Prior Learning credits for MOOCs

While massively open online courses currently do not grant credits in the US, there is a method available to American students who want their participation in MOOCs to contribute to their degree. Prior learning assessment (PLAR) allows students to earn a credit for learning outside a traditional classroom setting. If a student chooses this route, he or she must produce a portfolio of the material learned. The portfolio is then inspected by a Council for Adult and Experiential Learning affiliated faculty member, who would recommend to the American Council on Education (ACE) that credit be granted from a regionally accredited college. This would permit the student to enrol in a college that accepts ACE’s recommendations, such as George Washington University. However, since the process is labour-intensive, students may decide to simply take a similar course at a traditional college instead. Inside Higher Ed