University of Pennsylvania is offering a fully online undergraduate degree program.

[jch]

Nobody is telling you to complete a course in 2 days or 2 weeks, and nobody is telling you not to read the material. So if your “brain” isn’t remembering the “course contents” it sounds like a personal  problem/decision. We’re supposed  to take personal responsibility for our learning. If Sophia isn’t good enough for you, so be it, but don’t knock on the people that it has helped. Because with your sly remarks it’s exactly what you’re doing.

My GF has been taking sophia courses since the promotion started last year. She already has her bachelor's so is taking them for personal enrichment on topics she likes. She actually takes her time, reads the material, and takes notes. Guess what? She actually remembers what she's learning. I went at a little faster pace but I still retain a lot of the important info from my courses. You're absolutely right that we're responsible for our own learning.

I agree with this. The student's willingness and motivation to learn will shape what they gain from a course. When I was working through Sophia, my primary mission was to just pound out the credits. Had I taken more time, I would have learned more.
However, the course author also has a role in this. If they communicate to students that it is okay to make multiple guesses on quizzes or use the textbook during tests, students will use those resources as a crutch. Sophia explicitly points out those features in their courses, and I used them. If Sophia took away or restricted those options, I would definitely view their offering as equivalent to traditional college classes.
Many alt-credit sources can deliver learning that meets or exceeds collegiate standards. However, many of them also have a way to rush through without really comprehending the material. In my view, this is one of the main reasons that alt credit is inferior to actual college credit.