Compare 157 Coursera Reviews & Experiences (2024)

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I purchased Create Your First Automation Script Using Selenium and Java on January 17, 2024. The training is in a side-by-side environment called Rhyme where the left side is a cloud area and the right side is the instructional video. The instructor is actually good, clear, and to the point. However, the content you use in the cloud area is preloaded. It is a Selenium Driver, a ChromeDriver and Eclipse. I created the first .java app and when I tried to run it, ChromeDriver wouldn't launch because its version and the Chrome Browser version don't match. The ChromeDriver is version 83 from 2019 and the Chrome Browser today is version 120. In addition, after several tries on 2 computers, they turned off the cloud portion and this is not part of the course information.

They responded to my request and issued me a refund. Thank you!

Original Review: Nov. 28, 2023

Courses I explored were largely unhelpful. Forgot that I had apparently given Coursera my credit card info for a "free trial" and later received a $60 charge with no warning and no option for a refund.

I recently tried out Coursera, an online learning platform that promises free enrollment for its courses. However, my experience left me feeling let down and frustrated. When I visited Coursera's website, I was excited about the possibility of learning without any financial commitment. The course descriptions and enrollment pages clearly stated that enrollment was free, giving me the impression that I could access the content without paying. Unfortunately, this turned out to be misleading.

After enrolling in a few courses, I quickly realized that while the initial enrollment was indeed free, accessing the valuable course materials and assessments required payment. Coursera follows a freemium model, where only a limited amount of content is available without paying. To access the full course content, including assignments and quizzes, you need to subscribe or pay a fee.

This discrepancy between the promised "free" enrollment and the actual cost of accessing meaningful course content was disappointing. It left me feeling like I had been misled. While Coursera does offer financial aid options for those who can't afford the fees, it doesn't change the fact that the platform's advertising creates false expectations. Additionally, Coursera's pricing for paid courses is relatively high compared to other online learning platforms. It's disheartening to realize that what initially seemed like an affordable learning opportunity can quickly become a financial burden.

I understand that online learning platforms need to sustain themselves, and providing quality education requires resources. However, it's essential for Coursera to be transparent and upfront about its pricing structure from the start. By clearly stating that access to the full course content requires payment, Coursera would set realistic expectations for learners and avoid frustrating experiences.

I have been an ardent user of Coursera and have genuinely appreciated the platform's offerings until recently. However, a series of experiences have compelled me to reconsider my association with Coursera and share my observations. One of the primary concerns is the peer-review system for assignments. While the idea of peer reviews is commendable in theory, its execution often falls short. There have been instances where the quality of one's work is overshadowed by subjective grading, with some reviewers potentially retaliating for not receiving a perfect score themselves. What's more concerning is Coursera's stance on this issue. Instead of ensuring adherence to the grading rubric, the platform suggests resubmitting assignments repeatedly until a favorable grade is achieved. Such an approach undermines the very essence of a structured learning environment.

Furthermore, the issue of outdated content is a significant drawback. The rapid evolution of technology is understandable, but the platform's responsiveness to these changes is crucial. A case in point is a course section dedicated to Adobe XD, a software that's no longer available. When brought to Coursera's attention, the proposed solution was to use Figma, an entirely different software, without any guidance on its usage. This not only places an undue burden on the learner but also questions the platform's commitment to delivering relevant and updated content.

Lastly, the response from Coursera's support was disheartening. Being informed that Coursera does not manage the content on its website and being redirected to external support channels, including Google, for course-related queries is far from the expected standard of customer service. In conclusion, while I had high hopes for completing my certification through Coursera, these experiences have led me to seek alternatives. The platform's approach, especially concerning its "Honor Code", leaves much to be desired. I hope potential users weigh these considerations before making a decision.

First, Coursera is awesome and their courses have helped me so much! They are all well done, well formatted and easy to follow with a mix of reading and videos. All the most essential info that one needs. However, twice I've encountered tech issues that prevented me from finishing two separate courses. Fortunately, one of them I hadn't paid for and was still on the trial when it happened. The other time, I had already paid, but had attained a certificate from the prior course. Basically, it covered and ran into the next; in other words, I would have had to pay anyway. Still, though, that's TWO times!!!

I continue to use Coursera but mainly for the audit features. Looks like the audit features record whether or not I finish assignments, which is good so if I decide that I want a certificate, hopefully, I've used everything and ensured that I CAN get my certificate without tech problems. Otherwise, I'm always gonna look for courses that I can binge on the 7 day trial, so that if something happens, I don't get stuck paying without getting a certificate. Customer Service is not able to do much. On the first issue, I reached out multiple times and got no response. ZERO.

The second issue, they told me that there was nothing they could do because it's managed by the pathrise people. I get it: a lot of these are from third parties. Still, this second issue goes back more than a year!!! And it is the simple issue of having the wrong link for verification displayed. In the last year, request after request has just piled up to verify badges... It's all right there on the site. You'd think with that many requests, someone might, I don't know, do something??? And yes, most of those requests went ignored. Use it to learn, but be very careful to make sure that you will get your certs. Complete the coursework before enrolling, if possible (not possible for every course I imagine), otherwise be in a spot where you can binge it in seven days.

Your experience is 100% determined by "peers". Every single assignment is graded by the other people taking the course at the time. That means that if they don't understand the assignment, or they are just in a bad mood, they can fail you. The only thing you can do in return is hope enough other people grade your assignment correctly to average out to passing, and if not you have to redo and resubmit the assignment get a fresh start. Even. If. Nothing. Was. Wrong.