With 9.8 mn online learners, India ranks second in global list: Coursera

With 9.8 million online learners, India ranks second on online learning platform Coursera's inaugural 2020 impact report.

The United States ranks on top with 14 million learners. Those which lag behind India include Mexico with 3.8 million students, China with 3.5 million and Brazil with 3 million.

Coursera said the new normal after outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the education and online learning sector. Since mid-March, over 21 million learners joined Coursera, a 353 per cent increase from the same period last year.

"Similarly, we have seen more than 50 million course enrollments, a 444 per cent increase. Thousands of colleges and universities now offer Coursera to enrich their students' learning experience."

The Coursera report elaborates on key trends identified between September 15, 2019 through September 15, 2020.

"Students globally are demanding high-quality online learning options. Universities are ushering in a new era of digital transformation," said Chief Executive Officer Jeff Maggioncalda.

"Workers are learning job-relevant skills to stay competitive. Public health officials are training thousands of contact tracers at scale," he added.

In a rapidly changing economic landscape, the report said, learners need new and accessible ways to develop future-ready skills. While Covid-19 disrupted education systems and jobs worldwide, the transition to online learning ensured people could learn skills to adapt and rebuild their careers.

The report said institutions are acting boldly to support their learners and workers through an unprecedented unemployment crisis. Students need job-ready learning, employees need effective skills for remote working, and displaced workers need to regain employment.

"This crisis has made clear that we need institutions to enable access to education at every stage of civic life," it said.

Coursera has 70 million learners, including 9.8 million in India, and more than 4,000 courses from the world's top universities and industry educators.