Discussion Coursera, edX, Udacity...the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

[LDK]

Yes, I absolutely agree! The new layout is quite frustration to navigate, I think. Hopefully they will make some adjustments for the better along the way...

 

[Claude Almansi]

The main issue with the new "On-Demand" courses is not so much their layout, but the fact that their content is undated. Knowledge evolves, and therefore it is of essence for students (and for their potential employers and universities they might enroll in) to know when a given lecture or written learning resource was made available.

 

[LDK]

Claude, that is an excellent point. Another big issue with the "On-Demand" format is the "dead" discussions forums. Interaction with other students, instructors and TAs is vital to the learning process in my opinion, but you rarely see any real interaction or receive any feedback on your posts in the "On-Demand" courses. It all feels very "canned" - which it is, of course...

 

[Kristof Neirinck]

Hi all, thanks for pointing this out, as I missed it.

What is clear from my first Coursera perusal is that they are definitely focusing on their offering of - not-free - "Specialisation" packages. It is therefore clearer and clearer that those heady days of an abundance of free MOOCs at Coursera might be coming to an end. It is only if the competition (definitely edX, but also Udacity, NovoEd,...) keeps a good baseload of free MOOC courses in the (near) future that Coursera will need to keep free MOOC courses in their curriculum. However, I'm sure that they will start charging for each and every course if the other providers let them (i.e. increase the payment bar together). Though I understand the economic/business rationale for this, they had better first make sure the content is sufficiently worthwhile before they start charging for "Specialisations" (e.g. with different Business MOOCs shortened and depreciated e.g. Intro to Marketing/Operations/Corporate Finance only 4 weeks of mish-mash courses, out of previously 10 weeks).

All the above, strengthens my feeling/beliefs that edX is the better MOOC provider around. The non-profit stamp is weighing very heavily (in a positive sense) in my view. They are doing great stuff, without being shackled to ROE-seeking shareholders, and this is how you should approach the MOOC world IMHO.

 

[Nina]

However, I'm sure that they will start charging for each and every course if the other providers let them (i.e. increase the payment bar together).

Thanks for your insightful comments. I can't help but feel a little cheated. If this is the case, we may as well enrol in a proper online degree course. At least we'd know we were getting our money's worth!

 

[Carolyn]

Hi all,

Let's start a discussion around what's to like and what's not to like about the different MOOC platforms you have used.

Are there platforms that you prefer over others? Are the courses better on a particular platform? Are the discussions more lively on a particular platform? ...

I'd like to invite you to post your thoughts here...

 

[merocrine]

Medicine .. Language

 

[Duke]

edX for me is by far the best MOOC platform. The courses are well engineered with solid content where you actually learn something. I prefer the ethos of edX too - providing top quality education so people can really develop. Coursera is clearly all about the money, with quality coming second in line which is a great shame considering they are the leaders (for now). A lot of their courses are too "bitsy" where you don't actually learn anything in great detail. edX should work on improving their discussion forums, though, as I don't think they're particularly helpful.
I'm afraid I can't comment on Udacity as I haven't done any of their courses, but I'd be very interested if anyone can share their thoughts on this platform.

 

[MDH]

Coursera would definitely be on the top of my list. The choice of courses is incredible ranging from engineering to law, arts, sciences and humanities.
Udacity comes in second place as it has fewer courses and doesn't have any humanities courses, like Coursera.
edX also has a limited number of courses.

 

[Abhinav]

Coursera's range of courses is impressive. The structure of data science courses is good and discussion forums are pretty active. The UI looks a bit dull though. Some of the courses have quality issues in terms of delivery of content by the course instructors.
Have heard about courses on edX from fellow participants being good, though I'm yet to explore them in detail.

 

[LDK]

edX for me is by far the best MOOC platform. The courses are well engineered with solid content where you actually learn something. I prefer the ethos of edX too - providing top quality education so people can really develop. Coursera is clearly all about the money, with quality coming second in line which is a great shame considering they are the leaders (for now). A lot of their courses are too "bitsy" where you don't actually learn anything in great detail. edX should work on improving their discussion forums, though, as I don't think they're particularly helpful.
I'm afraid I can't comment on Udacity as I haven't done any of their courses, but I'd be very interested if anyone can share their thoughts on this platform.

I could not agree more about edX vs. Coursera. I haven't done courses on any other platforms besides those two, but I'm about to start one at FutureLearn and would love to hear your opinions about them.

 

[Bluebeard]

I think all 3 platforms have something good to offer and you should use all three as applicable. Udacity has some very high quality courses with a focus on maintaining engagement throughout the lectures. It depnds what you want to learn and the type of learning that you prefer.

 

[Anggun Dewara]

I have completed MOOCs from Open2Study, Coursera, FutureLearn, StanfordOnline, Udemy, and edX. For me, edX is not perfect, but edX is the best. edX helps students to measure their progress. edX has various assesment methods. edX has good quality learning materials.

 

[Carolyn]

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[Carolyn]

This post was first published on Coursera's Blog Page

Our mission is to provide universal access to the world’s best education. As we work toward long-term sustainability, we are continually iterating on our platform and course formats. We wanted to let you know about one upcoming change that will affect some courses starting in January 2016.

When you enroll in certain courses, you’ll be asked to pay a small fee (or apply for Coursera’s financial aid program) if you’d like to access graded assignments or earn a Course Certificate. You can also choose to explore course videos, discussions, and ungraded assignments for free, but you won’t be able to submit graded assignments or earn a certificate.

In order to provide universal access to our paid offerings, we introduced financial aid as part of our first certificate product. We remain fully committed to our financial aid program. This year, we have already provided over 100,000 learners with access to Course Certificates through financial aid. In the coming months, you’ll notice further improvements to make our financial aid option more visible to learners who aren’t able to afford the graded course experience fee.

We are on a mission to change the world by providing universal access to the world’s best learning experience. To do this, we also need to have a business model to support our platform, our partners, our content, and everything we do for learners.

We welcome your questions and thoughts in the comments section of this post, and we will continue to provide updates on product changes in the coming months. We hope you continue to enjoy all of the fantastic content on Coursera, including the exciting new courses and Specializations that launched this fall, and we wish you success as you pursue your goals.

Thank you for being with us on this journey.

Daphne Koller
President and Co-Founder of Coursera

Continue reading...

 

[Carolyn]

Coursera has announced that all their courses will now be available on Apple TV.

In their announcement, the MOOC platform says they are "committed to helping people change their lives with a great online learning experience, be the end goal to advance one’s career, further educational pursuits or simply enrich one’s life".

Is studying "from the comfort of your own living room" really conducive to a "great online learning experience" and to advancing your career?

Share your reactions by posting below...

 

[Elaine_Mosson_Pendorf]

Conducive if disciplined and committed to studying. Otherwise, too many distractions, methinks. But I don't have Apple TV, so purely speculation on my part!

 

[Giorgos]

I am a more traditional learner and I prefer my own desk to learn new things. A couch or a bed is not a suitable learning environment to me. But I cannot say that I will reject it definitely. I am always open in new learning experiences

 

[MDH]

Coursera seem to be making it increasingly difficult to study their courses without paying for something.
I can't help but feel a bit let down

 

[kajalsengupta]

Coursera must have spent millions to create the courses. Can it sustain without charging money? At least the prices are affordable.