Coursera, an open online course provider, has released its second annual ‘2021 Impact Report’ to share insights on dramatically changing trends in education and how Coursera is making a big change in the space.

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online learning in an unprecedented manner. From just 44 million in 2019, Coursera has 92 million registered learners on the platform as of 30 September 2021 – a jump of over 109% in two years.

Additionally, a rise of over 145% is witnessed when it comes to the total number of enrollment on the Coursera platform. With just 76 million enrollment in 2019 currently, 189 million enrolments have taken place.

Image: Coursera

“As the 2021 Impact Report affirms, offering flexible pathways to skills and credentials that prepare people for remote and digital jobs can pave the way for talent to rise from anywhere in the world. Together with our partners, we’re excited to continue our efforts to fulfil this promise in our quest to build a more just world,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO, Coursera.

One of the most hard-hit countries by the COVID-19 pandemic, India saw almost 13.6 million learners join the Coursera platform to build critical skills, thereby becoming the country with the second-highest learners after the USA.

“Equitable access to high-quality learning is no longer just a promise; it’s a reality for learners worldwide. Rapid product innovation has been pivotal to growing access and helping learners meet their goals while enabling our partners to accelerate their online strategy. This moment is a turning point from where we can deliver accessible learning experiences for broader impact—to serve new populations and connect them to opportunities in a digital world,” said Shravan Goli, Chief Product Officer, Coursera.

The report further suggests that more and more women are pursuing online education, including STEM courses, at higher rates than before the pandemic. The top 10 skills that are popular among women include:

  • Communication
  • Leadership and Management
  • Probability and Statistics
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Computer Programming
  • Business Psychology
  • Business Analysis
  • Data Analysis
  • Machine Learning
  • Marketing

Early on in the epidemic, online learning helped people sail through the worldwide disaster that forever changed the way we learn. More than a year later, fresh patterns suggest that the combination of online learning and remote work is creating a powerful possibility to give not only skills but also more fair job opportunities around the world.

One can read the entire report here.

Founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, Coursera works with universities and other organisations to offer online courses, certifications, and degrees in a variety of subjects.