TESU & Shmoop

[burbuja0512]

Just an FYI, non-proctored doesn't mean "stress-free."  I think being well-prepared for a test makes a test less stressful, and that depends on course set-up.  If your son can do well in a course up to the proctored final, and needs to score very low or even 0 to pass the course, that's going to be less stress than anything else he can do.

I did Ed4Credit's Managerial Accounting course, and the ability to retake chapter tests, made it very doable for me.  Same with the Penn Foster Financial Management course.  Study.com courses give you the ability to retake quizzes if you want, to get your grade as high as possible before taking the final.  SL allows for open-book finals on many courses.

There are lots of ways to take the stress out of a course (or lower it), and non-proctored actually isn't one of them, in my opinion.

I've been thinking a lot about this one.  DS has a high IQ!  He seems so normal in almost every way other than learning.   I just keep saying - he is so damn smart, why can't he just take this relatively simple CLEP and pass... he knows the material?   Why can't he just do a DSST and pass, after all, he's studied for weeks?

The answer is I don't really know what make him tick and he's still learning.  There's just something about a formal testing environment that freaks him out.   So, I guess it's not really the proctor vs. non-proctor, it's just getting anxiety about what "feels like" a test.    Not sure if that helps explain it....   My MBA would have been perfect for him.  Tons of group work and even more research papers, but we didn't really do any sort of exam.      I wonder if there are options like that for him.....

One thing about Study.com (and probably others) is that the test feels less "test-y" than SL or one of the others to me, because you can just do it right when you're ready.  No scheduling it in advance, which makes me more anxious.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Shmoop, while not proctored, feels like a test.  They are supposed to be harder than average.

I would have him try some different types of courses, and see which he likes better.  Would he feel better with SL, where he can get close to 70% before he ever takes the final, so it is really about as low-stress as it comes?  Would he feel better with Study.com, where the small quizzes definitely don't feel like a test, and then they tell you what you need on the final to pass the course (for instance I need a 58% on the final to pass at this point, and I KNOW I can do that).  Would be like Ed4Credit, where he's able to retake the chapter tests multiple times until he gets everything really high, and in doing so, could pass the final with a low grade (and feel like he knows the material)?  How about Study.com's UL courses, where a paper and/or project is included, so he has an additional way to earn points, and the final is a smaller percentage of the grade?

Lots of options, and he won't know until he tries them.  At least apply for the study.com scholarship and try out a course, and see how he does.  Or find a SL coupon code.  Or wait for another deal to pop up on here for Ed4Credit or Sophia or something.

And just so you know, my HS daughter is also a struggling learner.  She was tested at the 98th percentile for IQ, but just STRUGGLES in reading.  If I was going to have her do a course, I would certainly start with Study.com which is video-based, because honestly, I think an eTextbook type of course would kill her.  Anyway, I feel your (and his) pain.

This is really great advice.   It sounds like you are going through something similar and it is REALLY hard to understand and fully help a kid with such different strengths.

I like the idea of just testing them out and seeing what's best.    I had such good luck with the testing route, and he's so darn smart, that I think I've pushed that too hard.    He does seem to like Straighterline so far, but hasn't had a real exam yet  - just the short quizzes that come up.     If he feels comfortable through the end, we'll definitely take all the SL classes possible for his degree plan.

Thanks again - please PM me if you have any other tips in dealing with an intelligent learner who struggles.