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Companies like Coursera are the reason there is going to be a corpse. I went to university, but I've also taken many online courses from Coursera, Udemy, and ot

Companies like Coursera are the reason there is going to be a corpse. I went to university, but I've also taken many online courses from Coursera, Udemy, and others. Coursera's classes in particular were far better than my classes at that top 25 university.

echelon 6y ago
Maybe. That's awesome that you had a good experience with their platforms. The thesis I've come to believe is that universities will be abandoned by the majority of Gen Z because of the high cost and student debt issue. Also the increased awareness of the low value of a college education and the lack of a guaranteed employment. I think we'll see continued enrollment in fields like computer science, and I think the university and community college setting will continue to be popular. Unless Coursera and other platforms can attach value and employability guarantees to the credentials they offer, they're not a 1:1 replacement for universities. They're more of a form of "continued learning" that many universities offer to adults and seniors. Learning for a small audience that actively seeks it out.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- ghaff 6y ago
  >They're more of a form of "continued learning" that many universities offer to adults and seniors. Learning for a small audience that actively seeks it out. Which is why you heard so much howling when Udacity first "pivoted." Continuing education for mostly early to mid-career professionals, often with grad degrees is one thing. (And, yes, there are stories including in the comments here about Coursera being someone's big break but they're a small minority.) Which is great. But it was a real kick in the teeth to the people who saw MOOCs as this great opportunity for populations underserved by traditional higher ed.
colinmhayes 6y ago
People don't go to uni to learn. They go to network, party, and get the signal that employers require. Coursera doesn't replace any of those.
- dragonwriter 6y ago
  Since Coursera provides major-university graduate degrees including onramp programs that provide alternatives to traditional prereqs, it does provide the signal employers’ require.
- andyjohnson0 6y ago
  > People don't go to uni to learn. They go to network, party, and get the signal that employers require. Coursera doesn't replace any of those. I know this is a popular opinion on HN, but I think it's lazy and cynical and just plain wrong. Plenty of people go to university to learn, either because they felt that need or realised they had it in themselves when they got there. University education has many problems, particularly right now, but it has also made a large contribution to making the world we have today. I think it's worth valuting that.
- f6v 6y ago
  I went to university after a relatively long(~10 years) software development career to study bioinformatics. It’s something you can practice from the comfort of your own home, but you can’t learn it without enrolling in the university program. There’s just not enough resources on the internet. And don’t get me started on other biotech degrees.

echelon 6y ago

Maybe. That's awesome that you had a good experience with their platforms. The thesis I've come to believe is that universities will be abandoned by the majority of Gen Z because of the high cost and student debt issue. Also the increased awareness of the low value of a college education and the lack of a guaranteed employment. I think we'll see continued enrollment in fields like computer science, and I think the university and community college setting will continue to be popular. Unless Coursera and other platforms can attach value and employability guarantees to the credentials they offer, they're not a 1:1 replacement for universities. They're more of a form of "continued learning" that many universities offer to adults and seniors. Learning for a small audience that actively seeks it out.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
ghaff 6y ago
>They're more of a form of "continued learning" that many universities offer to adults and seniors. Learning for a small audience that actively seeks it out. Which is why you heard so much howling when Udacity first "pivoted." Continuing education for mostly early to mid-career professionals, often with grad degrees is one thing. (And, yes, there are stories including in the comments here about Coursera being someone's big break but they're a small minority.) Which is great. But it was a real kick in the teeth to the people who saw MOOCs as this great opportunity for populations underserved by traditional higher ed.

colinmhayes 6y ago

People don't go to uni to learn. They go to network, party, and get the signal that employers require. Coursera doesn't replace any of those.

dragonwriter 6y ago
Since Coursera provides major-university graduate degrees including onramp programs that provide alternatives to traditional prereqs, it does provide the signal employers’ require.
andyjohnson0 6y ago
> People don't go to uni to learn. They go to network, party, and get the signal that employers require. Coursera doesn't replace any of those. I know this is a popular opinion on HN, but I think it's lazy and cynical and just plain wrong. Plenty of people go to university to learn, either because they felt that need or realised they had it in themselves when they got there. University education has many problems, particularly right now, but it has also made a large contribution to making the world we have today. I think it's worth valuting that.
f6v 6y ago
I went to university after a relatively long(~10 years) software development career to study bioinformatics. It’s something you can practice from the comfort of your own home, but you can’t learn it without enrolling in the university program. There’s just not enough resources on the internet. And don’t get me started on other biotech degrees.