NEW More choices from Straighterline

[Pjbarney]

Just got an update email from SL. Here is a link to what's new:

You Are About to Have More Choices from StraighterLine

[ryoder]

SL is confusing me. It looks like they offer credit by exam but all the links end up having you pay for ECE exams. Do they do credit by exam directly or not?

[Pjbarney]

They keep sending out these confusing teaser emails and no real details. I guess we'll have to wait until 12/12.

[ryoder]

I like the idea of testing out in the comfort of one's own home. That is a great option, especially over the holidays when there is so much time.
I have fond memories of Christmas two years ago when I completed Accounting I&II through Straighterline in about a week of diligent work. I did spend about 2 weeks studying accounting prior to taking the courses though, but it was a good feeling to have so much progress and not have to leave the house.
If they have ProctorU do the proctoring, I wonder how much they will charge for the tests? I am waiting for CLEP and DSST tests to go online with ProctorU. That would rock.

[sanantone]

I stumbled upon this article about Straighterline and it's totally confusing. I think the author doesn't understand that Excelsior Exams are ACE-accredited on their own and more widely accepted than Straighterline courses. The article first says that Straighterline will award credit earned through ECEs. This is, obviously, unnecessary and a big waste of money. Then, it says that Saylor courses can be used to study for exams offered by Straighterline. So far, I have not seen any credit-by-exam offered by SL.

Saylor Foundation's Free Courses Offer Path to Credit | Inside Higher Ed

I got an email from SL that linked to its "CBEs." I haven't seen anything that shows that they exist.
Test for credit - Take a test and earn college credit - StraighterLine

In most cases, you'll still need to study to make sure you pass. But when you're ready, you can just take a single exam through StraighterLine instead of taking an entire course—and if you score well, you'll earn credit on your transcript and move one step closer to earning your degree.

What are they talking about? They go on to list a bunch of ECEs. It sounds like they are piggy backing off of the more widely accepted and cheaper CBEs convincing students that they need to pay for those and SL for credit. I hope this is not the case because it would be a huge scam. That link also says this:

Wouldn't it be great if you could get college credit for the things you already know? With StraighterLine's help, you can. While you might already be familiar with credit-bearing exams like AP tests, CLEP exams, or tests from Excelsior, StraighterLine also gives you the option of taking a PLA—short for "Prior Learning Assessment"—that lets you earn college credit for life experiences learned on the job or in the military.

So is Straighterline actually offering PLAs or are they piggy backing off of Learning Counts and KNEXT? PLAs aren't CBEs.

[sanantone]

Now I understand what they're doing with at least one course. Straighterline is not offering the course content for Microbiology. The course is taken through Saylor for free, but you have to pay $25 for the proctored exam and $99 for a SL subscription in order to receive credit. Right now, SL is offering a discount where you can complete the course for $74 instead of $124. You still have to purchase the lab, which is $269! And you still have to complete several exams and quizzes. It looks like SL will soon be using Saylor for English Composition II soon. I still haven't figured out how ECEs fit into all of this.