Coursera is a massive provider of open online courses (MOOCs) that partners with universities and businesses to offer a variety of self-paced online courses, certificates, and even degrees.
For educators, the courses offered on Coursera provide a great opportunity for continuing education, and the site can be a resource for students. While many courses tend to be at the undergraduate or master’s level, there are also classes geared toward general audiences that may be appropriate as supplementary material on a certain topic for younger advanced students.
I have used Coursera for personal reasons and have recommended it to my college students. Here’s what you need to know about Coursera and how it works.
What is Coursera?
Coursera (opens in a new tab) is a MOOC platform founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. Today, the company is publicly traded and partners with more than 275 universities and companies that host various courses on the platform. Universities that work with Coursera include Imperial College London, Yale University, and the University of Illinois. Additionally, companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta offer courses and certificates through Coursera.
These courses can be taken individually, but many are part of certificate programs, including the MasterTrack® Certificate, which is a university-issued online graduate certificate that can count toward a full master’s degree at the issuing university.
Most Coursera courses feature a series of short 5-10 minute lectures from the course instructor, often along with interactive lectures and quizzes. Courses are created with current educational best practices in mind and are designed to be consumed in small increments.
I personally use Coursera on my phone and place it on the counter while I do the dishes or other morning chores. When I’m in the right frame of mind, it can be a nice alternative to a podcast or audiobook. However, the quality of the courses varies significantly. Certain videos are clearly professionally shot, while others appear to be of the one-shot variety on a webcam. And, of course, there is a wide variation between instructors’ presentation skills.
How much does Coursera cost?
Many of Coursera’s courses are offered for free in audit mode. Although you will have access to most course videos and materials, you may not be able to submit all course-related assignments in audit mode.
To receive a specific course certificate, you may pay a course fee, which varies by course.
subscribe to CourseraPlus for $59 per month and receive access to more than 90 percent of Coursera courses. Degree programs hosted on the Coursera platform are comparable in price to online degree programs hosted elsewhere.
What are some Coursera tips and tricks?
Use Coursera as podcasts or audiobooks
You don’t have to sit and listen to videos. Instead, you can download the Coursera app, put on your headphones, and listen while you walk, clean, or work out. However, because the videos are short and sometimes have quizzes and visual examples interspersed, listening to just the audio isn’t always ideal.
Use Coursera to test interest in continuing education
Many educators think about going back to school but aren’t sure which way to go. Because Coursera offers many different courses attached to various programs, it can be a good testing ground. For example, a few hours of a Norse mythology course taught me that I am interested in that subject more as a layman than any kind of academic. By contrast, a course on medical statistics was more intriguing than I suspected and led me to explore additional Coursera courses on the subject.
Use Coursera to develop specific skills
For educators looking to advance their careers, Coursera offers many courses that can help you hone specific skills. From leadership courses to classroom management to instructional design courses, there are many options to help you hone your approach as an educator.
Encourage certain students to explore the platform
Students love learning through video and technology. Coursera offers high-quality instruction that can help students develop a deeper understanding of certain material outside of class. For example, one of my independent study journalism students wants to focus on marketing this semester. While I have a basic understanding of the field, I am not a marketing expert, so I suggested that the student attend a marketing class and we can discuss what they learn.
