Lore, a New York start up recently acquired by Noodle, has developed a platform somewhat like Facebook where teachers can share coursework and grades, and where pupils can converse with their teacher and each other.
"The time-centered system says if you take the coursework, get passing grades and meet our academic standards, you get the degree," he said.
A growing number of colleges and universities have concluded that applicants' grades, coursework, leadership and community service provide a richer and fairer way to forecast college success.
Don Haddad, the superintendent of the valedictorian-laden St. Vrain Valley district, where all 94 honored seniors earned a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 4.0, said his schools had simply produced stronger students with more rigorous coursework in early grades.
When addressing a broad base of students, recruited in part for their diversity, it is easier to speak in generalisations; easier to lecture and to grade coursework.
Gove's new reforms will see less emphasis on coursework, a different grading system doing away with the old A*-G and replacing it with numbers and exams that will be: "more challenging, more ambitious and more rigorous".
She dropped out of school to finish her 12th grade coursework at home, and attended college only briefly.
Where American students are hammered constantly with tests, graded coursework in countries like England and Spain consists mainly of final exams at the end of the semester.
There is a clause that says all information provided to the N.C.A.A., "including completion of coursework and high school grades," is valid and accurate.
It adds that the removal of the marks for coursework from the final grades "would be a significant step backwards and could undermine employers' confidence in the qualification".
