Online Technology Courses for Credit
Free technology courses are available online that don't require students to register or pay tuition. However, these courses don't lead to college credit. Students who want to earn college credit might want to consider online sources that charge a nominal fee for online lessons. These fee-based courses can help students earn college credit.
Study.com's short, engaging video lessons and quizzes are available to registered members who pay a small fee. There are also free transcripts available for the videos. Both of these options can be used to earn college credit. Students can check out some of the chapters found in Study.com's Business 104: Information Systems and Computer Applications course below:
- Hardware and Systems Technology - Examine computer system components, computer memory devices, storage devices and ASCII and Unicode.
- Systems Software and Application Software - Topics in this chapter include hardware and software resources, operating system functions, file extensions, desktop publishing software and communication software.
- Decision Support Systems and Specialized Information Systems - Get info about decision making in organizations, business intelligence, management information systems, geographic information systems and statistical analysis.
- Data Management - Study database structures, management system models, relational databases, structured query language and data mining.
- Introduction to Programming Subjects include validation tools, analysis and design tools, code mapping, logic and syntax, object oriented programming and programming languages.
Free Online Non-Credited Technology Courses
Harvard University
In the Computer Science 50 course, lecture topics include source code, JavaScript, computer security, HTTP, HTML and computer forensics. Students have the opportunity to learn through lectures, problems and other resources. Quizzes with answers are also provided for students to practice their knowledge. The final project outline PDF is also included.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Practical Information Technology Management
- Database, Internet and Systems Integration Technologies
- Information Technology Essentials
- Introduction to Computer Science and Programming
- Computer System Engineering
In the Practical Information Technology Management course, students learn about information technology logistics, managing information technology in businesses and information technology project management. The Database, Internet, and Systems Integration Technologies course can provide students with skills in software development, application development, system integration, system security, data modeling and databases. Students can also practice with course exams, since solutions are provided.
The Information Technology Essentials course covers topics in hardware and operating systems, software development, electric commerce, networks and computer security. The Introduction to Computer Science and Programming course provides students with a fundamental overview of programming using handouts, slides and lecture videos. However, students need to install the Python programming language and the IDLE interpreter to follow the programming instructions.
Computer System Engineering is a course containing video lectures, projects, assignments and exams. Students can learn about software and hardware engineering, networks, virtual memory, encryption and security.
University of California - Berkeley
In the Computer Science 169 course, students are able to learn about designing software systems, project management and programming. This course is composed of recorded lectures, most of which are more than an hour in length. Taught by Professor Armando Fox, these lectures are available on YouTube.
University of California at Davis
The University of California at Davis course materials can be accessed online through a web page. Students can also find instruction on Linux installation if they choose to install the free software. The Unix and Linux Tutorial Center course materials provide students with information on topics like Unix process management, bits and bytes, C programming, recursion and signals.
University of Michigan
The Introduction to Information Studies course provides students with handouts and lectures. These materials contain information about intellectual property, computer and network architectures and computer hardware. There are 27 lectures that are podcast, and some include PowerPoint presentations or PDF files.
