`E-courses benefit 90% of Indian online students'
New Delhi:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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Four years ago when massively open online courses had burst onto the education scene, there were questions about the evaluation mechanism and the worth of a MOOC certificate. Coursera, one of the largest purveyors of MOOCs, has conducted the first survey of its impact on professional andor academic careers of learners.Surprisingly , Indian learners of the 51,954 surveyed, reported better outcomes than the global average. The study , conducted by Coursera and researchers at the Universities of Pennsylvania and Washington, was carried out on learners who had completed three or more months of atleast one Coursera course. They were divided into two groups according to their primary objective for signing up for a MOOC the “career builders“, those who sought to advance their professional careers and “education seekers“, those who wanted academic help.
“The vast majority of learners who complete open online courses are both for career advancement (72%) and educational advancement (61%). Indian learners have reported a slightly high er career (82%) and educational (76%) benefit than the global average,“ the study says. 90% of career builders saw benefits, where the global average was 87%. Apparently 30% “found a new job“.
Similarly , 91% of Indian education seekers saw a range of benefits where the global average was 88%; 68% “gained knowledge essential to a field of study“, while 33% “saw tangible benefits like receiving credit or fulfilling prerequisites“. But more startlingly , “30% of Indian learners are likely to report improved admissions to academic programs, the highest amongst other nationals.“
“The survey shows the positive impact our courses already had on so many people around the globe and especially in India, where learners disproportionately reported impressive outcomes in their careers and educational paths,“ says Daphne Koller, co-founder and president, Coursera.“As India increases broadband penetration, we hope to further increase the pace of growth in the market and reach out to more Indians,“ Koller said. In the case of both sets of learners, the ones benefitting more were from the lower socio-economic status.
“The vast majority of learners who complete open online courses are both for career advancement (72%) and educational advancement (61%). Indian learners have reported a slightly high er career (82%) and educational (76%) benefit than the global average,“ the study says. 90% of career builders saw benefits, where the global average was 87%. Apparently 30% “found a new job“.
Similarly , 91% of Indian education seekers saw a range of benefits where the global average was 88%; 68% “gained knowledge essential to a field of study“, while 33% “saw tangible benefits like receiving credit or fulfilling prerequisites“. But more startlingly , “30% of Indian learners are likely to report improved admissions to academic programs, the highest amongst other nationals.“
“The survey shows the positive impact our courses already had on so many people around the globe and especially in India, where learners disproportionately reported impressive outcomes in their careers and educational paths,“ says Daphne Koller, co-founder and president, Coursera.“As India increases broadband penetration, we hope to further increase the pace of growth in the market and reach out to more Indians,“ Koller said. In the case of both sets of learners, the ones benefitting more were from the lower socio-economic status.
Source: Times of India, 30-09-2015
