> They give you a false sense of accomplishment when actually the learning is very superficial.

I disagree. Although I've only taken one so far (search engines), and I knew basic Python before taking the course. I like the small weekly practice sessions because they provide just enough breadth to prompt me to seek more depth, run pydoc, etc.

I find it more interesting to learn the standard library and take away a better understanding in this format, as opposed to reading a book or the documentation straight through.