Study.com vs. Sophia! Which Is better?

Summary

This video compares Sophia Learning and Study.com as third-party course providers for earning college credit. It highlights the variety and number of courses available, the ease of use, the presence of essays and proctored exams, and the cost. The video suggests that while Sophia is more user-friendly and cost-effective, Study.com offers a wider range of upper-level courses, making both platforms valuable for different educational needs.

Takeaways

• 📚 Both Sophia and Study.com are third-party course providers offering a vast catalog of courses for earning college credit.
• 💰 Users pay a monthly fee for access to these platforms, potentially saving thousands of dollars on college education.
• 🔍 Study.com has a more extensive course catalog, with 1124 college courses eligible for credit, compared to Sophia's 50+ courses.
• 🏫 Study.com is considered the 'grandfather' of online alternative credit, having been around for a longer time.
• 📈 Study.com offers a wider variety of courses, including more advanced and upper-level courses, which is beneficial for completing a degree.
• 🎓 Sophia's courses are mostly general education or lower-level, which may not suffice for advanced degree requirements.
• 🛠️ Sophia's platform is easier to use with a cleaner design and open-book exams, making it less confusing and more user-friendly.
• 👀 Study.com uses a proctoring service for exams, which might make the testing experience less comfortable for some users.
• ✍️ Both platforms require essays for some courses, but Sophia has been increasingly adding essay requirements to more courses.
• 💡 Study.com may allow students to earn credit for similar course content by taking fewer modules due to overlapping material.
• 🚀 For quick and inexpensive credit accumulation, Sophia is often faster due to its open-book policy and fewer delays in grading.
• 💸 Sophia offers a more cost-effective monthly subscription at $99 for unlimited courses, while Study.com's pricing structure may be less favorable for taking multiple courses.

Q & A

What are Sophia and Study.com?

Sophia and Study.com are third-party course providers that offer a wide range of courses for earning college credit at a lower cost and at one's own pace.

How many courses does Sophia offer?

Sophia offers over 50 courses in various fields such as business, computer science, English, humanities, and language.

How many college courses does Study.com offer, and how many are eligible for college credit?

Study.com offers 1124 college courses, out of which 213 are eligible for college credit at different colleges across the country.

What makes Study.com unique compared to Sophia?

Study.com is unique because it has been around for a long time, offers a greater variety of courses, including upper-level courses, which can be crucial for completing a degree.

How does the course content variety in Study.com benefit students?

The variety in Study.com's course content allows students to potentially earn credit for similar modules in different courses, reducing the amount of work needed to complete a degree.

What is the main advantage of Sophia's user interface according to the script?

Sophia's user interface is cleaner and less confusing, making it easier and faster for students to navigate through the courses.

How does Sophia handle exams and quizzes in their courses?

Sophia does not proctor exams or quizzes, allowing open-book tests where students have access to course materials during the tests.

What is the difference in the approach to proctoring exams between Sophia and Study.com?

Study.com uses a sort of halfway proctoring service where they record the student taking the test and may investigate if anything suspicious occurs, unlike Sophia's open-book approach.

How do essays factor into the courses on Sophia and Study.com?

Both Sophia and Study.com require essays for some of their courses, but Sophia seems to be adding more essay requirements over time, while Study.com's courses typically have fewer essays.

What is the main advantage of Study.com in terms of course content for students aiming to earn upper-level credits?

Study.com offers a significant number of 300 and 400 level courses, which are crucial for students aiming to earn upper-level credits and complete their degrees.

How does the cost structure of Sophia and Study.com compare?

Sophia charges $99 a month for unlimited courses, while Study.com charges $235 for access to courses with a limit of two final exams per month at the base price.

What is the potential downside of the human element in grading essays and exams on Sophia and Study.com?

The human element in grading can slow down the process, as there may be delays in receiving feedback on essays or results from proctored exams.

What is the strategic advantage of using both Sophia and Study.com for degree completion?

Using both platforms allows students to quickly earn general education credits with Sophia and access upper-level major-specific courses with Study.com, optimizing the degree completion process.