Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ)
for Free-Ed.Net
Q: |
How do I sign up for a Free-Ed.Net course? |
| A: | You don't have to sign up for most Free-Ed courses. Normally, there is no sign-up and there is never any cost to you. It's easy and it's free. Simply find a course listing that suits your needs, and go for it! |
Q: |
How much do Free-Ed.Net courses cost? |
| A: | There is no charge for Free-Ed courses. Free-ed.net brings together the best courses, tutorials, and learning materials we can find on the Internet -- including some we are developing ourselves. Free-Ed means the best possible FREE EDUCATION for everyone. |
Q: |
I was working on one of your courses, and I suddently got a request for a password ... and I have to buy a book in order to get that password. Free education, huh? Baloney! |
| A: | We use free educational resources wherever we can find them. And sometimes we get them from sites that also offer premium resources that require a paid membership, book purchase, or some such thing. We cite exactly what you are supposed to study on such a site--and what you are supposed to study will never cost you a dime. We do not encourage you to freely explore one of these sites for the very reason you have discovered. So you can avoid this problem by carefully following our instructions. |
Q: |
Can I get a diploma or certificate for completing a Free-Ed.Net course or tutorial? |
| A: | No. Free-Ed cannot offer diplomas. Certain higher, graduate-level courses offer certificates of completion, but most courses and programs of study do not. |
Q: |
What is the purpose of taking a Free-Ed.Net course if I can't get certificate of completion? |
| A: | Free-Ed is not
intended to replace your formal education at a reputable degree-granting school. Rather,
we are here to serve a number of other needs that cannot be handled economically,
efficiently, or effectively by traditional schools. You can use Free-Ed courses to:
|
Q: |
Why don't you offer a diploma or certificate of completion? Is it because your school is inferior and cannot be trusted? |
| A: | The "nice" reason is that we do not have the resources required for testing and tracking the accomplishments of each student. The "nasty" reason is that we therefore have no way of knowing whether or not a student actually completes the work to a respectable standard. |
Q: |
How long does it take to complete one of your courses? |
| A: | Most courses at Free-Ed.Net are asynchronous courses--you work at your own pace. You have to find the right pace for you. You don't want to go too fast because you will miss a lot of good learning; and you don't want to go too slow because you might lose interest and never finish the course. With experience, you can find the pace that is just right for you. To answer your question: There is no fixed time for completing most of our courses. |
Q: |
Where do I get the books and other study materials for a course? |
| A: | Everything you need is provided online. Naturally, you will have to buy some basic supplies (pencils, paper, etc.), but the learning resources are all provided on the 'net. A few courses require you to read some popular novels or nonfiction books that are not yet available online. In those cases, you can get copies from your local library or bookstore. |
Q: |
How do I contact my teacher? |
| A: | Most courses at Free-Ed.Net do not use "live" teachers, so there is no teacher to contact. |
Q: |
Where do I send my homework? |
| A: | Unless clearly instructed otherwise, you do not submit your work. |
Q: |
If I don't submit my work for grading, how do I know my grade? |
| A: | You are trying to mix education apples and with oranges. Free-Ed.Net isn't into "grades." You should be pursuing an education, not grades. Grades are meaningless here. |
Q: |
If our work isn't graded, how do we know how well we are doing? |
| A: | Part of our view of contemporary education is learning to sense how well we are doing, ourselves. Besides, to use some old-school terminology, Free-Ed.Net is one big "open book" exam. You really have to have your mind off in La-La-Land to "get it wrong." |
Q: |
When I select a link on my subject page, I get a NOT FOUND message. What gives? |
| A: | Many of the courses and tutorials on Free-Ed.Net are gathered from other sources around the Internet. Sometimes those sites are not as reliable as we would like them to be, and they disappear without any fanfare. We regret the inconvenience, but it is a nusiace we have to tolerate until Free-Ed.Net is totally populated with courses created and administered by our own staff. |
Q: |
I get an error message when I try to watch a video for my course. I haven't had this trouble on other sites. What is the problem? |
| A: | Some videos are covered by license agreements that prohibit viewing outside North America. |