Coursera Review Writing

What is coursera?

Coursera is an online learning platform that provides thousands of courses to help you explore your interests and advance your career.

Coursera, founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng, is one of dozens of platforms that provide massive open online courses (MOOCs) as well as degrees, professional courses, Coursera specialisations, and MasterTrack courses.

Coursera has expanded to include specialisations, which are distinct collections of courses designed to build skills in specific subjects.

The platform also provides degrees and a comprehensive workforce development product that government and business organisations can use.

Coursera now collaborates with over 200 universities and institutions in 29 countries. The platform collaborates with a variety of corporations in addition to universities such as the University of London, Yonsei University in Korea, Yale University, the University of Illinois, and others.

How Does Coursera Work?

Each Coursera course lasts four to twelve weeks and includes an hour or two of video lectures each week.

Coursera courses, like any other, vary slightly between options – some include quizzes, per-graded assignments, and weekly exercises, while others may include final exams or final projects – or even honors assignments!

Many courses are also available on demand. This means you can take as much time as you want to finish the class without worrying about time constraints.

Coursera offers over 100 different on-demand courses as well as guided projects. Guided projects are two- to three-hour tasks that can be completed at your own pace.

Features and Functionality

You will have access to college-level instruction from professors at accredited institutions through Coursera. Unlike other course platforms, where classes are taught by instructors who have no specific credentials or background in what they are teaching, Coursera gives you access to real classes, the majority of which have been taught at traditional universities.

You’ll be able to take classes at universities like the University of Michigan, Rice University, Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and Princeton University, among others.

There are over 4100 courses to choose from. You can learn something new, gain new skills, or sharpen your critical thinking and analysis abilities.

Coursera is extremely easy to use. When you first click on a course that interests you, you will be able to view course information such as the syllabus and an introduction to the instructor.

You can get a sense of which topics will be covered in the course as well as the anticipated timeline.

After enrolling, you will be directed to the course homepage, where you can view a week-by-week overview of the course. You’ll get an idea of what to expand on each week and how much time you should expect to devote to the class before enrolling.

What Type of Courses are Offered on Coursera?

When it comes to learning on Coursera, there are essentially five different course options.

Individual courses, a specialisation, a guided project, a professional certificate or MasterTrack certificate, or a full degree are all options. Of course, the length, cost, and difficulty of each will differ.

1. Courses– Coursera provides over 1,700 free courses with the option to upgrade by purchasing a certificate. Top instructors from world-class universities and companies teach them.

2. Guided Projects– Learn job-relevant skills in under 2 hours. A short interactive course that is taught by subject-matter experts and a choice of 2000+ to pick from.

3. Specializations– A series of related courses designed for people who want to master a career skill. You could choose to take just one course related to that career skill or a series of courses covering all aspects of that skill.

Some popular specializations you can pursue include:

• Digital Marketing Course– Digital marketing, also known as online marketing, is the promotion of brands through the use of the internet and other forms of digital communication to connect with potential customers. Not only does this include email, social media, and web-based advertising, but it also includes text and multimedia messages as a marketing channel.

• Social Media Marketing Course- The use of social media and social networks to market a company’s products and services is referred to as social media marketing (SMM). Social media marketing allows businesses to engage with existing customers and reach new ones while promoting their desired culture, mission, or tone.

• Project Management Course– Project management is the application of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques in order to provide something of value to people. All projects are a short-term effort to add value through the creation of a one-of-a-kind product, service, or result. Every project has a start and an end date.

And more courses!

4. Professional Certificate– Training programmes that prepare you for a job or a specific industry. An organisation or school may recognise some professional certificates.

5. MasterTrack Certificate- Online Master’s degree programme modules that can be used as credit toward a degree.

6. Degrees- Coursera has partnered with prestigious universities such as Princeton and Yale to offer students affordable Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees.

Coursera provides a variety of subjects divided into 11 topic areas, which include:

• Data Science
• Business
• Computer Science
• Personal Development
• Information Technology
• Language Learning
• Health
• Math and Logic
• Social Sciences
• Physical Science & Engineering
• Art and Humanities

The Advantages (Pros) of Coursera

1. Speed- One of the most significant benefits of taking a course on Coursera is that it will not take you long to complete. 

2. A Wide Range of Courses– Coursera offers thousands of courses to choose from. There are classes in almost every field of interest. Some courses are also available for free enrollment or auditing.

3. Expert-Level Training- Coursera offers courses taught by professionals, so you won’t be getting a sloppy education.

4. Assignments and lectures that are brief but informative- Another fantastic aspect of Coursera is the organisation of the video assignments and lectures. Courses are generally well-organized and engaging.

5. Interactive Platform- You’ll be able to move through course material more quickly and easily, but you’ll also be able to interact with the material and with other students and instructors more.

6. Certificates- Coursera is one of the few online learning platforms that will allow you to earn certificates that will help you advance in your career. 

The Disadvantages (Cons) of Coursera

1. The Application Procedure- For many students, one of the most frustrating aspects of Coursera is the inability to select a course, pay the fee, and enrol immediately. You will need to apply and then be accepted into the programme.

There is a little bit of waiting involved. 

2. Discussion Boards That Aren’t the Best- The unfortunate reality of taking a Coursera class, as with many other online courses and platforms, is that you will have little interaction with your instructors. While you may have better luck with this if you are taking a longer Coursera course that requires you to log in at specific times, your interactions with your teachers will be minimal at best. 

3. Only in certain niches will you find a wider range of course options- Coursera, like most MOOCs, appears to be dominated by certain niches. Technology, business, and personal development appear to reign supreme, with few options in the humanities (like language learning).

4. Coursera Plus Membership Fee is Expensive- If you want to pursue multiple specialisations in different areas, Coursera Plus is included. However, many people believe the price is quite high. While the high subscription rate of $399 per year deters many people, the upside is that it may encourage you to take more classes in order to get your money’s worth out of the programme!

Coursera pricing 

Because it has so many different learning programmes, Coursera has a fairly diverse pricing range. Its Courses and Guided Projects start at $9.99, and its online degrees range from $50,000 to $100,000. Coursera Plus also offers monthly and annual subscription plans in addition to one-time payments.

1. Free Courses- Coursera provides nearly 2000 free courses in a variety of subjects ranging from social science to math and logic. Its user-friendly filter system allows you to narrow down your search by Language, Level, Duration, Subject, Skills, Partner, and Learning Product. Coursera does an excellent job of making its free courses easy to find, and the filter means you’ll find your preferred course in no time. You have the option to Purchase the Course with all of Coursera’s free courses, which means you will receive a certificate when you successfully complete the course.
2. Guided Projects- Its Guided Projects start at $9.99 and are designed to teach you a job skill or industry tool quickly. The Guided Project purchase includes all learning materials, a free download of what you create, a split screen video step by step, and instant access to all required packages.
3. Specializations- Its Specializations are geared toward mastering a specific skill. It costs $39 per month to begin and can take between 1-3 months to complete. All Specializations have a 7-day free trial period that allows you full access.
4. Professional Certificates– Its Professional Certificates are designed to help you get a job and earn a career credential. It costs $39 per month to begin and can take between 1-6 months to complete. A 7-day free trial, similar to Specializations, is available, as is financial aid.
5. MasterTrack Certificates– The MasterTrack Certificates start at $2,000 and can take 4-7 months to complete. Its goal is to obtain a university-issued certificate as well as credit toward a degree.
6. Degrees- Bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Coursera start at $9,000 and take between 2-4 years to complete. Its degrees are from prestigious universities such as Penn and the University of London. 
7. Coursera Plus- Coursera Plus is a subscription plan that provides you with unlimited access to 90% of Coursera’s learning programmes. There are no restrictions on the number of courses you can take or the number of Course Certificates you can obtain. The only things missing are degrees, MasterTrack courses, and some professional certificates.

Coursera Plus has a few subscription options. Either the annual payment of $399 or the monthly payment of $59. Both of these options include a 7-day free trial period. If you intend to take multiple courses, Coursera Plus will undoubtedly save you money and provide you with a certificate for each course you successfully complete. 

Conclusion: Is Coursera Worth It?

Coursera is an effective MOOC option that can assist you in making quick progress toward your goals. Consider taking a class with this one-of-a-kind platform right now. You won’t regret it!

If you want to be able to take multiple classes to help you meet your career or personal goals, Coursera is a good option. If you want to learn about a variety of topics on your own time, a Plus Membership is a good investment.

Coursera is unquestionably legitimate as one of the most prestigious and widely used online educational platforms available.

It’s a legitimate option for people who want to learn new things, with over 5,300 courses to choose from, as well as multiple specialisations and full-length degrees.

Coursera Competitive analysis

1. Udemy

Udemy is an online learning platform that connects instructors and students. It assists students in learning and developing new skills, as well as exploring a variety of hobbies. In the meantime, instructors are given opportunities to share their knowledge with students while also earning money online. Web and mobile development, digital marketing, social media marketing, project management programming, and English language are just a few of the courses available on Udemy. Instructors who want to start creating and sharing paid courses can get help from the platform, as well as learn how to create online courses that students will find useful, allowing them to earn more money.

Features

Main features of Udemy are:

• Teach Hub
• Training Videos
• Earn Extra Income
• External Partnership Promotions
• Retargeting Ads
• Course Catalog
• Ad Hoc Email Campaigns
• Action-Based Email Campaigns
• Coupons and Discounts
• Search and Discovery
• Assignments
• Course Quality Checklist
• Course Marketing

Pricing

Coursera VS Udemy

The first step is to see if your chosen subject is available on Udemy as well as Coursera. Many courses are specialised and only available on one of the platforms.

The next step is to compare the instructors, course outline, and a few preview videos to determine which course is the best.

In general, Udemy is the best option if you want to quickly upskill yourself, while Coursera is the best option if you want to supplement your resume with certificates from top-tier universities.

Also, the quality of coursera is better than udemy and Coursera is clearly more popular than Udacity.

2. Udacity

People can advance their careers at Udacity by learning the latest skills in Cloud Computing, Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Project Management, Artificial Intelligence, and more through a wide range of industry-specific Nanodegree programmes that are recognised by hiring managers worldwide. Mentorship, expert instructors, portfolio and resume reviews, career coaching, time management tools, and other value-added services are available through Udacity.

Features

1. Course Format
2. Open Enrollment
3. Udacity Certificates
4. Interactive Quizzes and Assignments
5. Udacity Plus

Pricing

The Nanodegree Programs at Udacity begin at $399 (€359 or £329) per month. Each Nanodegree Program takes 2-6 months to complete on average, assuming you work the required hours per week. All Nanodegrees provide a couple of options for purchasing their programmes.

Cousera VS Udacity

Coursera has a larger selection of courses to choose from – approximately 3.9K. However, if you want a university degree or a certification outside of the tech field, Coursera is a good option. Also, Coursera is the clear winner when it comes to obtaining an education at a reasonable cost.