This page contains content from the 2008–09 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.
How It Works
Once the term begins, registered students can access their online course lectures weekly via course websites, which are linked in the list of online courses (links are added as they become available). Lectures are typically available 48 hours after they are presented on campus. They are password-protected, and students log in to watch their videos (see Viewing Instructions).
Video Lecture Format
Harvard’s online lectures use streaming video technology, along with standard Internet browser software. Streaming video refers to video that is sent to the user as it is viewed. As with TV or radio, you receive the images and audio just before you see and hear them. This is quicker than waiting for the entire video to download before viewing it. To ensure the steady stream of data, however, the video must be compressed, so the image is not full size. See below for an example of a lecture viewing window.
Live Video Option
Some of the courses that are offered online and on campus are broadcasted live as the class is being conducted. To see if your course has this option, see the Live Classroom Videos webpage.
Watch a Sample Lecture
Before you register, you can watch one of the following sample lectures to get a sense of the online course experience. If you have any difficulty watching them, read the viewing instructions.
- ANTH E-178 Digging the Glyphs: Adventures in Decipherment (View Lecture)
- CSCI E-64 Visualization (View Lecture)
- ENGL E-130 Shakespeare and Modern Culture (View Lecture)
- ENVR E-101 Environmental Management I (View Lecture)
- HIST E-1351 Western Economies, Societies, and Polities: From 1648 to the Present (View Lecture)
- HIST E-1825 China: Traditions and Transformations (View Lecture)
- MGMT E-147 Managing Organizational Change (View Lecture)
- PSYC E-1504 Positive Psychology (View Lecture)
Sample courses and preview lectures are also available to download to your computer or mp3 player for free at Harvard Extension School on iTunes U.
Lecture Viewing Window
The screen shot below shows how a distance education course lecture is presented. The video window appears on the left side of the screen, the controls below it adjust the video, and the supplementary course materials are displayed on the right side of the screen.
Policies
Although courses take place online, students are expected to adhere to all academic policies and attend on-campus exams when necessary and feasible.