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| Edited By: Ranjana Maria |Source: DNA |Updated: Jul 31, 2017, 08:15 AM IST
MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is a course of study material made available online. Other than academic learning, MOOCs offer job-specific skills.
According to a recent report by Google along with KPMG, with the growing smartphones penetration and increasing data speed, the Indian online education sector is likely to grow eight-fold to become $1.96 billion industry by 2021. Based on the growing acceptance by learners as well as employers, we believe that online learning will soon be at par with traditional means of education.
With online learning platforms being leveraged by both educational institutions and governments worldwide, the higher education sector is set for some exciting developments in the years to come.
Founded by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng in 2011, both Stanford University Science professors, Coursera, an online education company, provides access to quality education. It offered its first open online courses through Stanford, which witnessed enrolments of over 100,000 students. In just one online session, Coursera was able to teach more people than its founders could over a lifetime in the classroom, so it went on to launch officially in April 2012.
The platform currently has 26 million registered learners from all over the world taking courses from 150 university partners. India is the second largest market for Coursera, with over 2 million learners.
Interestingly, the majority of our learners are young professionals in their 20s and 30s aiming to gain technical skills. In India, the most active learners fall in the age bracket of 25-45. Globally, we have 150 university partners. Some of our university partners include Yale, Duke, Johns Hopkins, HEC Paris and University of Pennsylvania.
In India, Coursera has partnered with the Indian School of Business (ISB). This partnership offers two specializations: Business Technology Management for professionals in IT industry, and Trading Strategies in Emerging Markets for beginners in the financial market sector.
The most popular courses in India include a mix of technology and soft skills courses. While most of our courses are for free, there are others that require learners pay a minimal fee, in order to proceed to assessments and earn certification. Here are the top 5 courses (based on enrollments over last 6 months)
1. Machine Learning, Stanford University, 11 weeks, Rs 3,795
2. Programme for Everbody (Getting Started with Python, University of Michigan, 7 weeks, Rs 3,152
3. Algorithms, Part I, Princeton University, 6 weeks, NA
4. Introduction to Mathematical Thinking, Stanford University, 10 weeks, Rs 1,865
5. R Programming, John Hopkins University, 4 weeks, Rs 3,152
Coursera certificates are the second most recognized certificate on Linkedin after Microsoft. In India, we have 12 enterprise partners for whom we create curated content for their employees. Axis Bank, Infosys and Tata Communications are some.
Considering the ever-changing technology at play in the current job market, it is important for individuals to continue learning and upskill themselves to ensure that they remain relevant. Also, learning new skills is critical to prevent employment loss due to automation and technology changes. This is where edtech companies like Coursera play a significant role in providing individuals the required flexibility and personalisation to learn skills for the future.
Coursera partners with leading universities. Every course is taught by instructors from the world’s best universities and institutions. This includes recorded video lectures, auto-graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and community discussion forum. For enterprise learning, Coursera designs tailor-made curriculums aligned to industry demand. As a result of its interactive nature, over 60 per cent learners complete their courses on the platform.
The process and eligibility criteria for a degree programme are similar to that of a regular degree programme. However, we also consider applicant’s past working experience in the similar domain which allows student without a traditional education background to gain access.
Online education has become a major force in democratizing access to the best possible higher education the world has to offer. The cost of accessing higher education has been one of the biggest challenges people encounter. By allowing access to high-quality learning content at affordable costs, MOOC-s are transforming lives. Anyone can audit most of Coursera's courses for free. The small cost of assessment and certification involved is a fraction of what a traditional university will charge for the same course.
