The Teaching Company, doing business as Wondrium, is a media production company that produces educational, video and audio content in the form of courses, documentaries, series under two content brands - Wondrium and The Great Courses. The company distributes their content globally through a mix of Direct to Consumer models such as their streaming service Wondrium.com and TheGreatCourses.com,as well distribution through third party platforms like Audible, Amazon and Roku. Wondrium, founded by Tom Rollins in 1990, is currently owned by Brentwood Associates PE and is headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia.

History

In 1990, the company was founded by Thomas M. Rollins, former Chief Counsel of the

United States Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) generally considers matters relating to these issues. Its jurisdiction also extends beyond these issues to include several more specific areas, as defined by Sena ...

. Rollins had been inspired by a 10-hour videotaped lecture series by Irving Younger he watched while at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

, and he began recruiting professors and experts to record lectures. Rollins invested all his money in the company, at one point using up all his credit cards, selling almost all his suits from his Washington days, and living in an attic. Because his company was for-profit, Rollins adapted course offerings to please customers; he threw out one course because the professor constantly insulted the viewers during lectures, and he asked some other professors to re-record segments that had unsupported political commentary. By 2000, the company was well established, with about $20 million (USD) in annual revenue. In October 2006, the company was acquired by Brentwood Associates, a private equity investment firm. In 2011 the firm had 200 employees. In 2016, the company began offering a

streaming service Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

, charging $20 (USD) per month, with on-line access to about 280 courses from its catalogue. In April 2021, the company announced the rebranding of its global streaming platform from the Great Courses Plus to Wondrium, along with new licensing agreements to include content from Kino Lorber, MagellanTV, and

Craftsy Craftsy, previously named Bluprint, is an American subscription video on demand service owned by TN Marketing. The service features online courses and other forms of video content surrounding crafts, hobbies, and lifestyle topics, as well as an o ...

Courses and instructors

As of December 2019, the company lists the following categories and numbers of courses: * Better Living (187) * Economics & Finance (27) * Fine Arts (31) * High School (39) * History (229) * Literature & Language (109) * Mathematics (48) * Music (36) * Philosophy & Intellectual History (120) * Professional (75) * Religion (83) * Science (191) The following academics, among others, have authored courses. This list covers only instructors about whom an article exists. * Gregory S. Aldrete * Patrick Allitt *

Stephen Alvarez Stephen Alvarez (born 1965) is an American photojournalist. He is founder and president of the Ancient Art Archive, a global initiative to record, preserve, and share high-resolution images of ancient artwork. Throughout his career, he has produced ...

* Dorsey Armstrong * Kenneth R. Bartlett *

Arthur T. Benjamin Arthur T. Benjamin (born March 19, 1961) is an American mathematician who specializes in combinatorics. Since 1989 he has been a professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd College, where he is the Smallwood Family Professor of Mathematics. He is ...

* Jonah Berger * Ira Block * Bob Brier * Edward B. Burger * Sean M. Carroll * Phillip Cary * Thomas Childers * David Christian *

Eric H. Cline Eric H. Cline (born September 1, 1960) is an author, historian, archaeologist, and professor of ancient history and archaeology at The George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C., where he is Professor of Classics and Anthropology a ...

* Jodi Cobb * William R. Cook *

Anne Curzan Anne Curzan is a professor of English at the University of Michigan since 2012 and dean of its College of Literature, Science, and the Arts since 2019. Biography Curzan received a bachelor of arts in linguistics ''summa cum laude'' from Yale Univ ...

Philip Daileader Philip Daileader is a professor of history at The College of William & Mary in Virginia. He was born in Queens, New York, on October 25, 1968, and grew up in Central Islip, New York. He attended St. Anthony's High School in Smithtown and then So ...

Dennis Dalton Dennis Gilmore Dalton is a professor of political science from the United States. From 1969 until 2008, Dalton was the Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Dalton's work had a particular focus on t ...

Leo Damrosch Leopold Damrosch Jr. (born 1941) is an American author and professor. In 2001, he was named the Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Literature at Harvard University. He received a B.A. from Yale University, an M.A. from Cambridge University, where he was ...

* Daniel Drezner * William Dunham *

Malcolm David Eckel Malcolm David Eckel is Professor of Religion and Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Religion at Boston University, US. Early life and education Eckel received a B.A. from Harvard University, a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University. Wh ...

Sylvia Earle Sylvia Alice Earle ( née Reade; born August 30, 1935) is an American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer. She has been a National Geographic explorer-in-residence since 1998. Earle was the first female chief scien ...

* Bart D. Ehrman *

John Esposito John Louis Esposito (born May 19, 1940) is an Italian-American academic, professor of Middle Eastern and religious studies, and scholar of Islamic studies, who serves as Professor of Religion, International Affairs, and Islamic Studies at Geor ...

Brian M. Fagan Brian Murray Fagan (born 1 August 1936) is a prolific British author of popular archaeology books and a professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Biography Fagan was born in England where he received hi ...

* J. Rufus Fears *

Alexei Filippenko Alexei Vladimir "Alex" Filippenko (; born July 25, 1958) is an American astrophysicist and professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions ...

* Jane Friedman * Sylvester James Gates *

Eamonn Gearon Eamonn Gearon is an author, Arabist, and analyst. Gearon's career goal has been the development of understanding and insight between the Greater Middle East and the West. Gearon is best known for his book ''The Sahara: A Cultural History'' (2011) ...

* Steven L. Goldman *

Anthony A. Goodman Anthony A. Goodman (born January 11, 1940) is an American breast cancer surgeon and author. He is Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Montana State University WWAMI Medical Sciences Program and is Affiliate Professor in the Department of Biological ...

* Robert Greenberg *

Annie Griffiths Annie Griffiths (born 1953) is an American photographer known for her work at '' National Geographic'' and a founder of Ripple Effect Images. Biography and career Griffiths was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hired at National Geographic in 197 ...

* Patrick Grim * Allen C. Guelzo *

Richard J. Haier Richard J. Haier is an American psychologist who has researched a neural basis for human intelligence, psychometrics, general intelligence, and sex and intelligence. Haier is currently a Professor Emeritus in the Pediatric Neurology Division of ...

* James Hall * Ken Hammond *

Kenneth W. Harl Kenneth W. Harl is an American scholar, author, and classicist. He received his B.A. in Classics and History at Trinity College, and his M.A. and PhD at Yale University. He was a Professor of History at Tulane University in New Orleans until his re ...

Donald J. Harreld Donald James Harreld is a former professor of history with a dual appointment in European studies at Brigham Young University (BYU). Harreld specialized in the early modern history of the Netherlands. He was also the executive director of the Si ...

* Robert Hazen * Craig Heller * Kathleen Higgins *

James Hynes James Hynes (born August 23, 1955) is an American novelist. Biography Hynes was born in Okemos, Michigan,''Contemporary Authors Online'', Thomson Gale, 2004. and grew up in Big Rapids, Michigan. He currently resides in Austin, Texas, where he ...

Peter H. Irons Peter H. Irons (born August 11, 1940) is an American political activist, civil rights attorney, legal scholar, and professor emeritus of political science. He has written many books on the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court an ...

Luke Timothy Johnson Luke Timothy Johnson (born November 20, 1943) is an American New Testament scholar and historian of early Christianity. He is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Candler School of Theology and a Senior Fello ...

* Ed Kashi * Douglas Kellner * Eileen Kennedy-Moore *

Alan Charles Kors Alan Charles Kors (born July 18, 1943) is Henry Charles Lea Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught the intellectual history of the 17th and 18th centuries. He has received both the Lindback Foundation Awar ...

Joseph Koterski Joseph Koterski, S.J. (November 28, 1953 – August 9, 2021) was an American Jesuit priest, philosopher, author, and professor at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. Biography In 1976, Koterski graduated with a H.A.B. degree in Classics ...

Richard Kurin Richard Kurin (born November 27, 1950), an American cultural anthropologist, museum official and author, is the Acting Provost and Under Secretary for Museums and Research at the Smithsonian Institution. He is a key member of the senior team managi ...

Edward Larson Edward John Larson (born September 21, 1953, in Mansfield, Ohio) is an American historian and legal scholar. He is university professor of history and holds the Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law at Pepperdine University. He was formerly Herma ...

Mark Leary Mark Richard Leary, Ph.D. (born November 29, 1954) is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina). His research has made significant contributions to the fields of social psychology and personality psycholo ...

* Seth Lerer *

Amy-Jill Levine {{Infobox academic , name = Amy-Jill Levine , image = , alt = , caption = , birth_name = , birth_date = {{birth year and age, 1956 , birth_place = , death_date = , death_place = , nationality = American , other_names = A. J. ...

* Allan Lichtman *

Don Lincoln Don Lincoln (born 1964) is an American physicist, author, host of the YouTube channel Fermilab, and science communicator. He conducts research in particle physics at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and was an adjunct professor of physics ...

* Jodi Magness * Clancy Martin * John McWhorter *

John Medina John J. Medina is a developmental molecular biologist with special research interests in the isolation and characterization of genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. Medina has spent most of his profess ...

Michael Melford Michael Melford may refer to: * Michael Melford (journalist), English sports journalist * Michael Melford (photographer), American photographer * Michael Melford (rugby union), English rugby union player {{hndis, Melford, Michael ...

Andrew B. Newberg Andrew Newberg is an American neuroscientist who is a professor in the Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences and the director of research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospita ...

* Ashton Nichols * Steven Novella * Sherwin B. Nuland * Joseph Nye *

Robert A. Oden Robert Allen Oden Jr. (; born September 11, 1946) was the president of Kenyon College from 1995 to 2002, and president of Carleton College from 2002 to 2010. He was also a significant professor in the early years of The Teaching Company, contributi ...

* Pamela Radcliff * Mark Ravina * Richard Restak * Daniel N. Robinson *

Rick Roderick Rick Roderick (June 16, 1949 – January 18, 2002) was an American professor of philosophy, best known for his lectures for The Great Courses, The Teaching Company. Life Roderick was born in Abilene, Texas, on June 16, 1949, son of (by his o ...

Jeffrey Rosen Jeffrey Rosen may refer to: * Jeffrey Rosen (legal academic) (born 1964), U.S. academic and commentator on legal affairs * Jeffrey Rosen (businessman), American billionaire businessman * Jeffrey A. Rosen (born 1958), U.S. lawyer who served as Depu ...

David B. Ruderman David B. Ruderman is the Joseph Meyerhoff Professor of Modern Jewish History at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1994 to 2014 he was the Ella Darivoff Director of Penn's Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, where he also held ...

* Robert Sapolsky *

Joel Sartore Joel Sartore is an American photographer focusing on conservation photography, speaker, author, teacher, and a long-time contributor to ''National Geographic'' magazine. He is the head of The National Geographic ''Photo Ark'' project, a 25-year ...

* Benjamin Schumacher *

John Searle John Rogers Searle (; born July 31, 1932) is an American philosopher widely noted for contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and social philosophy. He began teaching at UC Berkeley in 1959, and was Willis S. and Mario ...

* Jeremy Shearmur * Michael Shermer * Tom Shippey * Seth Shostak *

Ronald K. Siegel Ronald Keith Siegel (January 2, 1943 – March 24, 2019) was an American psychopharmacologist who was an associate research professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles. Siegel ...

Jeremy Silman Jeremy Silman (born August 28, 1954) is an American International Master (IM) of chess and writer. Silman was born in Del Rio, Texas. He began playing chess at the age of 12. He has won the American Open, the National Open, and the U.S. Open, and ...

Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan is deemed the best American wine educator, consultant and Master of Wine.mastersofwine.orgMasters of Wine, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan profileRobinson, Jancis, JancisRobinson.com (September 6, 2008/ref>Weekes, Claire, ''Harpers ...

Robert C. Solomon Robert C. Solomon (September 14, 1942 – January 2, 2007) was a philosopher and business ethicist, notable author, and "Distinguished Teaching Professor of Business and Philosophy" at the University of Texas at Austin, where he held a named ...

Richard B. Spence Richard Brian Spence (b. ''ca.'' 1951)"Spence, Richard B. 1951-."
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Michael Starbird Michael P. Starbird (born 1948) is a Professor of Mathematics and a University of Texas Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his B.A from Pomona College and his Ph.D. ...

* Jonathan Steinberg * David R. Stone * Steven Strogatz * Michael Sugrue * James Tanton * Timothy Taylor * David Thorburn * Neil deGrasse Tyson *

Elizabeth Vandiver Elizabeth Vandiver (born 1956) is an American classical scholar. She is the Clement Biddle Penrose Professor of Latin and Classics at Whitman College, having previously taught at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received the prestig ...

* Indre Viskontas * Irwin Weil * Arnold Weinstein *

Eric R. Williams Eric R. Williams is an American screenwriter, professor, Cinematic virtual reality (cine-VR), cinematic virtual reality director, and new media storyteller. He is known for developing alternative narrative and documentary techniques that take adv ...

Gary K. Wolfe Gary K. Wolfe (born Gary Kent Wolfe in 1946) is an American science fiction editor, critic and biographer. He is an emeritus Professor of Humanities in Roosevelt University's Evelyn T. Stone College of Professional Studies. Life Wolfe was ...

* Richard Wolfson * Molly Worthen *

Michael E. Wysession Michael E. Wysession (born December 6, 1961) is a professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and author of numerous science textbooks published by Pearson Education, Prentice Hall and the Savvas Learning C ...

Michael Yamashita Michael Yamashita is a Japanese-American photographer. Early life and education Born in 1949 in San Francisco, California, and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. Yamashita graduated from Montclair Academy in 1967. He graduated from Wesleyan Unive ...

* David Zarefsky

Business model

Courses are offered on DVD, direct Internet download (video or audio), or streaming. In 2018, the firm's competitors included

MOOC A massive open online course (MOOC ) or an open online course is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the Web. In addition to traditional course materials, such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, m ...

s such as Coursera and Khan Academy. In 2016, the firm was earning $150 million annually in revenue. The target market for the courses is primarily "lifelong learners". Customers tend to be older professionals and retirees who have had successful careers. As of 2018, the catalog included over 600 different courses, ranging in cost from US$35 to over US$500. The firm sometimes sends recruiters to sit in on the lectures of college professors identified as being good teachers, to assess whether they might be suitable for course development; the best prospects would do a lecture for the Teaching Company, and if enough customers liked what they saw, the company would develop the course. Professors submit detailed outlines for each course, and company personnel would work with them to make sure that each 30 minute lecture was coherent and logical. The production quality of the courses is "a cut above" free courses offered on YouTube, according to a report in '' The New York Times''. Chief executive Paul Suijk described ''The Great Courses'' as the " Netflix of learning". Bill Gates has been a fan of the series.

Reactions

American conservative analysts described the social science courses offered by The Teaching Company as more suitable to general audiences than what is offered at traditional American

liberal arts college A liberal arts college or liberal arts institution of higher education is a college with an emphasis on undergraduate study in liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capac ...

s. Noting that the company's audience is not similar to current U.S. college admissions, the indicated result was that the catalog has had less emphasis on issues such as sexism and racism, more common to historical lenses used after the 1960s, to prioritise content that describes "everything the civilization has figured out so far and to discover new things". The conservative analysts further note that the survey format of instruction predominates, with few in-depth courses on Western-specific thinkers or philosophical schools, and more emphasis on covering the fundamentals of a subject, as if it were an introductory college course.

References

Bibliography

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External links

WondriumThe Great Courses
{{Authority control Alternative education Companies based in Fairfax County, Virginia High school course levels Education companies established in 1990 1990 establishments in Virginia Adult education in the United States Subscription video streaming services 2006 mergers and acquisitions