I’ve been a big fan of the Great Courses audio lectures from the Teaching Company. But looking at their new titles from the last year, I feel I’m seeing a new direction from them.
Their material used to be academic: history, science, math, philosophy, law, fine arts. But now they seem to be redirecting themselves to their new Better Living courses: things like hobbies, travelogues, fitness, cooking.
Does anyone else feel the company is dummying down and losing its intellectual credentials?
Doesn’t seem to be, no. Google gets me to http://www.thegreatcourses.com.au, which may have different content.
Had a look at the first 30 new releases and none were lifestyles, just the usual military and general history, math, business, etc. I looked at one that sounded like it might be stereotypical History Channel type malarkey, The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries, but the professor is Neil deGrasse Tyson, who is popular with skeptics. It covers topics like string theory. I guess courses like The Everyday Guide to Spirits and Cocktails: Tastes and Traditions (I wonder if my life experience counts toward getting me a certificate in spirits from the Institute of Masters of Wine like Professor Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan’s) might fall in the Ed Lite category, but I don’t think that’s anything new with the company’s offerings.
I know what you mean: some of the new course offerings (on cooking, gardening, health & fitness, wines & spirits) look more like the life enrichment courses a community college might offer to the general public than actual, academic college subjects. Still, they do seem to be releasing these in addition to (rather than instead of) their more traditional academic content.
I haven’t bought a course from them in a while. I think the problem is that there are so many courses available online. They’re trying to provide content that can’t be found elsewhere.