Zondervan MasterLectures vs. Logos Mobile Ed.

Zondervan has just announced an interesting new subscription service, MasterLectures. $14.99/mo for access to all Zondervan's video lectures! That's a fantastic price for some really great content! We've been asking for something similar with Mobile Ed for years. Maybe now is the time Faithlife?!

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Matt Hamrick

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Seems like a great deal.

Richard Villanueva

Looks awesome! Thanks for the share! There is a growing supply of these kinds of quality video lectures being presented. I am tempted to jump in on it...

Defenders Media

Problem is that Zondervan doesn't provide transcripts for any of the videos, lectures or even classes.

John Kight

Problem is that Zondervan doesn't provide transcripts for any of the videos, lectures or even classes.

I'm not sure that's a "problem". I don't supply lecture transcripts to my students, nor did my professors provide me lecture transcripts. So, while it's useful and makes sense for something like Logos, I don't consider it a "problem" enough to diminish the value of what Zondervan is offering.

Myke Harbuck

Problem is that Zondervan doesn't provide transcripts for any of the videos, lectures or even classes.

I agree. The transcript and tagging of Logos courses add a ton of value.

Josh

Wow! Maybe a bit too conservative, but some great lecturers still. I didn't know that Mobile Ed had real competition. This is the exact model Faithlife needs to follow. I'm going to try the free trial.

Anthony Sims

Problem is that Zondervan doesn't provide transcripts for any of the videos, lectures or even classes.

I'm not sure that's a "problem". I don't supply lecture transcripts to my students, nor did my professors provide me lecture transcripts. So, while it's useful and makes sense for something like Logos, I don't consider it a "problem" enough to diminish the value of what Zondervan is offering.

Right. I would gladly give up the convenience of tagging and transcripts for access to lectures. Having the transcript isn't necessary since I take notes and rewrite concepts in my own words.

To me, Mobile Ed is a more robust, fuller experience but I really only care about the lectures. Perhaps Faithlife could offer another tier for their subscription that is only audio/video, has more courses available, and is priced similarly to Zondervan.

Kolen Cheung

I saw it as 19.99 per month though. Are there some sort of discount going on (academic?)

By the way, should this not be posting here since it is a competing service to Logos/Faithlife TV? (But I secretly am glad you did because I wouldn't have known about that...)

Kolen Cheung

Oh, I see you mean the annual subscription price is equiv. to 14.99 a month.

Pedro Gabriel Cavalcanti Lima

Problem is that Zondervan doesn't provide transcripts for any of the videos, lectures or even classes.

For me it's a problem, because I'm not a native english speaker (I'm brazilian), and sometimes I have a difficult to understanding some phrases, and the transcription is a great help to me.

David Thomas

a search for "Dallas Theological Seminary" on iTunes will also yield a list of Seminary lectures available FREE on iTunes U.

Rick Ausdahl

Problem is that Zondervan doesn't provide transcripts for any of the videos, lectures or even classes.

I agree. The transcript and tagging of Logos courses add a ton of value.

I appreciate this as well. My guess is that it wouldn't have to add much (if anything) to the cost of a course to include just the transcript. I suspect the tagging/linking is where most of the transcript related cost comes from. I would see value though in having just the transcript without tagging/linking and wouldn't mind having a lower price tier offered for courses with a non tagged/linked transcript, but I can't see that as being practical cost-wise for Faithlife if they still offered a tagged/linked version they invested in producing but sold fewer of them.

The bottom line for me is that the Mobile Ed courses have always been considerably out of my financial reach unless there's a reeeeaaaaaly great sale on them. So I watch for the sales and am thankful to have been able to pick up several courses--not nearly as many as I would like, but such is life, and I'm thankful for what I have. However ...I can also see the Zondervan MasterLectures as a great and reasonably priced way to supplement my Mobile Ed Library with quality video lecture resources that I wouldn't be able to afford if dependent solely upon great Mobile Ed sales. So I'm thinking it might work out to be more a choice of both Mobile Ed and MasterLectures rather than an either/or decision.

Ted Weis

Zondervan's MasterLectures is the result of a gradual marketing metamorphosis. Originally, these lectures were sold as DVDs, then as video downloads, for the goal of supplementing Zondervan books. So if you bought a book, like The Basics of Biblical Greek by Bill Mounce, you also can buy the series of lectures to aid or expand your study. So basically, each lecture is based on a book's chapter. I own several of these. Some of the lectures basically review or summarize the chapter. Others add new material by clarifying or answering common questions that arise from the chapter.

In my opinion, MasterLectures (ML) is like, but really not like MobileEd (ME). The similarity is they're both theological, educational videos. After that, they are different. ML is always based on a Zondervan book. ME is not based on a book (although many of its teachers probably organize their material around books they've written or seminary lecture courses they've taught). As others have already stated, ME provides full transcripts (which I follow along with the video; I find it increases my comprehension), videos, plus test banks and/or chances for reflection. ME has a larger catalog to select from than ML.The videos in ME are all talking heads. Some ML have cinematic value; here I'm thinking of the Ray VanderLaan series, are filmed in Israel and are beautiful.

This is the biggest difference maker (IMHO): ME is a completely self-contained course. But in order to get the full value of ML, you should buy and read the textbook as you watch. ME was created first as oral presentations. ML are oral presentations, but as afterthoughts to a textbook already written. When Faithlife conceived the MobileEd project, they took an existing concept in the marketplace (The Great Courses video series) and improved upon it. Zondervan, as a book publishing company, created videos to support their books.

Personally, I think $14.99 mo.-$180 yr. is too much. While I don't have Nexflix (isn't $15 the monthly rate?), watching video to be entertained is much different than watching it for education. I do watch my MobileEd courses (Waltke's OT 300 is awesome), but rarely and not systematically.

Should MobileEd courses be available on a subscription? It could work, either within Logos, or as a Roku channel, or dedicated website.

GaoLu

What I like about FL is the curated readings from my library. I have never found the lectures compelling or deep. Most of the meat, for me, comes from reflecting while reading. On the other hand, my wife really enjoys the lectures and doesn't do much of the reading. So, variety provides value for us all.

Puddin’

Quick question: I assume that someone could just pay the $180 for an entire years access to the Zondervan courses, right?

MJ. Smith

Quick question: I assume that someone could just pay the $180 for an entire years access to the Zondervan courses, right?

Huh? Shouldn't that be asked on the Zondervan site? Just saying why should Logos know?

Kolen Cheung

Personally, I think $14.99 mo.-$180 yr. is too much. While I don't have Nexflix (isn't $15 the monthly rate?), watching video to be entertained is much different than watching it for education. I do watch my MobileEd courses (Waltke's OT 300 is awesome), but rarely and not systematically.

Netflix's has quite a few offerings some more and less expensive than $15, so they are in the same order of magnitude.

Are you implying Netflix is better deal or vice versa?

To me, education is much more valuable than entertainment so isn't this argument supporting the pricing is ok?

And rationally one would just ask for cost effectiveness then in Zondervan's case if one buy a few textbooks and courses from them that it might justify the annual fee.

I think in Logos' case it is very different, to me the price to own is simply too high and even their current subscription models make much more sense. I wish the MobileEd from their Faithlife Connect Premiere is to-own rather than just 180-days. I really hope they can find a right model that's good both to themselves and us. Otherwise I don't think I'd ever own any Mobile Ed except those freely given away.