With two teens, one entering high school this fall and another in her sophomore year already taking college courses, I am constantly seeking out online courses and materials that align with their interests and future career goals. For the past few years, my daughter has been contemplating earning credit by examination.
Study.com seemed like a great opportunity to look into. As I delved farther, I knew the video based lessons would be beneficial to my son and the text based lessons would be most appealing to my daughter.
We received access to the Study.com online learning library in exchange for an honest review. I also received monetary compensation for my time spent in reviewing the product.
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Study.com is a company that provides high school and college level educational opportunities in the form of online courses, videos, text transcripts, quizzes, practice tests, and a personalized study plan. Students can take courses on a wide variety of subjects through the site – there are presently over 4,000 exclusive courses offered – and gain actual credit hours that can be transferred to thousands of colleges and university programs.
The website was initially launched to accommodate a boom of students looking for flexible supplemental resources online which they could use to study for exams or to learn for fun. Over time, the company learned their lessons were being viewed by both youth and adults – college students were using the website to help study for exams and high school students were even using the resource to prepare for the SAT & ACT.
Study.com Features
Test Prep Courses
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) offers over 30 exams that can help students earn real college credit. With the increased interest in credit by examination, Study.com has created numerous online courses aimed at helping students pass these CLEP exams for about $80 per course.
The practice quizzes allow students to see what areas they know well and what areas they need to improve. No need to get caught in the mire, slogging through review content. Students can simply jump to the topics of need.
After taking enough of these general education courses, students can possibly test out of their first two years of college in a fraction of the time and a fraction of the cost compared to traditional colleges and universities.
What I love best is that the course materials are presented in several different ways. In this way, my children can work at a pace that best suits their individual learning styles. My daughter finds the text transcripts helpful to review the material whereas my son – a visual/auditory learner – prefers the short, engaging videos. I can rest easy knowing the concepts are taught well.
The beauty of the program is that your child can customize the delivery and use it in the way that works best for him or her!
No matter what the dominant learning style of your child, however, I recommend students watch the videos and read the transcript of the video. Students can take notes from the transcript on the screen or print it out and highlight key facts to help them remember the information. Best of all, they can create their own study plan with the aid of the tools provided.
Professional Development
Study.com is not just for my kids, though. I was delighted to discover that it also provides teacher certification exam preparation materials and other professional development and corporate learning courses.
I am strongly thinking of adding a high school science endorsement or even English as a Second Language to my teaching certification.
Additionally, teachers can use the platform to flip their classroom, assigning the videos and accompanying quizzes as homework, which thereby allows the teacher to track the progress and understanding of their students via the quiz scores. Others can choose to show students the videos to supplant the main lesson plan and introduce the day’s lesson to students.
The Nitty Gritty
Though Study.com is not free, there are three subscription based options beginning at just $39.99 per month providing unlimited access to the website’s full library online courses – both video lessons and transcripts. For just $59.99/month, a Premium Edition subscription provides access to the practice quizzes and tests, personalized coaching, certificates of completion, and more!
The exclusive courses are accepted for credit by the American Council of Education (ACE). Students can take these courses at a flexible pace. Upon completion, students take a proctored exam, and if they pass, can submit their scores to thousands of accredited colleges for transfer credit.
Discount
20% off your first 3 months of Study.com’s CLEP test prep product with coupon code HOMESCHOOLFORCLEP. Valid through May 31, 2018 for new members only. HOW TO REDEEM: Click the “Have a Coupon Code?” link on the last page of the registration process, input the coupon code HOMESCHOOLFORCLEP, and click the “Apply Coupon” button.
Don’t Miss the Giveaway!
Five winners will receive a 6-month subscription to Study.com’s CLEP test prep product (each subscription valued at $359.94).
Scholarship Opportunity
Not only that, but Study.com also offers scholarships to students pursuing CLEP credit with the following awards:
First Prize: $500
Second Prize: $250
Third Prize: $250