Today, almost anything can be learned using the internet. Coursera and other platforms alike provide you with all the necessary variables needed to acquire a new skill or knowledge.
In this Coursera review, we’ll cover all you need to know about enrolling in certificate programs with Coursera to achieve your professional objectives and passions.
What is Coursera?
Coursera is an online learning platform with thousands of courses to help you explore your interests and advance your skills.
Coursera is one of the dozens of different platforms that offer massive open online courses (MOOCs), degrees, professional courses, Coursera specializations, and MasterTrack courses.
It was founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Daphne Koller @Daphenekoller and Andrew Ng @Andrewyng.
If you do a fast search, you’ll find that there are alternative options available, such as Udemy, FutureLearn, and others.
The sheer breadth of Coursera’s offerings, though, is what truly sets it apart from the competitors.
Some of the country’s best and most prestigious schools, including Princeton University, Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan, were among the first to offer content on the platform, allowing users to gain access to Ivy League-quality education without ever having to leave home or be accepted to these competitive institutions.
Coursera has developed to offer specialties, which are distinct groupings of courses that build expertise in certain disciplines, since its inception with these first cooperating schools.
The portal also provides degrees and a full range of services.
Coursera now includes more than 200 universities and organizations in 29 countries as partners.
The platform collaborates with many different organizations in addition to colleges such as the University of London, Yonsei University in Korea, Yale University, the University of Illinois, and other highly regarded schools.
As a result, platforms like Coursera were probably created without a business model in mind. Despite this, Coursera has been able to make money off of its platform.
However, it is important to mention that monetization has effectively eliminated the original MOOC concept, which was founded on ideals such as free and open access as well as the creation of online communities.
There are over 2000 courses to choose from. You can learn something new, get new skills, or improve your critical thinking and analyzing abilities.
Coursera Review: Easy to Use
Coursera is a very user-friendly platform. When you initially click on a course that interests you, you’ll be able to see course details like the curriculum and an introduction to the instructor.
You can get a sense of which subjects will be addressed in the course and when it will be completed.
You’ll be taken to the course homepage after enrolling, where you can see a week-by-week summary of classes. This is incredibly beneficial to a learner. You’ll get a sense of what to grow each week and how much to spend.
Coursera SPECIALIZATION
Coursera launched “Specializations” a year after launching the Signature Track. This feature is essentially a collection of distinct courses designed to assist students to gain a deeper understanding of a specific subject; to specialize, if you will.
Students pay a monthly subscription fee ranging from $39 to $89, depending on the specialization, in exchange for access to graded assignments and a certificate.
In 2016, Coursera launched Coursera for Business. Through this feature, Coursera began partnering with businesses that need an online platform to train their employees.
At least 50 businesses offer courses through Coursera and over 2,300 businesses use the service like the way Novartis pharmaceutical company offered all of its 108,000 employees in its global workforce the Coursera learning platform.
Generally, this service costs businesses $400 per employee per year.
Due to its high price and growing customer base, especially among massive organizations, Coursera for Business has quickly become a key piece of Coursera’s monetization strategy.
Next, Coursera allows students to achieve fully accredited degrees while using its platform.
Coursera offers 20-degree programs from major colleges, including MBAs, machine learning degrees, and computer science programs, among others. Coursera reported 13,493 students enrolled in its degree programs in the first quarter of 2021, generating $12.0 million in revenue investopedia.com.
How Much Does Coursera Cost?
Coursera offers thousands of free courses that don’t require a credit card. You’ll receive unrestricted access to an incredible amount of content that you can work through at your speed without paying anything.
You will, however, have to pay a charge if you want a certificate at the end. The pricing system is a little complex, but there are a few options to consider when deciding which path is best for you.
Individual Course
If you simply wish to take one course, purchasing an individual course certificate is the most cost-effective and sensible solution. These range in price from $49 to $99 and require only a single one-time payment.
Professional Certificate
A professional certificate or a specialty certificate can also be purchased for a fee. These are usually available on a monthly subscription basis, with prices ranging between $39 and $89 each month blog.Coursera.org.
A MasterTrack credential is another option. The costs will begin to rise at this point. A MasterTrack certificate costs roughly $2000, however, a full degree can cost up to $15,000 or more.
While the latter fee may appear high, keep in mind that pursuing a degree traditionally will need you to pay it at least once per semester.
If you know you want to take numerous courses on Coursera but don’t think a certificate or degree is right for you, a Coursera Plus membership may be right for you.
If you wish to extend your views and take classes in a range of subjects, this membership is a smart choice.
You can obtain certifications by enrolling in courses offered by a variety of institutions, businesses, and organizations.
Coursera Plus
Coursera plus is a new service for 2020 that will provide you access to over Even though the cost of an annual subscription fee (usually roughly $399). It comes with unlimited access to 3000+ courses coupled with hands-on projects and job-ready certificate programs Coursera.org.
Is Coursera accredited?
The majority of Coursera courses are recognized and accredited by prestigious international institutions. There are a variety of classes here that are taught in collaboration with some of the world’s top universities, and most businesses recognize them because you can frequently acquire a certificate of completion.
Consider enrolling in a degree or MasterClass on Coursera if you want to obtain credentials that can be transferred to other colleges.
These are more expensive – some can cost thousands of dollars – but you will receive credentials that you can use at other universities once you complete them.
Are Coursera Certificates Worth it?
Coursera is one of the few online learning systems that allow you to obtain certificates that will help you advance in your job.
Although many platforms include a certificate feature, most of the time these certifications are meaningless and will not contribute to any growth in the sector.
However, a Coursera degree can help you open new opportunities.
It may be accepted for credit at a college, especially if you are enrolled in a MasterTrack or degree program. As more universities join the platform, the popularity of these classes continues to rise.
There are times, however, when holding a confirmed credential can help you advance in your work. When it comes to marketable work skills, the introduction of specialization programs employing MOOCs has a lot of promise.
These programs, such as Coursera’s Specializations, are made up of a series of MOOCs that are aimed to give you proficiency in a specific topic area.
Coursera Review: Pros and Cons
Pros
Short duration for courses
One of the main benefits of attending a Coursera class is that it won’t take you very long.
Although the student experience isn’t quite the same as it would be if you were taking classes on campus, you may progress considerably more swiftly and earn a full degree far sooner than you could if you traditionally took classes.
Wide range of available courses
On Coursera, you can choose from thousands of courses. Although some specialties naturally dominate the platform, there are classes in almost every area of interest (like business and technology). Some courses are also free to enroll in.
Properly organized courses
Another outstanding feature of Coursera is the organization of the video assignments and lectures. The majority of the courses are well-organized and interesting.
The teachers are experts in their fields and the science video lectures are short (most are under half an hour), you’ll be able to skim through the lecture to absorb the main specialties then go back to your busy day.
Flexibility
Classes are normally divided into weeks, but the wonderful thing about this is that it’s usually simply a recommendation, not something that’s fixed in stone. You have complete control over how quickly you progress through the course.
Depending on your needs and availability, you could finish a five-week course in five weeks, five days, or seven weeks!
However, if it is more convenient for you and your schedule, you can take longer to get your degree. Furthermore, you will not be required to leave your hometown or leave your job to obtain a degree or complete a single course. Coursera’s adaptability should not be ignored.
Students can learn even when they are not connected to the internet by downloading resources through the Coursera app.
Credible experts as Instructors
When you sign up for a Coursera program, you can attend lectures from professors from prominent universities and business executives whenever it is convenient for you.
Availability of learning tools
You’ll also have access to a variety of additional tools as a learner, such as communications, resources, discussion forums, note-taking software, and more.
You can take notes while watching video lectures, and you can even watch video lectures with closed-captioned to help you comprehend them better.
Cons
Minimal interaction with instructors
Think again if you anticipate finishing an assignment and receive pages and pages of feedback from your instructor. This will not be the case with Coursera.
You will frequently write papers and receive feedback, not to the extent that you would in a regular course. Assignments are sometimes even self-graded.
Many e-learning includes discussion boards where students and instructors can talk about the course and relevant subjects.
Even though most Coursera courses include this function, the vast majority of Coursera course reviews indicate that it falls short.
This is particularly true in larger classrooms that can be enrolled at any moment.
You will have limited engagement with your instructors if you take a course on Coursera, as with many other online courses and platforms. While you might have greater results if you’re taking a longer Coursera course that requires you to log in at specific times, most of the time, your interactions with your lecturers will be limited. You will not always receive feedback.
While you can pay to upgrade to graded assignment features, you won’t always be able to acquire them.
It’s not a thorough system, and you won’t always get the feedback you want on your tasks.
Dominated by certain fields
Coursera, like most e-learning systems, appears to be dominated by particular specializations. Technology, business, and personal development appear to be the most popular topics, whereas the humanities (such as language acquisition) are underrepresented.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism has been reported in Coursera’s courses dozens of times. Many students complain about other pupils plagiarizing their work.
When a student begins peer evaluating, they may be surprised to see their work staring back at them.
Plagiarism is a serious academic crime that must be avoided at all costs.
It is combated on college campuses with the harshest of discipline, but now in the digital era, it has gotten smarter and more prevalent.
Unfortunately, some students who plagiarize do so inadvertently, saying that taking information from a whole Wikipedia entry was something they didn’t think was illegal.
Coursera is combating plagiarism via plagiarism detection software and student reports, but its progress, and eventual success are still in doubt.
Overpopulated courses
One area where Coursera may improve is the enormous enrolment numbers in each course.
Although some professors have assistants to help with the teaching and grading workload, reviewing and evaluating each paper in a given course would take a small army of helpers, especially if they are given assignments every week.
Inefficient grading system
Coursera has eliminated automated grading tools in favor of a peer grading approach in which students submit their work to be graded by other students enrolled in the same course.
Anonymity and peer personalities are the issues that arise here.
All grading is done anonymously to safeguard student privacy.
As a result, grading comments are often exaggerated, underwritten, petty, and even sadistic.
Since there is no way to hold people who provide poor peer grading responsible, coursework feedback suffers substantially.
Conclusion
Coursera is an excellent resource for acquiring new skills and perhaps starting a new career. It covers a wide range of specialization at lower costs when compared with MasterClass.
Coursera partners with top universities and relevant organizations to provide a quality learning experience. It has flexible payment plans, from completely free to paid subscription which can be serviced either on a monthly or annual basis.
Coursera also issues certificates on completion of your chosen course programs, which is an advantage on your resume when accessed by recruiters.
FAQs
Is it hard to get Coursera financial aid?
If a student cannot pay tuition, he or she may be eligible for financial aid or a scholarship. Financial aid applicants must fill out an application that details their educational background, financial situation, and professional goals.
Is Coursera good for my resume?
Yes. Coursera offers an affordable and simple option to boost your profession by earning a certificate, specialty, or degree.
It is an effective way to master job-ready skills and earn valuable credentials that will make you stand apart, unique, and better suited for a job when your resume is accessed by prospective employers.
How trustworthy is Coursera?
Coursera has demonstrated that it provides real education and career training since 2012. Coursera has a lot of prominent companies and colleges as partners, which speaks to its credibility.
