MOOCs: Are they a huge letdown?

[sanantone]

You can use them if you are developing a portfolio, they can turn into credit.

I mention that above, but if I have to pay over $99 for a certificate on top of the portfolio assessment fees, I am not using a MOOC for a PLA.

Probably the wrong thread, but how do those PLAs actually work? Do they just charge you $$$, verify that you actually got the experience or education, make you write a short summary paper, and give you credit?

It varies by college. I did a PLA at Empire State College. They give you a few worksheets to fill out detailing what you learned. You also have to write about a page or two giving more details and complete a phone interview with an "expert." At TESU, portfolios are much more extensive. They make you create a detailed resume, and they suggest writing around five pages per credit hour. You can see what's required through the open courses linked to at the Saylor website. Some guy details his PLA process at TESU on the other forum, but is information is more than 10 years old; TESU's requirements have drastically changed. 


https://sites.google.com/a/courses.tesc....00-public/

I had issues at ESC. Even though I was pre-approved to complete Saylor courses that did not award certificates, the evaluators didn't know how I could prove that I completed the courses without a certificate. Their expectation was that everyone would only complete the Saylor courses that came with certificates. Even though I completed four credits worth of coursework, I was only awarded one credit after the second evaluation. The first evaluation awarded zero credits. It was a waste of time. That's why I will never use another MOOC to complete a portfolio unless it comes with a certificate of completion based on quizzes/tests and/or some other kind of graded assignment.

[Joeman200]

I also 100% agree. I've been reading some articles from a few years back where they thought MOOCs would be the way of the future. So far, the institutions that offer MOOCs have disappointing me. (except for saylor, but they don't offer much)

[bluebooger]

depends on why you do them 

coursera has a python specialization with Rice University that teaches python and programming by making games 

it was awesome, learned a lot and it was a lot of fun 

I'm sure anyone who completed the specialization get do a PLA for a couple of programming courses 

edx has a 3D programming course taught in C 
tried it but couldn't complete it 
I wasn't willing to put in the time for the math 
I'm sure you PLA 3 upper level credits  for it

[Doodlebabe]

About O2S: has anyone tried transferring their credits to TESU? I'm always down for free credits ?

The problem with MOOCs is that they've been heavily capitalized on. My generation, and some in the generation before, have been crying out for alternatives to expensive universities that demand half our degrees be busy work unrelated to our majors or what we want to do with our lives. It feels like a waste of time and money, especially when society shoves down our throats that we have to be young to be successful, and make a ton of money without any experience under our belts. All this pressure brought about rebellion, there are more homeschoolers now, more unschoolers, more folks taking gap years or going straight to work. I know just as many college drop outs as I do graduates simply because of limited funding and these were folks going to our state university (where tuition alone, without books, housing, or food is just shy of $14,000 a year for LS majors, around $27,000 for engineering or pre-med students, and everywhere in between for everyone else). How is society, specifically the "education" companies, supposed to make money off these people if they can't wrangle them into college and convince them debt is an investment? By supplying MOOCs, suggesting they're a viable option. While yes, they can be a great option if you simply want to learn they're not so great if you want to hack your education in a way that companies will recognize and honor. Doesn't matter how many programming MOOCs you take, how competent you are, your resume will still get thrown out in the first round if you don't have a BA to "prove" you did your time.
I think if higher ed actually wants to attempt molding with how society is changing they'll have to provide more options for legitimate accreditation outside of college campuses. There will always be people who don't trust the way we're finishing our degrees, who say we're "cheating the system" or "not truly learning" and as long as higher ed treats MOOCs that way too they're never going to gain enough ground to matter to employers.

[Life Long Learning]

You can use them if you are developing a portfolio, they can turn into credit.

I mention that above, but if I have to pay over $99 for a certificate on top of the portfolio assessment fees, I am not using a MOOC for a PLA.

Probably the wrong thread, but how do those PLAs actually work? Do they just charge you $$$, verify that you actually got the experience or education, make you write a short summary paper, and give you credit?

It varies by college. I did a PLA at Empire State College. They give you a few worksheets to fill out detailing what you learned. You also have to write about a page or two giving more details and complete a phone interview with an "expert." At TESU, portfolios are much more extensive. They make you create a detailed resume, and they suggest writing around five pages per credit hour. You can see what's required through the open courses linked to at the Saylor website. Some guy details his PLA process at TESU on the other forum, but is information is more than 10 years old; TESU's requirements have drastically changed. 


https://sites.google.com/a/courses.tesc....00-public/

I had issues at ESC. Even though I was pre-approved to complete Saylor courses that did not award certificates, the evaluators didn't know how I could prove that I completed the courses without a certificate. Their expectation was that everyone would only complete the Saylor courses that came with certificates. Even though I completed four credits worth of coursework, I was only awarded one credit after the second evaluation. The first evaluation awarded zero credits. It was a waste of time. That's why I will never use another MOOC to complete a portfolio unless it comes with a certificate of completion based on quizzes/tests and/or some other kind of graded assignment.

sanantone,

What kinds of PLA did you do?  Criminal Justice?  What Levels? How many credits?  Costs? at ESC.

[sanantone]

About O2S: has anyone tried transferring their credits to TESU? I'm always down for free credits ?

The problem with MOOCs is that they've been heavily capitalized on. My generation, and some in the generation before, have been crying out for alternatives to expensive universities that demand half our degrees be busy work unrelated to our majors or what we want to do with our lives. It feels like a waste of time and money, especially when society shoves down our throats that we have to be young to be successful, and make a ton of money without any experience under our belts. All this pressure brought about rebellion, there are more homeschoolers now, more unschoolers, more folks taking gap years or going straight to work. I know just as many college drop outs as I do graduates simply because of limited funding and these were folks going to our state university (where tuition alone, without books, housing, or food is just shy of $14,000 a year for LS majors, around $27,000 for engineering or pre-med students, and everywhere in between for everyone else). How is society, specifically the "education" companies, supposed to make money off these people if they can't wrangle them into college and convince them debt is an investment? By supplying MOOCs, suggesting they're a viable option. While yes, they can be a great option if you simply want to learn they're not so great if you want to hack your education in a way that companies will recognize and honor. Doesn't matter how many programming MOOCs you take, how competent you are, your resume will still get thrown out in the first round if you don't have a BA to "prove" you did your time.
I think if higher ed actually wants to attempt molding with how society is changing they'll have to provide more options for legitimate accreditation outside of college campuses. There will always be people who don't trust the way we're finishing our degrees, who say we're "cheating the system" or "not truly learning" and as long as higher ed treats MOOCs that way too they're never going to gain enough ground to matter to employers.

The free O2S courses aren't accredited.

You can use them if you are developing a portfolio, they can turn into credit.

I mention that above, but if I have to pay over $99 for a certificate on top of the portfolio assessment fees, I am not using a MOOC for a PLA.

Probably the wrong thread, but how do those PLAs actually work? Do they just charge you $$$, verify that you actually got the experience or education, make you write a short summary paper, and give you credit?

It varies by college. I did a PLA at Empire State College. They give you a few worksheets to fill out detailing what you learned. You also have to write about a page or two giving more details and complete a phone interview with an "expert." At TESU, portfolios are much more extensive. They make you create a detailed resume, and they suggest writing around five pages per credit hour. You can see what's required through the open courses linked to at the Saylor website. Some guy details his PLA process at TESU on the other forum, but is information is more than 10 years old; TESU's requirements have drastically changed. 


https://sites.google.com/a/courses.tesc....00-public/

I had issues at ESC. Even though I was pre-approved to complete Saylor courses that did not award certificates, the evaluators didn't know how I could prove that I completed the courses without a certificate. Their expectation was that everyone would only complete the Saylor courses that came with certificates. Even though I completed four credits worth of coursework, I was only awarded one credit after the second evaluation. The first evaluation awarded zero credits. It was a waste of time. That's why I will never use another MOOC to complete a portfolio unless it comes with a certificate of completion based on quizzes/tests and/or some other kind of graded assignment.

sanantone,

What kinds of PLA did you do?  Criminal Justice?  What Levels? How many credits?  Costs? at ESC.

I was creating a portfolio for biology courses. It was a free pilot program ESC was offering in partnership with Saylor a couple of years ago. Saylor courses had to be used.