Edhesive courses - how do they work?

[alewife]

I am putting together next year's high school plan for the last time.?  How do Edhesive courses work?. I am looking at the AP Stats and AP Computer Science.

1. The website says the classes are a full year.  Are the classes self-paced or is the new material released at set times?

2. Are there graded tests and quizzes?

3. Would I register as a homeschooler? And if so, am I sent additional teacher material?

 P.S. (I am a long-time member who was unable to login using my former screen name after the upgrade)

[skimomma]

I'm sure you will get more helpful input but I have been in contact with Edhesive as my dd will be taking Intro to Computer Science next fall.  It appears that there is some sort of schedule, or at the very least a standard start time.  I see that there are graded assignments but no mention of tests or quizzes, for the intro class anyway.  You do register as a homeschooler.  They sent me a special link for this.  I am all ears to hear what others might have to say.

[alewife]

7 minutes ago, skimomma said:

I'm sure you will get more helpful input but I have been in contact with Edhesive as my dd will be taking Intro to Computer Science next fall.  It appears that there is some sort of schedule, or at the very least a standard start time.  I see that there are graded assignments but no mention of tests or quizzes, for the intro class anyway.  You do register as a homeschooler.  They sent me a special link for this.  I am all ears to hear what others might have to say.

I sent Edhesive an email a couple of weeks ago with questions, but have not had a response.  How did you go about registering for next year?  I looked on the site and I didn't see a registration option for next year, only this current year. Thanks. 

[skimomma]

34 minutes ago, alewife said:

I sent Edhesive an email a couple of weeks ago with questions, but have not had a response.  How did you go about registering for next year?  I looked on the site and I didn't see a registration option for next year, only this current year. Thanks. 

That is actually why I contacted them....I couldn't seem to figure out how to register.  It did take them nearly a week to reply.  I suspect they are scrambling with year-end stuff.  But now that I go to the link they sent, I too see no option for 2018-19.  It sounds like there is no cap to the class size so I will probably just wait a few weeks until their school year ends and try again.  Hopefully this is not a sign of future trouble.  Dd is finishing up a disorganized disaster of an online class so I am not in the mood to repeat another one any time soon!

[skimomma]

I am looking at the syllabus now and it does appear that there are exams and quizzes.

[Bristayl]

My son is taking the Intro to CS class now and plans to take AP CS A this fall. He really likes the class.

I thought they normally open each module as you go, but he joined halfway through and he says he thinks everything was open to him. 

Tests, quizzes, and most projects were automatically graded.

They normally open registration in August.

I think I did have to contact them to enroll as a homeschooler, but there was no problem.

There were no teacher materials; everything is online.

 

[daijobu]

It's been a few years since my dds took Edhesive AP Computer Science A, so grain of salt.  

In our experience, they provide a weekly schedule, but you don't need to adhere to it.  Most of the students I suspect are enrolled in regular schools, so those classes begin the curriculum as their school years begin, which varies.  My dd joined the class in January, and did fine, though she'd had some programming experience prior.  

They do provide a lot of AP prep, and as long as your student watches the lectures and completes the homework, she should do fine on the exam.  Mrs. Dovi knows the AP exam inside out, and provides excellent preparation.  

[klmama]

I don't see prices listed.  How much do classes cost?

[skimomma]

I emailed about the registration year and got a reply right away.  We can register now and just click the 2017-18 and they will adjust when they update their system.  Or we can just wait a few weeks.  There is no enrollment cap so no worries about classes filling up.  It is $125 for the intro course.  I'm not sure about the AP course.

[satellite]

$150 for AP.

They have great prices.

[mirabillis]

edhesive is fantastic. we used them last year for AP Comp Sci A. we didn't start until late november, and you work at your own pace. if you start when they start in aug/sept (whenever), they only unlock that week at a time. we had many weeks unlocked as we started so late, but that's how it works. you work at your own time, though. kid scored a 4 on the AP exam - and this having really not studied too terribly lot (unlike this year, where he gets the AP exams better and understands now how little he studied last year). so a 4 is saying a lot for the course.

we plan to take AP Stats with them next year too.

[counselinggirl]

1 hour ago, mirabillis said:

we plan to take AP Stats with them next year too.

Oh, Mirabillis, Dd is taking AP Stats next year too! Maybe she will take it with Edhesive! At least this time we won't have to commiserate about the course. Ha ha! ?

Thanks for the post & info about Edhesive everyone!

Is there ever any interaction with an instructor (through email or something) or is it all done via recorded videos & automatic grading?

[BrettW]

I'd like my son to take a Computer Science (perhaps with Edhesive next fall). For those with Edhesive experience, would you recommend taking the Intro Class first, before the AP?

I have a rising 9th grader who is computer-oriented but has never taken an AP course. Perhaps start slow with the Intro class? or Jump right in to AP? 

Brett

[Bristayl]

On 5/17/2018 at 4:25 PM, counselinggirl said:

Is there ever any interaction with an instructor (through email or something) or is it all done via recorded videos & automatic grading?

 

In the Intro to Computer Science class, at least, there is a student forum where they can post questions to an instructor or post their programs for an instructor to look over. They can also post their programs for the other students to see if they want.

[Bristayl]

2 hours ago, BrettW said:

I'd like my son to take a Computer Science (perhaps with Edhesive next fall). For those with Edhesive experience, would you recommend taking the Intro Class first, before the AP?

I have a rising 9th grader who is computer-oriented but has never taken an AP course. Perhaps start slow with the Intro class? or Jump right in to AP? 

Brett

 

The Intro course uses Python, which some say is easier to learn before Java. But you should be able to find syllabi for both classes on the website--maybe you could show them to him and see which he'd rather do.

[daijobu]

3 hours ago, BrettW said:

I'd like my son to take a Computer Science (perhaps with Edhesive next fall). For those with Edhesive experience, would you recommend taking the Intro Class first, before the AP?

I have a rising 9th grader who is computer-oriented but has never taken an AP course. Perhaps start slow with the Intro class? or Jump right in to AP? 

Brett

 

 

[daijobu]

3 hours ago, BrettW said:

I'd like my son to take a Computer Science (perhaps with Edhesive next fall). For those with Edhesive experience, would you recommend taking the Intro Class first, before the AP?

I have a rising 9th grader who is computer-oriented but has never taken an AP course. Perhaps start slow with the Intro class? or Jump right in to AP? 

Brett

 

Compared with other AP exams, AP CS A  is easy, and a good first AP to get your feet wet for future more difficult courses.  In fact, a few years back it was dumbed down from AP CS AB.   The course assumes the student does not have any programming experience, but my kids did have a fair amount of programming experience in python before jumping to Java with Edhesive in 8th grade.  

I'm not familiar with the Edhesive's intro class, but I can recommend the AoPS python course, or for self study, Python for the Absolute Beginner by Michael Dawson.  (The first half of the book is plenty of preparation.)  

 

[mirabillis]

4 hours ago, BrettW said:

I'd like my son to take a Computer Science (perhaps with Edhesive next fall). For those with Edhesive experience, would you recommend taking the Intro Class first, before the AP?

I have a rising 9th grader who is computer-oriented but has never taken an AP course. Perhaps start slow with the Intro class? or Jump right in to AP? 

Brett

 

we started for 1 week with Intro and then my ds wanted to jump into AP in 9th grade, so we did. great decision! he had limited coding experience and scored a 4 on the exam with minimal effort. we started really late too (november). i'd say it's an easy 1st AP for a younger (especially mathy or interested) student.

[BrettW]

Thank you for your replies.  Perhaps he would be interested in the Java/AP course. I'll show him the two syllabi let let him choose. I tried to e-mail the company twice, but both messages got bounced back.

[daijobu]

1 hour ago, BrettW said:

Thank you for your replies.  Perhaps he would be interested in the Java/AP course. I'll show him the two syllabi let let him choose. I tried to e-mail the company twice, but both messages got bounced back.

Did you see this online form?  I got a pretty quick response to my question last weekend.