Here’s how open online education is empowering learners in India

Coursera, in partnership with researchers at University of Pennsylvania and University of Washington, revealed a survey aimed to understand the motivations and results for people who complete open online courses.

The survey sampled around 52,000 learners out of millions on Coursera and the results revealed that 72% reported career advancement and 61% registered educational advancement.

Interestingly, 82% and 76% Indian learners reported higher career and educational benefits, respectively, than the global average.

These reported outcomes were even greater among learners who cited career or educational advancement as their primary motive to enrol in online courses.

Moreover, learners from lower socioeconomic status (SES), from emerging economies, and those without a bachelor’s degree reported the greatest impact, hinting that open online education empowers people of all backgrounds.

In this, 50% of Indians seeking to advance their careers reported improved candidacy for a new job as compared to 43% globally.

The survey was divided into two groups-career builders and education seekers.

90% of career builders in India saw benefits like improving candidacy for a new position better than global average of 87% and 36% of career builders in India saw
benefits like salary hike, a promotion, a new job or starting a new business.

Talking about education seekers, 35% of learners in India looked forward to further their education, while 68% of Indian education seekers gained knowledge essential to a field of study.

The male-female breakdown was 59/41, the most common age range was 26-35, and 57.6% designated full time employment. The top countries represented were the United States, China, India and Brazil.

Daphne Koller, Co-Founder and President of Coursera, said, “As India increases broadband penetration, we hope to further increase the pace of growth in the market and reach more Indians who can benefit from access to a great education."

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