Took 6 Sophia Learning Courses in 2 months and passed them all, listing my thoughts

[innen_oda]

In terms of the classes that were easy I would say the Design course or Religion course are pretty easy. They only took me a few hours to do and the content is pretty simple to understand.

I've done the Religion course too. Like almost all courses - ACE, RA, non-credit - it's possible to whizz through it in record time, pass the courses, and learn absolutely nothing.

This is a pity, because Sophia has such wonderfully designed courses, great videos and PDFs, with the challenge parts reinforcing the core concepts so you enter the milestones well-prepared. They find a pretty efficient way to pack a lot of information onto your brain in a manner that is remarkably painless (the US History courses excepted). With every Sophia course, I've finished it surprised at just how much I've learnt.

But this might be because my goal is to learn inexpensively, at my own convenience - rather than whizzing through simply for the credit.

I don't think this attitude, where some are focussed only on the credential and not the learning process as well, is unavoidable. Anyone who's done conventional university learning knows that fellow student who barely attended lectures (you see him the first class, and then again during the final) and studied only to get the minimum passing grade, and finishes an entire degree still completely uninformed. In fact, it's not only learning - everywhere, people are trying to take shortcuts and do only the bare minimum to get the credit and accolades. I'm sure we've all worked with people like this, and they're a pain.

Like I said, I too took Sophia's Religion course. I'm glad I spent time on it: I got to learn about a topic I might not have otherwise read about, I got to do so around my work-life and other life obligations, it was affordable - and I got ACE credit for it, which I can use towards a degree.

Learning is what you make of it. If someone wants to do only the bare minimum and then thinks that's something to be proud of, I say go for it. It's a lot easier for me not to hire you or to network with you, if you proudly announce how little you do.

Education should, ultimately, be about the maximum a hard worker can get out of it, not the mimimum a dodgy student can get away with.
I would think less of any institution that said 'these might be great courses, but some people aren't trying hard enough, therefore no one can have it. Here, have some middle-of-the-road options instead.'

These posts reflect badly on the individual poster, not the institution. I would hope any proper university would recognise that.