The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) phenomenon has happened very quickly and is also a shift in discourse. This article aims to slow things down and go through the last year or so with a bit more care than we're usually able to do in order to do a "close reading" of the year of the MOOC. Author Aaron Brady ventures an opinion to say…

In the context of the recent efforts to arrive at a federal budget, articles abound in the popular media and trade publications debating both the value of Pell Grants and their rising cost to the U.S. government. Both pros and cons of the debate hold value. Pell Grants are what enable many low-income families to send their children to college and,…

In this essay, John F. Ebersole describes how, during his tours of the higher education conference circuit throughout the spring of 2013, as both a participant and observer, he came away with a good sense of the issues occupying the attention of American higher education during this period. Ebersole shares ten of the most common themes and…

Over half of today's college graduates transfer to another school at least once during their academic careers. With each transfer, students pay a "transfer tax," losing some of the academic credit they have earned due to school policies that make it difficult for students to transfer credits from one institution to another. The net drain…

In this article, the author discusses the issue surrounding the blanket rejection of career-school credits by traditional schools. Whether they attend a career college, community college, online college, or brick-and-mortar university, many Americans find that higher education has become a "grab and go" proposition. To them, attending multiple…

This paper posits the position that if higher education and secondary schools wish to increase students' college readiness, specifically in mathematics and critical thinking skills, continuous enrollment in secondary mathematics is one avenue worth exploring as opposed to increasing mathematics graduation requirements only in terms of Carnegie…

To allow class credit to high school students who miss school frequently, no matter how legitimate their excuses, is a questionable practice. (Author)

Shifts in federal financial aid policies over the past two decades have made college attendance increasingly difficult for the nation's poorest students. Furthermore, once these students do enroll, they lag far behind their more economically advantaged peers in graduation rates. Because financial aid increasingly emphasizes loans over grants, many…

Describes programs that allow adult students to acquire academic credit without attending formal classes. Instead, students can study part-time, at home and at their own pace, and also earn credit for knowledge, experience, and noncollegiate courses. (NRJ)

Andragogy's concern with process is at odds with the competence movement's emphasis on outcomes. Accreditation of prior learning, a system of assessing and certifying competence acquired through experience, has some similarities with andragogy. Learner reflection and identification of learning in many different contexts can bridge the gap. (SK)

The proliferation of uses of "certificate" in education and business is rendering the term meaningless. Higher education institutions should seek consensus on the types and categories in order to maintain clarity. A delineation between nonbaccalaureate and postbaccalaureate and between credit and noncredit is a starting point. (Contains…

This response to an article by Hyland refutes reservations about educational credit accumulation and transfer schemes and suggests the need for tangible rewards and the personalized ownership of knowledge, skills, and values that credits represent. (SK)

Describes a rationale for awarding credit for experiential learning based on the student's ability to process experience and transfer cognitive and affective perceptions. Lists five general competencies that a student must demonstrate in order to be awarded credit under this rationale. (W.C. Publications, P.O. Box 1578, Montclair, NJ 07042) (NRJ)

Awarding continuing education units (CEUs) can offer ongoing benefits to a company, institution, or training group at relatively little cost. A company offering CEUs may be able to help employees complete their college degrees and set long-range goals. (JOW)

Unreliable assessment practices persist across the country. Regents College has reviewed over 100 randomly selected programs and created a database of assessment programs that use unreliable practices. Assessment processes and academic programs of integrity should be built on consistently valid and reliable principles. (JOW)