Inside Higher Ed : A Call for Accreditation of Learning that occurs Outside College

[Saharapost]

A growing clamor is calling for an accreditor to oversee the quality of college-level learning that occurs outside of college.
The challenge could be taken on by an existing accrediting agency -- or a new one -- that develops a specialty in non-institutional providers like StraighterLine and Udacity. Or, with more of a trailblazing approach, an accreditor could approve individual courses rather than degrees.
If either idea becomes a reality it would add a seal of approval for a constellation of online course providers and, perhaps, open the door for them to federal financial aid.
The current accreditation system has taken plenty of hits lately. President Obama, Congressional Republicans, think tanks and Bill Gates are among many critics who say accreditors -- who are outsourced gate-keepers for the federal government -- need to do more to encourage innovation and competition...


Read more: An accreditor for emerging models in higher education | Inside Higher Ed

[Daithi]

I agree, but I'll believe it when I see it. The higher education establishment has a vested interest in shutting down low cost innovators. When MOOCS first came onto the scene the higher education commentators were enthusiastic supporters. They all yelled about how MOOCS were great and that now a poor child living sub-Sahara Africa or the jungles of South America could now have access to an education from MIT, Harvard, and Stanford as long as they had internet access (preferably powered by windmills).

Then students taking these courses started asking why they couldn't be recognized for college credit. The pundits then quickly changed their tune. Now they started pointing out how students didn't really get the full benefits of a college course if they didn't actually attend the class. You can't REALLY learn unless you are engaged in discussions with the professor and your peers in the classroom environment. Please ignore the test scores of the online students who have passed the class (they were probably cheating anyway). MOOCS are bad. They are a disservice to the public. They'll destroy high education. They exploit professors. Bad, Bad, Bad!

[UptonSinclair]

Proctored finals are the only issue I see that makes any significant difference.

[Prloko]

Proctored finals are the only issue I see that makes any significant difference.

COURSEA is apparently using a technology that personally identifies you by your unique typing signature.

[UptonSinclair]

That is a little creepy. My typing style would change significantly depending on how stressed out I was about the information.

[Prloko]

That is a little creepy. My typing style would change significantly depending on how stressed out I was about the information.

Here is the link to how it works.

https://www.coursera.org/signature/#cour...ce=catalog

[sanantone]

That is kind of creepy.