Latest news with #Coursera
Time Business News
3 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Top 10 Must-Try Online Learning Platforms for 2025
As technology continues to evolve, so does the landscape of education. Online learning in 2025 has become more interactive, personalized, and affordable than ever, empowering individuals and businesses to expand their knowledge anytime, anywhere. Whether you're onboarding new employees, reskilling your workforce, or learning for personal growth, digital education platforms are the go-to resource for structured, flexible learning. Behind every impactful eLearning program is a team of talented professionals—from instructional designers to LMS specialists. That's where we come in: we connect organizations with the right talent to build and manage exceptional online education ecosystems. Whether you're hiring or job hunting in the digital learning sector, we're here to guide your next move. Before diving into your recruitment journey, take a tour of the best online learning platforms redefining digital education in 2025. These platforms offer everything from academic degrees to niche technical skills—and some even do it for free. The ideal eLearning platform does more than deliver content—it creates an immersive learning experience. Here's what the most effective platforms offer: A clean, intuitive interface accessible to all users. Quality content developed by experts—not AI-generated fluff. Modern learning features like gamification, AR/VR, and adaptive testing. Customization tools for branding, lesson design, and learner pathways. A Learning Management System (LMS) is the administrative backbone of digital training—tracking user progress, hosting content, and handling logistics. In contrast, an eLearning platform is the front-facing experience that learners interact with. Think of the LMS as the control room and the platform as the stage. Udemy stands out in the eLearning world for its massive library of over 27,000 online courses and more than 77 million global learners. Covering every imaginable topic—from software engineering to personal finance—Udemy is ideal for self-starters who want flexibility, affordability, and variety. Its strength lies in its marketplace model: expert instructors create high-quality courses, complete with quizzes, video walkthroughs, real-world projects, and lifetime access. You can preview any course before purchasing, helping you find exactly what fits your learning style. 👉 Cost: £15–£23/month for subscription; individual courses also available for one-time fees. 👉 Pros: Unbeatable variety, hands-on learning, preview-before-you-pay feature, great for both individuals and businesses. 👉 Cons: Quality varies depending on the instructor. Coursera is a global hub for learners seeking world-class education without stepping into a classroom. Partnered with elite institutions like Stanford and Google, Coursera offers everything from micro-credentials to full-on master's degrees. With more than 350 partnerships and flexible learning formats, Coursera is perfect for professionals looking to boost their resumes with reputable certifications. 👉 Cost: Varies—free courses available; certifications start around £40; full degrees exceed £8,000. 👉 Pros: Globally recognized credentials. 👉 Cons: Pricing can be hard to navigate. Launched by MIT and Harvard, edX brings Ivy League-level education to your fingertips. With thousands of self-paced and instructor-led courses, it's a go-to for career switchers and lifelong learners. The platform currently hosts 4,000+ courses from over 260 institutions and is great for building job-specific skill sets. 👉 Cost: Free audits; £40+ for verified certificates; £8,000+ for degrees. 👉 Pros: Wide course variety and respected certifications. 👉 Cons: Less personal interaction with instructors. Exercism is a community-driven platform created for coders, by coders. With 7,000+ exercises across 75 programming languages, and access to free mentorship, it's ideal for anyone learning to code. The open-source ethos and vibrant Discord community make Exercism a standout for those who thrive in collaborative environments. 👉 Cost: 100% free. 👉 Pros: Free, high-quality coding practice with human mentors. 👉 Cons: Limited depth for advanced learners. Backed by over 200 institutions including NHS and Cambridge University, FutureLearn specializes in career-aligned learning, offering everything from healthcare training to degrees. Its flexible pricing and accessible design make it a practical choice for upskilling professionals or career shifters. 👉 Cost: Free courses; premium subscriptions from £20.83/month. 👉 Pros: Career-focused offerings. 👉 Cons: Limited customer support. Khan Academy remains one of the most equitable educational platforms, offering entirely free courses focused on school-level subjects. Tailored especially for younger learners, it includes personalized dashboards and gamified experiences. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or student, Khan Academy is a reliable resource for academic support and test prep. 👉 Cost: Free. 👉 Pros: Accessible and effective for school-aged learners. 👉 Cons: U.S.-centric curriculum may not suit all regions. Perfectly integrated with your professional profile, LinkedIn Learning combines eLearning with career advancement. You'll find courses in leadership, design, tech, and more—ideal for individual learners or corporate training. Its best feature? You can showcase completed courses on your LinkedIn profile instantly. 👉 Cost: Free trial available; subscriptions from £30/month. 👉 Pros: Courses align with job market needs. 👉 Cons: Some content may feel outdated. Looking for inspiration? MasterClass brings celebrity-led lessons to life with Hollywood-level production. From cooking with Gordon Ramsay to business strategy with Bob Iger, it's all about learning from the best. While it's less about formal qualifications, MasterClass excels at making knowledge engaging and visually rich. 👉 Cost: Annual subscriptions range from £120–£228. 👉 Pros: Star-studded, high-quality video content. 👉 Cons: No certificates or tests. Skillshare caters to creatives, offering courses in design, photography, writing, and beyond. With 25,000+ lessons and an engaged creative community, it's ideal for learners who prefer shorter, project-based content. You can also join group workshops and interactive challenges to stay motivated. 👉 Cost: Free trial, then £11/month or £75/year. 👉 Pros: Strong creative focus, reasonable price. 👉 Cons: Course quality varies. A coding school with a mission, Treehouse offers structured learning paths and even a Techdegree program. Students gain access to quizzes, exercises, and community spaces like Discord for peer support. If you're serious about landing a tech job, Treehouse provides the structure and support needed to succeed. 👉 Cost: £20–£170/month depending on plan; £230 for enterprise. 👉 Pros: Structured paths and thriving coding community. 👉 Cons: Less appealing for non-tech learners. Final Thoughts Online education in 2025 is more dynamic and learner-centered than ever. From free coding tutorials to professional degrees, these platforms make lifelong learning achievable for anyone. And if you're looking for the most customizable, user-friendly, and learner-first option, Udemy is a must-try platform that truly delivers on value and variety . Need help building or managing your learning team? Contact us today to connect with top-tier eLearning talent and elevate your digital education game. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
This startup wants to become the Duolingo to learn coding
'Our way of learning is somewhat inefficient. It takes a lot of practice to get good, and it is really hard to stay motivated—especially when building projects without much guidance.' Paul Kuruvilla, Chief Technology Officer at Codecrafters, describes what inspired him to create a learning platform that helps software engineers become better developers even as the world is rapidly moving toward automation. At the moment, developers have to set the entire curriculum for themselves, do all the practice, and manage everything on their own. 'A lot of that could have been easier if there were a platform that provided a clear roadmap and helped you track your progress.' Started by Kuruvilla and Sarup Banskota in 2022, Codecrafters doesn't follow the traditional route of teaching coding through videos or live sessions. Instead, the platform's philosophy is to have developers take on challenging projects and master a programming language, with the goal of deepening their knowledge and gaining hands-on experience early in their careers. 'We want to create the Duolingo equivalent for software engineering—an app that offers a unified experience, keeps you motivated, and connects you with a community of learners so you can see how you stack up against others.' So the idea is to make learning more efficient by applying the same principles Duolingo uses: the best way to learn is by doing. 'Unlike platforms like Coursera, where you might watch a two-hour video and then do a short project, our approach starts with building projects right from the beginning,' Kuruvilla tells over a video call from Cupertino, California. 'As soon as you start, you are working within the context of a project. All your learning, supplemental resources, and progress happen through completing meaningful tasks. We choose fairly large, real-world projects to anchor the experience.' Kuruvilla, who is from Kerala and an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology in Ropar, spent a few years in India and worked as an Engineering Manager at Sequoia-backed Shuttl in Gurugram. Meanwhile, Banskota, who is from Assam, previously served as Head of Growth & Marketing at Vercel, a $3.25 billion devtools startup. The duo first met at an IIT prep school in Chennai, and years later went on to co-found Codecrafters. Both are self-taught coders, with Kuruvilla transitioning from mechanical engineering to computer science. A computer scientist is someone who studies how computers can be used to solve a wide range of problems, often drawing on applied mathematics. But learning to program is hard, and it's difficult to know where to start. Even more challenging to figure out what to do after you have learned the basics. As programming languages continue to evolve, what someone learned in school may already be outdated — especially for those aspiring to build a career in tech. This has led many developers, particularly those without computer science degrees, to take the path of self-teaching and learn coding on their own. In fact, the trend of self-taught programmers has been on the rise in recent years. As more of this talent enters the job market, companies have adapted their recruiting strategies. This shift has also contributed to the rise of online platforms that help developers — even those still early in their careers, such as engineering students — learn coding effectively. That's where Codecrafters comes into the picture. 'I would say the [platform] is more aligned with software engineering. There's a bit more to it than just programming — software engineering also involves things like breaking down a large task into smaller, parts, ensuring proper testing, and building high-quality software.' The basic idea behind Codecrafters is to offer 'Build Your Own X' projects — such as a BitTorrent client, Git, Redis, Docker, a shell, a text editor, and more. A developer can take courses on Codecrafters lasting from three weeks to several months. The platform offers 10 courses spread across 250 exercises. 'So from a beginner's perspective, if you don't want to program at all, this is probably not a good fit. There are many other platforms that do that better — things like FreeCodeCamp come to mind. It's not great for beginners because it throws you into the deep end right away. But if you are somewhere in the middle — someone who knows how to program, has built some projects on your own, but still has that nagging feeling that you would get lost if things got more complex — then the only way to improve is through practice, practice, and more practice. That's where we help,' Kuruvilla explains. Learning to code has been a dream for millions of people — and it still is, especially in India. However, when layoffs hit and, for the first time, the world's top tech companies laid off thousands of people a few years back, mostly software engineers, it came as a shock to many that even highly paid developers aren't always secure. But today, the landscape looks very different. Programming jobs are plummeting, tech layoffs are at their peak, and even if you are not a programmer but are creating your own software with help from artificial intelligence, coding boot camps — which once looked like the golden ticket to an economically secure future— no longer guarantee the same. Kuruvilla doesn't agree that we are heading toward a future where coders will become extinct and AI will take over programming jobs. 'AI is not complete automation; it is partial automation,' he says. 'Maybe some parts of your job will become much easier and quicker to do, and you will just end up doing more. At the level these tools are at now, and where I think they will be in the short term, it's always going to be a human-in-the-loop kind of thing.' 'We continuously test them against our courses, and we know that they don't get very far. AI may perform well in the early stages, but as soon as the complexity reaches a certain level, it starts to get stuck,' he continues. 'We build things that are inherently difficult—often the kinds of things AI doesn't handle well yet, like databases, operating systems, and similar complex systems. We break these projects down into bite-sized chunks, so each stage is approachable. If you spend maybe half an hour to an hour on a task, that time adds up, and over time, you are building theoretically complex software. I would say it's all about learning by doing—and that's our core focus,' he said. While more tech companies such as Meta and Microsoft are encouraging developers to use AI to write code, Kuruvilla believes highly valued programmers are still at the forefront of the technology's potential. He said it's an exaggeration to claim that tech companies won't need software developers in the future — they still need developers to build AI agents, for example. Despite dire warnings that AI could soon automate millions of jobs — with software developers often singled out as prime targets — millions of young Indians still aspire to become software engineers. 'I think the allure of being a software engineer remains much the same as it was five years ago — AI or not. Computer science is still in demand because it's one of the highest-paying jobs. I also think it's a more flexible kind of job — it's something you can just do on your laptop.' 'It's one of the few fields where the barrier to practice is almost zero. It's not like being a doctor, where you have to study books and then gain hands-on experience. In software engineering, there's no real cost to failure while practicing. So I think it's one of the fields where we can take the actual work you will be doing on the job and simulate it through a platform.' Codecrafters, Kuruvilla says, is a good fit for those who are early in their career — maybe a year or two into a job — but it's definitely not aimed at those who are just starting college and have no idea what coding is. It's also not suitable for people who have been in the field for a decade. Of the 300,000 user base, Kuruvilla says India is the largest country in terms of sign-ups though a majority of paying users continue to come from the US and Europe. The platform offers its courses through memberships, which can be purchased for three months, 12 months, or a lifetime. In terms of expansion, Kuruvilla is considering targeting students who are closer to their final year, especially in India. 'The reason we haven't done this yet is because ours is a paid product, and based on our pricing, it's not a great fit for students at the moment. But I think what we will do is launch a free program specifically for students,' he said. Programming is still a worthwhile skill to learn, even though it may not be as important as before. Python, JavaScript, and Java remain widely used. Some might have declared coding obsolete due to the rise of low-code platforms, AI, or no-code solutions that let anyone build software without writing a single line of code. But the statement that coding is dead may not be true. 'When we hire, we don't require people to know specific languages. We say if you know the language we use, that's a plus. But we care more about how versatile you are as an engineer. We believe that engineering skills are transferable across frameworks and domains. So if you have created iOS apps and have done a breadth of engineering work — building different kinds of software — I don't think it's too hard for you to pick up the Google stack. It shouldn't be too difficult,' Kuruvilla says when asked about how important upskilling is for software engineers. There is still no real replacement for a human coder. Even if automation is the future, as many claim, someone still has to write the underlying code that powers these platforms. AI and no-code can be great for simple applications, but when companies need custom logic, integrations, scalability, and performance tuning, they will need real coders. 'One thing we always tell people who come to our platform is that you should optimise for both breadth and depth. You need to build different kinds of software. For example, you might try making a game, a task management app, a database, or a phone app — that covers breadth. Once you pick one thing, take it as far as you can. For instance, if you are building a spreadsheet app, don't stop at just having a basic grid and entering values. Add formulas, automations, and try to make it more and more complex. That's where most people struggle — they don't have the skills to go deep, and that's where we help.' 'If you have got both breadth and depth covered, I think you are pretty future-proof. Anything new that comes along will likely be similar to something you've already seen, so it's not too hard to pick up. On the other hand, if you don't do either — if you only learn one thing without exposing yourself to others, and you don't try to build complex software but stick to simple projects — then, yes, you will struggle when you are forced to adapt,' he said. The Y Combinator-backed startup raised a $1.8 million seed round last year from prominent tech figures, including Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger, Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi, former Vercel COO Kevin Van Gundy, Supabase CEO Paul Copplestone, solo VC Alana Goyal of Basecase Capital, and PlanetScale co-founder Jitendra Vaidya. Kuruvilla and his team work in a fully remote setup, with Kuruvilla based in Cupertino, California, and Banskota living in San Francisco. The entire team at Codecrafters is spread across the world, with members in Estonia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, and India. Anuj Bhatia is a personal technology writer at who has been covering smartphones, personal computers, gaming, apps, and lifestyle tech actively since 2011. He specialises in writing longer-form feature articles and explainers on trending tech topics. His unique interests encompass delving into vintage tech, retro gaming and composing in-depth narratives on the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture. He covers major international tech conferences and product launches from the world's biggest and most valuable tech brands including Apple, Google and others. At the same time, he also extensively covers indie, home-grown tech startups. Prior to joining The Indian Express in late 2016, he served as a senior tech writer at My Mobile magazine and previously held roles as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. Anuj holds a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University. You can find Anuj on Linkedin. Email: ... Read More
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Act fast! Coursera is taking 50% off its annual plan
Coursera is an online course provider that works with universities and other organizations to offer courses on everything from learning a new language to learning how to code. Now that 4th of July sales are live, Coursera is offering an epic discount on its membership plan. For a limited time, Coursera is offering its annual plan for just $199/year. That's 50% off and one of the best prices we've seen from Coursera. Coursera teams up with universities and companies to offer a vast array of online courses on everything from graphic design to learning a new language. For a limited time, Coursera is offering its yearly plan for just $199/year. That's 50% off and the lowest price we've seen. Coursera was founded in 2012 by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng. It was built to provide online learning experiences to learners around the world. The company has since grown into a global platform for online learning and career development that offers anyone, anywhere, access to online courses and degrees from top universities and companies. Coursera Plus gives you unlimited access to 7,000+ courses for one all-inclusive price of $399/year. Right now that price has been slashed down to $199/year. This deal is valid through June 30 only.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Coursera
Coursera CEO Greg Hart Credit - Courtesy Coursera In the race to master generative AI, Coursera has emerged as the go-to platform for white-collar upskilling. With 20 million new learners in 2024 and content now available in 24 additional languages, the online education giant is aiming to democratize access to tech's most sought-after skills. Most telling: generative AI course enrollments surged from one per minute in 2023 to six per minute in 2024, totaling 3 million new skills-first hiring, which prioritizes someone's competence over things like having a particular degree, gains momentum—over half of U.S. job listings now omit formal education requirements, according to a 2024 report by the research arm of job platform Indeed—Coursera's 25 new entry-level Professional Certificates are meeting the demand for alternative credentials. Under the leadership of CEO Greg Hart, who took over in February, the company is continuing to expand its partnerships with industry leaders like Google, Microsoft, and Oxford's Said Business School, positioning Coursera at the intersection of AI innovation and workforce transformation. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Consumer Subscription Stocks Q1 In Review: Coursera (NYSE:COUR) Vs Peers
The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let's take a look at how consumer subscription stocks fared in Q1, starting with Coursera (NYSE:COUR). Consumers today expect goods and services to be hyper-personalized and on demand. Whether it be what music they listen to, what movie they watch, or even finding a date, online consumer businesses are expected to delight their customers with simple user interfaces that magically fulfill demand. Subscription models have further increased usage and stickiness of many online consumer services. The 8 consumer subscription stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts' consensus estimates by 1.9% while next quarter's revenue guidance was in line. Luckily, consumer subscription stocks have performed well with share prices up 24.5% on average since the latest earnings results. Founded by two Stanford University computer science professors, Coursera (NYSE:COUR) is an online learning platform that offers courses, specializations, and degrees from top universities and organizations around the world. Coursera reported revenues of $179.3 million, up 6.1% year on year. This print exceeded analysts' expectations by 2.3%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with EBITDA guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts' expectations. 'Stepping into the role of CEO of Coursera, a company at the forefront of transforming learning, has been thrilling. We welcomed more than seven million new learners, marking a first quarter record and underscoring the global demand for job-relevant skills and trusted education,' said Coursera CEO Greg Hart. The stock is up 8.9% since reporting and currently trades at $8.36. Is now the time to buy Coursera? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Founded by a Carnegie Mellon computer science professor and his Ph.D. student, Duolingo (NASDAQ:DUOL) is a mobile app helping people learn new languages. Duolingo reported revenues of $230.7 million, up 37.7% year on year, outperforming analysts' expectations by 3.4%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates and full-year EBITDA guidance exceeding analysts' expectations. Duolingo achieved the fastest revenue growth and highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The company reported 130.2 million users, up 33.4% year on year. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 17.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $471.57. Is now the time to buy Duolingo? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Spun out from Netflix, Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) makes hardware players that offer access to various online streaming TV services. Roku reported revenues of $1.02 billion, up 15.8% year on year, exceeding analysts' expectations by 1.5%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a slight miss of analysts' number of total hours streamed estimates and a significant miss of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Interestingly, the stock is up 20.3% since the results and currently trades at $80.99. Read our full analysis of Roku's results here. Launched by Reed Hastings as a DVD mail rental company until its famous pivot to streaming in 2007, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a pioneering streaming content platform. Netflix reported revenues of $10.54 billion, up 12.5% year on year. This number was in line with analysts' expectations. It was a strong quarter as it also put up EPS guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts' expectations and a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. The company reported 305.6 million users, up 13.3% year on year. The stock is up 26.2% since reporting and currently trades at $1,231. Read our full, actionable report on Netflix here, it's free. With courses ranging from investing to cooking to computer programming, Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) is an online learning platform that connects learners with expert instructors who specialize in a wide range of topics. Udemy reported revenues of $200.3 million, up 1.8% year on year. This result topped analysts' expectations by 1.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also recorded EBITDA guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts' expectations. Udemy had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The company reported 17,216 active buyers, up 7.1% year on year. The stock is up 2.9% since reporting and currently trades at $7.08. Read our full, actionable report on Udemy here, it's free. Thanks to the Fed's rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn't send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump's November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there's still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
