Gradesquare (http://gradesquare.com/) was launched with the idea that folks would want to plan and track their (perhaps diverse or fragmented) online learning experiences.

I tend to think about learning in two different categories:

1) Learning for the sake of the subject itself: the goal is simply to learn - no need to specifically prove competence to a third party.

2) Learning for credential. We need to pay the bills - or want bragging rights. Credentials are required to signal that we have obtained competency in a subject area.

For myself (not-quite-youngish with a BA, MA, other graduate work/certifications) , I sign up for online classes with 1) primarily in view. For my kids (high-school age and younger) 2) is also a concern.

It is likely that Coursera (or Udacity or MitX) will eventually create certifications based upon groups of programs. A third party might well group classes in logical sets across institutions. So I hope you are not too fearful - change may bring about some remarkable new opportunities :).