Benefits?

[Ryan Watkins]

In addition to costs, which are essential to define and discuss, we
should have a thread on potential benefits of change to a variety of
partners in the system (colleges of all varieties, faculty, students,
employers, administrators, accrediting agencies, foreign degree
equivalency groups, and so forth).

[tabeles]

Here are some possible benefits:
a) a method for demonstrating competency in skill sets and content
areas
b) a way to optimize the time of the student, instructor
c) a possible method for taking learning "off campus" via service/
project based learning and benefiting a larger community
d) a method for sharing the knowledge and experience between the
university and a larger community, including employers, government and
public sectors
e) creation of a life-long collaborative learning opportunity
f) reduced cost and overhead for the university by returning
evaluation and program completion back to the educational community of
faculty and students

[Gary Miller]

Ryan,

Perhaps we should think in terms of constituencies or stakeholders: individuals and organizations that would be affected by any change. Here is a list that includes yours, plus a few others:

Colleges and universities
Faculty members
Faculty Senates and other organizations that approve courses at these institutions
Student services professionals who help students transfer credits from other institutions
Administrators and others who build academic partnerships between institutions
Students
State and Federal financial aid providers
Regional accrediting associations
Professional accrediting organizations (i.e., AACSB, etc.)
Employers
Certification/licensing organizations (includes government--teacher certification agencies, for instance--and professional associations)
Noncredit training organizations (that want to ensure equivalency of noncredit training with credit)

Others?

Gary

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Gary E. Miller
421 Balmoral Way
State College, PA 16801
Blog: http://garyemiller.blogspot.com/
Phone: 814-237-9203
Cell: 814-883-3442
Skype: garyemiller

[Tom Abeles]

Hi Gary

I agree with your list. It seems to me that what we need to do is find an institution which is willing to step up to the plate and say that they are willing to take a serious look and possibly initiate a pilot program. That is the bottom line - getting an institution willing to test possibilities against its current system. What will temper this is being able to show how other institutions which have an alternative path have done this and that we are just translating this into another institution. That means faculty can talk with faculty, admins can meet other atdmins, students meet students etc.

What is not needed is more theory when practice exists and what is not needed is extramural funding before there is an understandable work plan where funds would lead not to study but implementation- if needed at all

tom