Enrollment, which begins in the three-week MOOC Sampler on 01 April 2014, will be open (free) to international and American students who have plans to earn a US university degree. The courses will provide them with an opportunity to assess their reading and writing skills, as well as their ability to participate in active university-level discussion of academic content.

The most difficult challenge students face in obtaining a US university degree is not the cost or being accepted by an institution; it is surviving the academic requirements of the first year of study. Students in the MOOC Sampler will participate in segments of three social-science courses: Strategies for College Learning and Goal Setting, Introduction to Psychology, and Introduction to Sociology.

The learning objectives built into the full version of each course address the five core outcomes recommended by US employers: "critical thinking, complex problem-solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings."

The learning experience in the ALIGN platform includes rich academic content available in digital textbooks, videos, and access to online library databases--combined with peer interaction in assigned discussion forum exchanges. Students will use self-assessment tools to test their ability to complete assigned reading successfully; their writing skill level may be evaluated for a small fee. A professor hosts a blog, guiding discussion of subject content and its relationship to contemporary global culture.

Each MOOC Sampler course consists of assignments that are typical in a single week of ALIGN's 6-week, university-level online courses offered in a self-paced learning environment. Students who successfully complete assessed assignments in a MOOC Sampler course will be given credit for that work, if they subsequently enroll in the 6-week ALIGN course. The MOOC Sampler is an open-entry, open-exit format.

The Mini-MOOC.com site also provides students optional access to skill-building resources through Upskilling Academics, where personalized help is just a click away.