Coursera
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Coursera Reviews
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This is not a review of the product offered by Coursera (which is inconsistent at best), but rather of the way in which they trap you. They keep charging you even after you cancel your subscription to a course. At least that is my experience. When I contact them they resorted to references to "terms of use" and "refund policy" even after I explain to them that I cancelled the subscription and that on my page it says that I have no current subscriptions.
They refunded me for one month as a one-time exception and then when I refused to accept one month, they refunded for additional months. I thought this nightmare ended, but I see now that they continued to charge me. Their customer service team is polite, but their policy is one that based on chicanery. If you care for your money, stay way from this company.
I have taken courses with Coursera since its inception, and have been very enthusiastic about the Coursera concept. Recently though, in 2019, I took two more courses and was very disappointed, both with the quality of the courses, and with the greedy nature of Coursera's billing practices. Coursera's quality seems to have taken a nose-dive. And the company continues to bill you monthly even after you complete a course. I asked for a refund of fees they charged after my course was over, and they refused. It is so sad that I'm saying this ... stay away from Coursera! It has turned into a low-quality scam.
My experience with Coursera wasn't a very pleasant one. First of all, after the 7-day trial period (in order to obtain which you need to provide your card or PayPal info) they take the money without any warning. So I would recommend anybody who wants to try, to give your PayPal account and then immediately delete the automatic payment option in PayPal (that is formed automatically also, by the way), otherwise on the 7th day without you knowing it, Coursera will charge you. Well, they charged me and I was ok with it, thinking that I will do the 4-month course, but after finishing 3 weeks of the 1st course, it got inactive despite the fact that I still had 2 more weeks to finish the last assignment. And it happened just like that, without any notifications, nada!
I tried to contact the Support Team, but they are uncontactable, when you go to the support page, where allegedly you can write a message to them, the system shows an error message - Ooops, this page no longer exists! So, according to their greedy logic, in order to be enrolled to the course again, I again need to take part one, I again need to pay for the part one and I again need to spend my time doing the same tasks. Wonderful. Coursera is really a stealing genius. This is the course they need to have - "How quickly and painlessly take money from the fools that want to learn something". Must add also that info on their new courses they send out punctually. This you always get opposed to the payment notifications.
Once I bought the course, they keep charging me every month 67$ without let me know. It was a big surprise for me to find out about this, so I have to file a dispute. They are stealing your money, don’t trust them!!
When I joined Coursera (2012), it was a free website where you could attend courses and get a basic certificate FOR FREE. You had the payment option, where the certificate would be official, with ID verification, but you also had the basic certificate you could download and print just to attest you had attended. Any workshop I attend, lectures, everything, in person, free to attend, will provide a printed certificate. But a freaking online allegedly free service won't provide me with something I can print saying I spent some time looking at it (even if I decide to name myself Queen Daenerys in it). If I just want to look at content and have nothing to show for it, I can watch YouTube and skip the waiting periods and evaluations. From what I gather with other reviewers, the paid options are even worse... I loved Coursera and actually recommended it to a lot of people over the years. So sorry, guys.
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I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with Coursera. I have loved the learning I have been able to do and look forward to taking many more classes with them. I have always been interested in Psychology and Coursera has given me the chance to take the classes that really interest me. I don't understand the reviews with low ratings. I have never had any problems with them.
I was fortunate enough to get a good teacher who valued that each person learned different and gave the one on one communication that was necessary. Throughout the 6 weeks of study the teacher made pre-videos to break down information in powerpoints as well as visually trying to draw out what he meant when it came to new vocabulary and understanding. He was great. Not only did we have access to him in an E-mail but also the other students in the classes for somewhat of an online group study. I think all the classes just depend on the teacher because the one I joined has an agenda and all tests were a review of what we’d done. It just included taking many notes for the questions were made to make you think.
I'm delighted to have this course offered on Positive Psychology through Coursera. I found out about it through the Friday Center at UNC. The professor, Barbara Fredrickson, is renowned in this field and she teaches PP at the University of North Carolina, near me. I appreciate the format and set up of the course. The videos are very well done. Barbara has 3 other people with her, all employees of UNC, who take the course and we get to view and hear their interaction. I'm extremely interested in Positive Psychology and you won't find a better professor than Fredrickson. A helpful aspect is that you can save notes, repeat parts of the vids, and you have written text to follow if you like along with the vid.
A big drawback is LACK OF SUPPORT. For being an educational program, this is a huge disadvantage!!! No toll free number. I emailed a question 4 days ago and never got a response. Also, I have no way of contacting other people taking the course right now. Like a chat room situation. For an educational company, I'm really surprised at the lack of support with Coursera. I'm very pleased with Barbara's course here. It's pleasant to watch and learn this way, I just miss having others to interact with.
I have used Coursera for around three years. I have found some very interesting free courses but have never used the paid version so cannot comment on that. It is good for beginners as there are many courses for them but there are some good advanced ones too.
I enjoy my current experience with Coursera. At the moment I am taking two courses, both in the Marketing sector (Digital Mkt by University of Illinois and Neuromarketing by Copenhagen Business School). I find the videos interesting and the assignments as well. I learned many interesting things in these couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to check also the other course materials. Also, great customer service on the chat!
In response to Mr. ** of Riyadh's observation, I dare to say that this is not a movies platform, but an OPTIONAL educational platform. I understand and support the idea that each state has to provide a free educational system for its citizens, but when it comes about OPTIONAL programs supported by a global BUSINESS, you must pay. Because yes, Coursera is a BUSINESS, and it needs to generate profit. It's not the same as your state's government which has an obligation towards you, its citizen, but a COMPANY providing good quality study materials at a cost. You have the option of a 7 days free trial in which you can read exactly the materials you're interested in and take a decision.
When it comes about Netflix, you're spending $8*12 months = $96 to watch a limited number of series, documentaries and movies. Nothing bad, because this is exactly how much this entertainment service should charge. It is an opportunity for leisure at a fair price. BUT IT IS NOT AN INVESTMENT! On the other hand, a $79 membership on any trustworthy educational platform (that would be $948 per year), it is an investment. Investment = the action or process of investing money for profit. You're investing money into a program so you can get the knowledge that would generate profit.
Profit means also that you can build a successful business for yourself or you can become a more skillful employee that generates more revenue for the company, and as a result, earns more money. And trust me, once you start earning more, you'll cover the amount you spent in a matter of months! So yes, knowledge requires sacrifices, and sometimes you need to give up your Netflix membership or the beers at the bar. I hope I helped.
Coursera expert review by ConsumerAffairs
Dedicated to providing an exemplary education, without the price tag of a traditional college, Coursera partners with some leading universities to offer courses completely free. They push student engagement and faster learning as core values.
Peer assessments: Courses are structured to allow assignments to be peer reviewed, giving individuals a better sense of what their works should look like when compared to others in the class.
Unbeatable price: The price tag of free makes these online courses valuable sources for information.
Plenty of options: More than 400 courses are available.
Specialization certifications: By taking multiple courses along a funnel, you can master a skill, turn in a final project and earn a certification.
Worldwide education: Classes are available in a variety of languages and across disciplines.
Best for: Stay-at-home moms and students on a budget.
The ConsumerAffairs Research Team believes everyone deserves to make smart decisions. We aim to provide readers with the most up-to-date information available about today's consumer products and services.
Coursera questions and answers
- What problem is Coursera trying to solve?
- Coursera is a company on a mission to provide universal access to the world’s best education. Coursera partners with more than 100 of the world’s top universities and education institutions to offer online courses in a wide range of the most current disciplines for anyone to take, for free. More than 10 million learners globally have come to Coursera to gain knowledge and skills from the world’s most respected academic experts and earn Verified Certificates to advance their lives, careers, and communities.
- What sets Coursera apart from the competition?
- Coursera combines courses from the world’s top universities with interactive video content, peer-to-peer forums, discussions, assessments, and the opportunity to earn Verified Certificates issued by Coursera and the partner university offering the course. This format allows students to learn from the best instructors without the commitment of a full-time degree program. Another critical component is the social interaction among students taking the courses via our Q&A forums, in smaller study groups that have formed organically around the world, and through organized Meetups. We believe students learn best when they interact actively with the material and with each other.
- What needs does Coursera fulfill, and how do you fulfill those needs better than your competition?
- Coursera aims to expand access to quality education for people everywhere, whether the intent is to enhance their resumes, dive deeper into a subject that’s of interest, or learn something entirely new. On top of world-class content, Coursera’s Verified Certificates offer learners the opportunity to demonstrate their new knowledge to potential employers or academic institutions.
In addition to expanding access to quality education, improving the classroom experience on traditional campuses across the globe is a major goal of Coursera’s. The company is leading new initiatives in “blended learning” to combine online learning with classroom interactions to maximize student outcomes. Blended learning allows students to watch lectures online so valuable classroom time can be spent engaging in discussions with the professor and addressing difficult topics. - How does Coursera measure success?
- Learners enroll in Coursera courses for a range of reasons, so we take their goals into account when measuring success. Some people are curious about Astrobiology, for example, so they watch a video or two. Other learners may use Coursera to learn about a specific topic from top professors, as they would with a documentary. Then, there are learners who enroll in a course with every intention to complete it in order to build a new skill and feature their Verified Certificate on their LinkedIn profile or resume. Every time a learner uses Coursera to work towards and fulfill a goal (whether that goal is trying out an unfamiliar field, building a hard skill, or simply watching course videos for the sake of learning), Coursera counts that as success.
- What’s the most common misconception consumers have about online education? About Coursera?
- Perhaps the biggest misconception surrounding online education is that Coursera is seeking to replace traditional universities and professors with online education. However, at Coursera, we do not expect to be able to replicate the university experience, nor is that our goal. Universities offer a tremendously valuable learning experience on campuses that we recognize cannot be replicated online.
At the same time, we believe online education has the potential to improve on-campus learning by allowing professors more flexibility in their teaching methods. We built Coursera’s platform to support a “blended learning” approach to education, wherein students can view lectures online prior to coming to class, and then use classroom time to pursue more interactive learning exercises and in-depth group discussions.
Moreover, Coursera provides people who may not otherwise have the time or resources to attend a traditional university the opportunity to enhance their skills and learn from some of the best professors in the world. In many cases, an education on Coursera is not replacing a university education, but rather providing an alternative to no higher education. - Has Coursera received any awards or recognition consumers would like to know about?
- In April of 2014, Coursera won two Webby awards in the Education category: the first of which was the People’s Voice Award, selected by a popular vote, and the second, the Webby Award, selected by a panel of 1000 renowned and esteemed judges (including Huffington Post founder and Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington, Tumblr founder David Karp, Internet co-creator Vint Cerf, and musician David Bowie.)
In 2012, TechCrunch honored Coursera awarding the company the Crunchies’ Award for “Best Overall Startup” of the year. The Crunchies is a high-profile award that recognizes and celebrates the most compelling startups, internet and technology innovations of the year. - How has Coursera grown or evolved?
- As the company continues to grow, an increasingly important part of our mission is to provide learners with a new kind of credential for the 21st century through Verified Certificates and Specializations.
Since launching in early 2013, Verified Certificates have become a key tool for learners to build and showcase skills to advance their careers. Of the learners who have earned a Verified Certificate, over 60 percent shared the credentials on their LinkedIn profile. A joint Duke/RTI study found that employers across a range of sectors look favorably upon online courses and accomplishments. Coursera is now one of the most recognized and trusted online destinations for learners looking to acquire and validate knowledge to the world. In fact, Coursera was recognized in fall 2014 by Linkedin as one of the most widely used Certificate Providers on their platform.
In addition, Coursera is increasing its Specializations offerings. A Specialization is a targeted series of courses designed to build high-demand skills and subject matter expertise in fields like data science and business management. Each Specialization offers learners the opportunity to complete a unique final project which connects what they’ve learned to relevant, real-world scenarios.
Coursera Company Information
- Company Name:
- Coursera
- Year Founded:
- 2012
- Address:
- 381 E Evelyn Ave
- City:
- Mountain View
- State/Province:
- CA
- Postal Code:
- 94041
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- www.coursera.org