better ways to teach your students, or are interested in using some of our MOOC materials in your own classroom—possibly as a private online course for your students—we strongly encourage you to sign up for our teacher’s discussion cohort, a “private discussion room” for teachers to share pedagogical ideas and instructional techniques.To join these discussions, verify yourself as a teacher by clicking this link, and we will enroll you in the teacher’s discussion cohort.FAQHow long is this course?The course consists of 13 weeks of required (graded) material and 2 weeks of optional (ungraded) material. You do not need to complete the optional weeks in order to receive a certificate, but we strongly encourage you to complete these units, especially if you are preparing for the College Board’s AP Physics C: Mechanics exam.Is there a required textbook?You do not need to buy a textbook. A complete eText, including worked-examples and some video lectures, is included in this edX course and is viewable online. If you would like to use a textbook with the course (for example, as a reference), most calculus-level books are suitable. Introductory physics books by Young and Freedman, Halliday, Resnick, & Walker, or Knight are all appropriate (and older editions are fine).My physics is a little rusty. How should I prepare for this course?If you would like to brush-up on basic mechanics skills before taking this course, we recommend the brief warm-up course, On-Ramp to AP Physics C: Mechanics.What if I take a vacation?The course schedule is designed with this in mind! Course content is always released at least 3 weeks ahead of the deadline, providing you with the opportunity for flexibility in scheduling.How are grades assigned?There are five parts of the course that are worth points: (1) Checkpoint problems are incorporated into the reading; (2) most weeks have an interactive lab component; (3) more involved homework problems occur at the end of each week and (4) quizzes at the end of every 1-2 weeks; (5) the course culminates in a final exam. Each category is worth a varying number of points; and you are allowed several attempts on each problem. A final grade of at least 60% is needed for certification; hence you will not have to do every problem.Note: Taking this Course Involves Using Some Experimental MaterialsThe RELATE group that authors and administers this course is a physics education research group. We are dedicated to understanding and improving education, especially online. In one of the only published studies measuring learning in a massive open online course (MOOC), we showed that a previous iteration of this course produced slightly more conceptual learning than a traditionally taught on-campus course. Currently, we are working to find just what caused this learning. In this course, the RELATE group will be comparing learning from different types of online activities that will be administered to randomly assigned sub-groups of course participants. At certain points in the course, new vs. more traditional sequences of activities will be assigned to different sub-groups. We will then use common questions to compare the amount of associated learning. Which group receives the new activities will be switched so that all groups will have some new activities and some traditional ones.Our experimental protocol has been approved by the MIT Committee on Use of Human Subjects. As part of this approval we have the obligation to inform you about these experiments and to assure you that:We will not divulge any information about you that may be identified as yours personally (e.g. a discussion post showing your user name). The grade for obtaining a certificate will be adjusted downwards (from 60%) to compensate if one group has slightly harder materials.Note: By clicking on the “Enroll Now” button, you indicate that you understand that everyone who participates in this course is randomly assigned to one of the sub-groups described above.
Course FeaturesVideo lecturesCaptions/transcriptAssignments: problem sets (no solutions)Educator FeaturesInstructor insightsCourse DescriptionThis is the second of a two-semester subject sequence beginning with Atomic and Optical Physics I (8.421) that provides the foundations for contemporary research in selected areas of atomic and optical physics. Topics covered include non-classical states of light–squeezed states; multi-photon processes, Raman scattering; coherence–level crossings, quantum beats, double resonance, superradiance; trapping and cooling-light forces, laser cooling, atom optics, spectroscopy of trapped atoms and ions; atomic interactions–classical collisions, quantum scattering theory, ultracold collisions; and experimental methods.
Spaceflight is exciting, and you don’t have to be a “Rocket Scientist” to share in the excitement! 16.00x makes the basics of spaceflight accessible to everyone. Join MIT Professor Jeffrey Hoffman, a former NASA astronaut who made five spaceflights and was the first astronaut to log 1000 hours on the Space Shuttle, as he teaches you the core principles behind space travel and exploration. The course will cover how rockets work, how spacecraft move in orbit, how we create artificial environments inside spacecraft to keep astronauts alive and healthy, what it’s like living in a world without gravity, how the human body adapts to space, and how spacewalks happen, plus more. Many lessons will be illustrated with Professor Hoffman’s own experiences in space.
Learning Creative Learning is a course offered at the MIT Media Lab. It introduces ideas and strategies for designing technologies to support creative learning. This semester, for thetime, P2PU and the Media Lab are working together to bring the course online. We are opening up the seminars, course materials, and hands-on activities to anyone with a computer and Internet access. It's a big experiment, weto learn a lot, and we hope you'll enjoy it.
Cities are built site by site.Site planning has been taught in urban planning, landscape architecture and architecture programs for over a century and continues to be a foundation course for those who aspire to plan the built environment. It is a required subject on licensing and certification programs for each of these disciplines.Mastering the art of site planning requires substantive knowledge, well-honed design skills, and familiarity with examples and prototypes of site organization.This course provides the perspectives of leading academics and practitioners on the important issues in preparing site plans. It offers a foundation of knowledge, and the opportunity to apply what is learned in preparing a site plan.Please note: edX Inc. has recently entered into an agreement to transfer the edX platform to 2U, Inc., which will continue to run the platform thereafter. The sale will not affect your course enrollment, course fees or change your course experience for this offering. It is possible that the closing of the sale and the transfer of the edX platform may be effectuated sometime in the Fall while this course is running. Please be aware that there could be changes to the edX platform Privacy Policy or Terms of Service after the closing of the sale. However, 2U has committed to preserving robust privacy of individual data for all learners who use the platform. For more information see the edX Help Center.
Course FeaturesVideo lecturesCaptions/transcriptLecture notesProjects (no examples)Assignments: problem sets (no solutions)Course DescriptionThis course is a continuation of 8.05 Quantum Physics II. It introduces some of the important model systems studied in contemporary physics, including two-dimensional electron systems, the fine structure of hydrogen, lasers, and particle scattering.An edX version of this course,8.06x Applications of Quantum Mechanics, is available starting on February 20, 2019 and running for 19 weeks.
Explore the concepts of electricity and magnetism in this series of courses, based on the second semester of introductory physics at MIT. This series of modules discusses the idea of fields, specifically the electric and magnetic field. We explore several ways to calculate both the electric and magnetic field and also look at dipoles, forces, and simple circuits. We finish the course by combining all of Maxwell’s Equations to see how the speed of light and electromagnetic radiation comes about. This series requires the use of multivariable calculus, although most of the math that is used will be reviewed. It is also best if you have previously completed our 8.01x Introductory Mechanics series.
This philosophy course has two goals. The first goal is to introduce you to the things that philosophers think about. We will look at some perennial philosophical problems:Is there a God?What is knowledge, and how do we get it?What is the place of our consciousness in the physical world?Do we have free will?How do we persist over time, as our bodily and psychological traits change?The second goal is to get you thinking philosophically yourself. This will help you develop your critical reasoning and argumentative skills more generally. Along the way we will draw from late, great classical authors and influential contemporary figures.To help enhance your learning experience, this course offers instructor grading. If you choose to pursue a verified certificate, a professional philosopher will carefully read, grade and comment upon your work. Though all residential philosophy courses at MIT, and other major universities, offer instructor grading, this is an innovation in the world of MOOCs. Students will test their ideas against, and receive individual advice from, professional philosophers. We believe that this is the best way to learn philosophy.Verified learners will be eligible for the MITx Philosophy Award and (for students presently in high school) the MITx High School Philosophy Award. The awards will be given for outstanding written work by the MIT Philosophy Department. In addition, award winners will be profiled on the MIT Philosophy website. Please see the FAQ section below for the link to more information on the MITx Philosophy Award.NOTE: Enrollment for instructor grading will be capped.
As part of the Principles of Manufacturing MicroMasters program, this course will build on statistical process control foundations to add process modeling and optimization.Building on formal methods of designed experiments, the course develops highly applicable methods for creating robust processes with optimal quality. We will cover the following topics: Evaluating the causality of inputs and parameters on the output measuresDesigning experiments for the purpose of process improvementMethods for optimizing processes and achieving robustness to noise inputsHow to integrate all of these methods into an overall approach to process control that can be widely appliedDeveloping a data-based statistical ability to solving engineering problems in generalThe course will conclude with a capstone activity that will integrate all the Statistical Process Control topics. Develop the engineering andmanagement skills needed for competence and competitiveness in today’s manufacturing industry with the Principles of Manufacturing MicroMasters Credential, designed and delivered by MIT’s #1-ranked Mechanical Engineering department in the world. Learners who pass the 8 courses in the program earn the MicroMasters Credential and qualify to apply to gain credit for MIT’s Master of Engineering in Advanced Manufacturing & Design program.
Course FeaturesVideo lecturesCaptions/transcriptProjects and examplesEducator FeaturesInstructor insightsCourse DescriptionBecoming the Next Bill Nye is about using video production techniques to develop your ability to engagingly convey your passions for science, technology, engineering, and / or math. You'll have the opportunity to script and on-screen host 5-minute YouTube science, technology, engineering, and / or math-related shows to inspire youth to consider a future in science.
At a GlanceLearn why randomized evaluations matter and how they can be used to rigorously measure the social impact of development programsFree and self-paced - enroll anytime before May 14, and complete the course at your own paceUpgrade to the Certificate Track ($99) to verify your grade in the course and gain permanent access to course materialsOrganizations -- contact the J-PAL Training Team to learn how to enroll your staff as a cohort in our blended learning programMore About the CourseThis course will provide a thorough understanding of randomized evaluations, with pragmatic step-by-step training for conducting one’s own evaluation. Through a combination of lectures and case studies from real randomized evaluations, the course will focus on the benefits and methods of randomization, choosing an appropriate sample size, and common threats and pitfalls to the validity of an experiment. While the course centers on the why, how, and when of randomized evaluations, it will also impart insights on the importance of needs assessments, effectively measuring outcomes, quality control, and the monitoring methods most useful for impact evaluations.This social impact course is designed for people from a variety of backgrounds: managers and researchers from international development organizations, foundations, governments, and non-governmental organizations from around the world, as well as trained economists looking to retool.
Digital systems are at the heart of the information age in which we live, allowing us to store, communicate and manipulate information quickly and reliably. This computer science course is a bottom-up exploration of the abstractions, principles, and techniques used in the design of digital and computer systems. If you have a rudimentary knowledge of electricity and some exposure to programming, roll up your sleeves, join in and design a computer system!This is Part 2 of a 3-part series on digital systems, teaching the fundamentals of computer architecture and is based on a course offered by the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Topics include instruction set architectures and assembly language, stacks and procedures, 32-bit computer architecture, the memory hierarchy, and caches.Using your browser for design entry and simulation, you’ll implement a 32-bit computer using our gate library and write assembly language programs to explore the hardware/software interface.Learner Testimonial“If you look back, we've done sooooo much: assembly programming, stack crawling (detective work), building a 32-bit computer, for crying out loud, and also learnt about caches as the cherry on top (which really helped me because I always had trouble understanding how temporary memory worked). And to top it off, they're promising us more exciting courses in the future.” -- Previous Student
Course FeaturesVideo lecturesFaculty introduction - videoCaptions/transcriptLecture notesAssignments: problem sets with solutionsExams and solutionsRecitation videosResource IndexCourse DescriptionIntroduction to Solid State Chemistry is a first-year single-semester college course on the principles of chemistry. This unique and popular course satisfies MIT's general chemistry degree requirement, with an emphasis on solid-state materials and their application to engineering systems.Course FormatThis course has been designed for independent study. It provides everything you will need to understand the concepts covered in the course. The materials include:A complete set of Lecture Videos by Prof. Sadoway.Detailed Course Notes for most video sessions, plus readings in several suggested textbooks.Homework problems with solution keys, to further develop your understanding.For Further Study collections of links to supplemental online content.Self-Assessment pages containing quiz and exam problems to assess your mastery, and Help Session Videos in which teaching assistants take you step-by-step through exam problem solutions.About OCW ScholarOCW Scholar courses are designed specifically for OCW’s single largest audience: independent learners. These courses are substantially more complete than typical OCW courses, and include new custom-created content as well as materials repurposed from previously published courses. Learn more about OCW Scholar.