MOOCs for Credit: Current State of the Art

As enrollments in MOOCs expanded dramatically in the summer of 2012, students who completed these courses began asking how they might earn academic credit that could be applied toward a degree. As this educational innovation evolved, finding a viable means of providing credit for course completion entered the spotlight. The American Council on Education has a long-standing course review and credit recommendation service that normally applies to formal learning that does not take place on a university campus. Military education and training and corporate/workplace education are examples of courses that have received ACE credit recommendations. ACE is completing a pilot project to adapt its existing service to MOOCs and recently approved five MOOC courses for credit recommendations. This session will describe the credit recommendation service as it applies to the MOOC environment and address other issues relevant to the integration of MOOCs into traditional institutions and degree programs.