Saylor Academy
 | This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (March 2018) |
 | |
| Founded | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Michael J. Saylor |
| Type | Operating private foundation (IRS exemption status): 501(c)(3) |
| Focus | Free education |
| Location | |
| Website | www |
The Saylor Academy, formerly known as the Saylor Foundation, is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC. It was established in 1999 by its sole trustee, Michael J. Saylor. Since 2008, the focus of the foundation has been its Free Education Initiative which has led to the creation of 241 courses representing 10 of the highest enrollment majors[clarification needed] in the US.[1]
The Saylor Academy assembles courses from openly available texts and resources. The foundation also funds the creation of new materials when needed, which is then openly licensed for use by other organizations and individuals. In March 2018 Edovo partnered with Saylor Academy.[2]
Courses
On its website, the foundation offers 317 free, college-level courses, which are selected as typical courses in high enrollment majors at traditional U.S. colleges.[3] Content is accessible without needing to register or log into the website, however an account is required to gain access to final exams, and a free certificate of completion.[1]
The foundation works with consultants to design the courses, typically university and college faculty members or subject experts.[citation needed] The consultant develops a blueprint for the course, then researches open educational resources (OER) to supply the course with lectures, texts, and other resources. If suitable texts and documents are not found, the foundation works with faculty to compile new materials which it releases to the OER community under a Creative Commons license.[4] Each course is accompanied by an assessment.[1]
Accreditation and credentialing
The Saylor Academy is accredited within the NCCRS.[citation needed] According to the company, they have experimented with digital badges through the Open Badge Infrastructure.[3]
Through cooperation with other organizations, the Saylor Academy can offer degrees.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Thibault, Joseph. "241 OER Courses with Assessments in Moodle: How Saylor.org has created one of the largest Free and Open Course Initiatives on the web". Moodlenews.com. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ "Edovo, a tablet-based solution, brings eLearning to prisons". eLearningInside News. 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2018-05-16.
- ^ a b "Online course start-ups offer virtually free college". The Washington Post. 2012-12-21. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
- ^ "Saylor Foundation to Launch Multi-Million Dollar Open Textbook Challenge! | College Open Textbooks Blog". Collegeopentextbooks.org. 2011-08-09. Archived from the original on 2011-11-04. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
- ^ University, Catholic. "Saylor Academy". The Catholic University of America. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
External links
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- Education companies established in 1999
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