TEL Learning - your new best friend (cheap RA credits)

[AppleStarr]

With TESU's new policy (90cr max alternative credit, need 30cr RA to get a degree starting 1/1/20), and COSC having this requirement as well, I thought I'd give some info on TEL Learning.

First, they are $67/cr - not the very cheapest RA credits you can find (in-state as some schools will be less, I'm looking at you California) - but they are the cheapest self-paced RA credits you can find.

No UL, unfortunately, but with smart planning, you can use these for your GE and/or Free Electives to get those needed 24cr of RA at COSC and TESU; save your alt-credit for hard-to-find requirements and UL Core/AOS courses!

My DD18 (college freshman) has a long 6-week winter break, but the winter intercession courses are only 4 weeks long, they don't make use of the next 2 weeks she has off, and 1 week at the end (finals) overlaps with a vacation she's taking, so that's not an option for her. The self-paced format will work perfectly for her, since she'll have no other courses to take for the next 5 weeks. She does want to take Bio & Chem as recommended but not required pre-reqs to Intro to Anatomy & Physiology that she'll take next fall.  So she's going to take Bio starting next week, and Chem in the summer.

I've heard some good things about the format and content of a different TEL course, so I'm hoping the quality is good here as well. I'll report back as we go.

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Also, there are 4 partner schools you can use to transcribe the credits.  TEL has a page showing the course equivalencies for each school.  This is very important - you want a course to be called something that the receiving school will understand and give you credit where you think it should go easily, no need to fight about it. The only TEL course that won't work is the ENG1100: Intro to Reading & Writing which is deemed pre-English Comp I at all 4 schools. Don't take it.

Here's a breakdown of the issues at the 4 schools:

Mid-American Christian University (MACU)
PROS: It looks like you get 5cr for Latin - a bonus there!  Every course is named something that's an easy transfer to most schools, so it's probably going to be the best option for everyone.
CONS: PHY1103: Physical Sciences comes in as NATS2103: Environmental Science, which may or may not be an issue for some people.
This school gets top billing because it's the best option for the most number of people; it has every course; and the equivalencies are great.
This school is 1st on my list of 4

Lane College
PROS: All courses except the "cons" ones have good equivalencies
CONS: BIO1303: Intro to Biology comes in as BIO143: Biological Science for Education, which I don't love.  Latin, Chinese and Intro to IT aren't available here
This school is 2nd on my list of 4

Oklahoma Christian University
PROS: It looks like you get 4cr for Chinese, and 5cr for Latin - a bonus there!  All other courses except the "cons" ones have good equivalencies
CONS: ENG2303: Literature & Composition comes in as ENGL-2213: Perspectives in Literature rather than English Comp II, which may be a big issue for many.  HUM1103: Intro to Christianity isn't available.  And the 3 science courses all require you to do the lab before you can get credit; if you don't need a lab, this is an issue. 
This school is 3rd on my list of 4.

Greenville University
PROS: none
CONS: You're required to take both ENG1303: Language & Composition and ENG2303: Literature & Composition to get 3cr for ENGL105: Writing & Critical Inquiry - NO THANKS!  AND, they did not give course number for all of the courses; they seem to have just showed what area the course will work at THEIR school.
This school is 4th on my list of 4. Actually it doesn't even hit 4th - since there is no real reason to use this school, I wouldn't do it.

Thanks for writing this because I was wondering if they were all LL . From what I saw they looked LL only and now I can be sure.

[dfrecore]

Thanks for writing this because I was wondering if they were all LL . From what I saw they looked LL only and now I can be sure.

These are all LL courses; all Intro, GE, meant to be used for first 2 years of college in level of difficulty.

[rachel83az]

I just noticed that they've added York College as a partner. Quantitative Analysis I is FIVE credits through York College.

[Cofffeee]

Its great news.

[MNomadic]

I just noticed that they've added York College as a partner. Quantitative Analysis I is FIVE credits through York College.

I noticed that as well. ALSO, it looks like intro to IT may be an UL accounting/management information systems class with them which could be significan for some people.

ICT 1303 Introduction to Information Technology
3
ACC/CIS 333 Accounting/Management Information Systems

[rachel83az]

The standard York catalog doesn't have CIS 333 listed but it does have ACC 333.

ACC 333. Accounting Information Systems for Management. 3 hours credit, fall.
A comprehensive study of organizational needs for information and an introduction to the integrated management
information system. Information is studied as an organizational resource. Concepts underlying the analysis, design, use,
control, and audit of accounting information systems will be studied. The class will look at several examples of accounting
systems, and each student will get an in-depth look at one system. Emphasis is placed on current issues and developments
in the field. Prerequisites: ACC 223

[MNomadic]

The standard York catalog doesn't have CIS 333 listed but it does have ACC 333.

ACC 333. Accounting Information Systems for Management. 3 hours credit, fall.
A comprehensive study of organizational needs for information and an introduction to the integrated management
information system. Information is studied as an organizational resource. Concepts underlying the analysis, design, use,
control, and audit of accounting information systems will be studied. The class will look at several examples of accounting
systems, and each student will get an in-depth look at one system. Emphasis is placed on current issues and developments
in the field. Prerequisites: ACC 223

Good sleuthing!

It may be a good idea for anyone interested in this to reach out to York to see if it can be listed on a transcript as CIS-333 vs ACC.

[dfrecore]

I just noticed that they've added York College as a partner. Quantitative Analysis I is FIVE credits through York College.

Yes, the nice thing there is that you're still only paying $200 for the course, so you're getting it for $40/cr.

This is also the case with some other courses:
Chinese is worth 3, 4 or 5cr depending on the school (4cr at Greenville, 5cr at MACU)
Latin is worth 3 or 5cr depending on the school (5cr at Greenville and MACU)

Intro to Reading & Writing is developmental so 0cr, but college-level and worth 3cr at Lane and York
College Readiness is 1cr (so $67) but worth 3cr at Lane

Also, I would always check first to see what they call the course at the school you want - some are better than others. Some examples:

Intro to Biology is called General Biology at MACU, but Biological Science for Education at Lane.  You can take it w/o the lab at both of these schools, but OCU and Greenville require that you take the course + lab in order to get credit at all.

Literature & Composition is called English Composition II at MACU, Lane & York, but Perspectives in Literature at OCU (and probably won't count as your 2nd comp course if required at your school).

This is one where I'd be very careful and plan things before taking anything.

[rachel83az]

College Readiness is 1cr (so $67) but worth 3cr at Lane

On TEL's site, there's a blank spot in the credits column for this class at Lane. ORN 110 is only a 1-credit class in Lane's catalog: https://www.lanecollege.edu/orientation

[gams007]

College Readiness is 1cr (so $67) but worth 3cr at Lane

On TEL's site, there's a blank spot in the credits column for this class at Lane. ORN 110 is only a 1-credit class in Lane's catalog: https://www.lanecollege.edu/orientation

There was a discount coupon you get 15% off from the price.