Coursera may not be the classroom of the future yet, but it is partnering with big names in tech such as Google and Instagram as well as India’s very own Snapdeal, to develop job-oriented courses. The companies intend to offer their support for the online education portal’s Capstone Projects for Specializations.
Specializations which consist of several courses in select fields, award students an optional Verified Certificate after they’ve completed a capstone task related to their subject of choice. The Indian School of Business is on the list of institutions (including Princeton, Caltech and Stanford) offering such mini-majors through Coursera.
Google, iHeartMedia and SwiftKey were the first to extend support to Coursera Specializations which was launched in January 2014. 500 Startups, Instagram, Shazam and Snapdeal have also joined the party. The last two are working with The Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania over providing learning sessions in Business Foundations.
Instagram is talking with the team at the University of California San Diego about a course in Interaction Design, while 500 Startups and the University of Maryland are keen on building an Entrepreneurship Coursera Specialization. We know you’re thinking that a certificate earned online can hardly be taken seriously by most employers.
If you were to apply at a regular firm, it’d be hard to avoid bumping into the traditional requirement of a college degree. The scene’s a little different for tech brands that boast about having high school renegades in their pool of talented movers and shakers. This is why Google’s or Instagram’s approval is so important to Coursera.
When companies like Google, SwiftKey, Instagram and even Snapdeal appear to see promise in Coursera, it may not be long before many others start seriously considering candidates who’ve earned online specialization certificates too.