By Gordon Rogers During the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress issued paper money known as Continental Currency. The notes were backed by the “anticipation” of tax revenues. However, without solid backing and since they were easy to counterfeit, the notes quickly became devalued, giving rise to the phrase “not worth a Continental.”A number of parallels exist between the new frontier of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and their recognition as “academic currency” and the fate of the doomed Continental. Just as the revolutionary banknotes lacked credibility, the assessment instruments used by students to prove knowledge and mastery of MOOCs continue to face an uphill battle for authenticity. Until these issues are overcome, online education will be, in the eyes of many, “not be worth a Continental”.Efforts are underway to achieve wider recognition and acceptance of alternative forms of credentialing. They are taking place in universities, community colleges and coding …

In this episode, Gordon Rogers, a veteran of startups in the field of digital education and learning management, discusses MOOCs and crediting.