Coursera as a grade buffer

[TenaciousBushLeaper]

Imagine the situation where an applicant doesn't do so great ( letter grade of C ) in an important class ( important in the sense that graduate admissions committees may weight ones performance in this class more heavily ), so instead of retaking the course, the student signs up for an equivalent course on coursera, pays for the certificate of completion, mentions this in the SOP, and attaches a copy of the certificate along with the application (whether this is possible or not, just imagine! lol). 

Has anyone ever heard of someone do this? What do you think about it? Also, maybe we can discuss the implications it brings along for online learning in general to academia. 

A few things to consider, a good number of the courses on coursera are taught by individuals belonging to "elite" or "brand name" institutions. 

Coursera does not provide a letter grade (at least I think not, please correct me if I'm wrong). 

There is always the very real possibility that one or a number of the professors on the admissions committee(s) has/have taught a course there themselves! 

Edited June 8, 2015 by TenaciousBushLeaper

[TakeruK]

I have not heard of someone using a Coursera course in order to augment/offset a low grade in one of their core courses. 

 

My thoughts on this?

 

Although Coursera courses are taught by experts in the field and might even be taught alongside "real" courses (at my school, one of the actual courses here uses the same online lectures as the Coursera version of the same course), I don't think they can be an equivalent/replacement to courses part of an accredited degree program. 

 

However, I think completing a Coursera course can still be helpful to an application. In the example scenario you provided, I think you can frame it as "self-study". I'd think that completing a Coursera course is equivalent to getting a textbook on the subject and self-teaching etc. 

 

Finally I would also say that the certificate is not going to make a difference to admissions committee. You should still get it if you want it but don't get it because you think it will make a difference in academia at all. The only reason to get it is because you want some evidence of your achievement, for yourself!

[TenaciousBushLeaper]

I don't think they can be an equivalent/replacement to courses part of an accredited degree program. 

Care to share why? I'm rather interested in this line of thought.

[TakeruK]

Care to share why? I'm rather interested in this line of thought.

 

My statement was not necessarily about the way things should be, but the way they are currently perceived. For the past few decades, the accreditation system has been integral to higher education. With more and more open universities available now, it seems like this will probably change in the future but we're not there yet.

 

Also, I do think there is a difference between Coursera classes and "traditional" college classes. With a traditional class, there is definitely more thought and emphasis placed on teaching material that is specific to the students enrolled in that degree program (e.g. connections with other topics taught by the department and teaching things that prepare students for the next course or a career in the field). For many Coursera classes, the emphasis is more about teaching to the general public and providing information to satisfy people's interests (whether it's just for fun or for a specific skillset to use in their career) rather than an academic purpose. Maybe not all Coursera classes are like this, but the ones that I know about seem to go this way.

[random_grad]

I agree with what TakeruK said.

If I may add a few more things as to why I also consider Coursera not even close to a university course:

- Coursera courses tend to be large. Super-large. So students end up tutoring each other. This leads to feedback of questionable quality.

- Even if a course has multiple choice tests, there is nothing to control that the person at the computer is not using outside help

- Pass on a course typically corresponds to a quite low level of engagement from what I've seen, and for the same amount of work you'd probably get a C at a college-level course, so you'd end up wasting your time for nothing.

 

imo these are situations where Coursera is really useful:

- a person interested in own development and takes a course for general interest or for a skill (e.g. rhetoric)

- a person applying for jobs who wants a certificate with a fancy title to add to resume

- a person who has never experienced (U.S.) university

- a person who wants to practice foreign language

- a person who wants to build their own online course

[shinigamiasuka]

This topic is pertinent to me.

 

I've been doing a couple of courses online from nanohub.org. It's a site run by Purdue University focusing on nanotechnology (primarily nanoelectronics). Although it's self-study, the courses archived on this site are real courses being taught at the university, along with their assignments and exams. If someone were to complete one of them and mention it on their SOP or resume, would they consider it like a MOOC on EdX or Coursera?

[TakeruK]

This topic is pertinent to me.

 

I've been doing a couple of courses online from nanohub.org. It's a site run by Purdue University focusing on nanotechnology (primarily nanoelectronics). Although it's self-study, the courses archived on this site are real courses being taught at the university, along with their assignments and exams. If someone were to complete one of them and mention it on their SOP or resume, would they consider it like a MOOC on EdX or Coursera?

 

From the description here, it sounds like it would be considered in a similar way to a MOOC.

[Cheshire_Cat]

I am taking a calculus class on Coursera to give me a better understanding of it.  The professor is hilarious (something I never thought I'd say about a math professor)  and the class is a lot better than I thought it would be.  I am very impressed with the professional appearance of it.

 

I do believe that online classes like that can be useful, especially on general subjects like calculus.  Kind of like being able to KLEP certain classes.  You probably get as much out of it as you put in, just like college.   But I think there are a lot of classes that require more instructor/student interaction to understand the full scope of what the class is about, and those you can't do justice with an online class.

[Exploded Muffin]

I am taking a calculus class on Coursera to give me a better understanding of it.  The professor is hilarious (something I never thought I'd say about a math professor)  and the class is a lot better than I thought it would be.  I am very impressed with the professional appearance of it.

 

I do believe that online classes like that can be useful, especially on general subjects like calculus.  Kind of like being able to KLEP certain classes.  You probably get as much out of it as you put in, just like college.   But I think there are a lot of classes that require more instructor/student interaction to understand the full scope of what the class is about, and those you can't do justice with an online class.

Professor Ghrist by any chance?

[Cheshire_Cat]

Professor Ghrist by any chance?

No, I think his name is Jim Fowler

[Crucial BBQ]

No, I think his name is Jim Fowler

Not sure if it is the same calc course, but I took one on Coursera with this prof.  Yeah, pretty funny guy. 

[MastersHoping]

My guess is that it won't totally make up for the poor performance in the class originally, but it can help mitigate somewhat.

The reasons it won't totally help you recover:

1) Grad school material moves fast. I think they expect you to be able to digest the material the first time around. If you understand the material the second time with Coursera, it's not as good as getting a good grade in the original course.

2) Coursera courses are not as rigorous as traditional courses, at least in my experience. Which is not to say they're not good quality, just not as rigorous to pass. Grad school courses are tough and rigorous, and won't be as laid back as a Coursera class.

3) Even if you get a statement of accomplishment, it doesn't necessarily prove that you mastered the material. Although Coursera does offer a verified certificate. 

 

But, if you have the time and willingness, it'll still help you. If it's a class containing skills you absolutely need for your program, like if you were applying to an MBA program or something and need to know financial accounting to move on to more advanced topics (business is not my field so excuse me if I fudge something up, but you get the point), the coursera class can help with that. It can also show adcomms that you're serious about learning the material, that you're self-disciplined and a good self-learner. 

 

Ultimately, while it's best to do well the first time around, doing a class from Coursera can only help, in my opinion. Btw, it does come with a percentage grade. The grade is determined by how well you do on the quizzes. 

[MastersHoping]

This topic is pertinent to me.

 

I've been doing a couple of courses online from nanohub.org. It's a site run by Purdue University focusing on nanotechnology (primarily nanoelectronics). Although it's self-study, the courses archived on this site are real courses being taught at the university, along with their assignments and exams. If someone were to complete one of them and mention it on their SOP or resume, would they consider it like a MOOC on EdX or Coursera?

It sounds like a MOOC.

 

MIT open courseware and Yale Online Courses have similar offerings.