Each open course offered by the Saylor Academy has been designed by a trained instructional designer and a subject matter expert. On the surface, these courses resemble syllabi. They contain learning outcomes, time advisories and break the course down into individual units. Within these units, students will find educational materials such as readings, videos, activities and assessments.
Additionally, students have access to an e-portfolio account and student discussion boards once they register at Saylor.org. The first of these tools will help students track their progress throughout this program, and the second will give them access to the Saylor learning community, where they can find additional support.
Saylor courses are different from Thomas Edison State University courses in two important ways. First, these courses are entirely self-directed, self-paced and have no mentor support. Students are free to take as little or as long as they want to work through a particular unit or course. Second, the assessment structure is different. Thomas Edison State University courses generally have discussion board posts, assignments and assessments all throughout the course. While some Saylor courses also have assessments throughout, these assessments do not count towards a student's grade. The final assessment (TECEP®, Portfolio, CLEP®, etc.) is how a student is able to earn credit that can be applied to their degree program at Thomas Edison State University.