Learning online has become the need of the hour. Online learning has a lot of benefits. You can choose from the array of courses related to different topics from either EdX vs Coursera depending on affordability and flexibility offered by either of the platforms.
Online learning allows you to learn courses and skills at any time and anywhere in the world. There is the flexibility offered in terms of time spent on the course. a lot of platforms offer courses at a low price and even free of cost. In case the courses offered are peer-based, they can lead to increased discussion and participation from the learners. Online learning can be accessed easily because of flexibility and low costs.
EdX vs Coursera 2020 | The Ultimate Comparison ( Pros & Cons)
EdX vs Coursera Overview:
EdX:
EdX is from some prominent origins, even though it is quite new. This platform was launched in the year 2012. EdX partners with universities as well as distinguished professors so as to offer courses in various subject areas curated by the experts.
At present, there are more than 650 courses that are being taught by more than 1700 staff and faculty. EdX has about 7 million users. Approximately 580,000 certificates are already granted, which is an indicator of the magnitude of learning offered by this platform.
Coursera:
Coursera was also founded in the year 2012. Coursera also partners with professors of top universities to offer expert-driven courses. This platform is wider in scope and there are around 35 million users, 150 university partnerships, and 2,700+ courses, 250 areas of specialization as well as four full degree programs.
Coursera also offers courses for various purposes, though the categories are lesser than those offered by EdX. This is better as it is simple, however, it is not great for a person looking for test prep.
EdX Vs Coursera: Types of Courses
EdX:
EdX offers five types of courses which are:(i) The EdX Verified Courses:
These are Courses in different subject areas which give you a completion certificate.
(ii) The XSeries Programs: In these programs, you get a completion certificate. Also, these courses are being conducted by professors from top-tier universities. They are considered to be of 'higher-level instruction'.
(iii) High School Courses: There are many courses that have been created for college students
(iv) The Credit Eligible Courses: These courses have been created under a partnership with various universities as well as colleges, which enable the learner to get credit for a degree.
(v) Professional Development Courses: These courses have been designed to hone your professional skills. They offer practical and experiential learning.
However, some of these courses call for certain prerequisites in order to get enrolled.
Coursera:
Here are the types of courses Coursera offers:(i) Open Registration Courses
These courses are ones where anyone can register and take up for reasons related to self-improvement or professional development. In contrast to EdX, on Coursera there is not much distinction as to who teaches these courses. There is no separate category for the courses which are being taken up by leading professors.
(ii) Specializations:
These courses are useful for those seeking certain career as well as professional development goals. The courses are being taught in series. You also get the completion certificate. These also include hands-on practical activities.
(iii) Online Degrees:
Just like EdX, This platform offers some online degree programs as well. However, these courses do not, do as much like offering separate courses for the purpose of college credit. There are limited options - Master's in Business, Data Science and Computer Science.
EdX Vs Coursera: How to find a course?
EdX:
It is quite tough to generalize the offerings via EdX, as there are numerous courses that serve different purposes. There are search filters that assist you in searching for the required course. Some of the search filters are subject area, availability, the program type, level, Partner/ Affiliated schools, and language. There is a section indicating 'featured courses'. Once you select a particular course, it takes you to the main page,
which gives you an introduction with general objectives and a list of what the course helps you learn. It also indicates the duration of the course, the time required to complete it on an average and the price of the course. Most of the courses offer a video introduction. It also gives you information regarding the instructors of the course. Some classes are time-bound whereas a few are self-paced. No sample of the course curriculum is provided.
Coursera:
It is less intuitive to find a course on this platform of online learning. The courses on Coursera are displayed in various categories, and there are quite a few search filters; so you can mostly find the courses by choosing from pre-arranged categories. On top of the main page, you will find a drop-down menu labeled "explore" and this is where the user can browse by the subject areas.
There are about 11 categories to choose from which is a bit lesser than, however, there are specific specializations under every category. The course offerings are also evenly distributed, and attention is given to all subjects instead of emphasizing only on science than an extra emphasis on the sciences. It can be tough to find a particular course, however, within specific fields, it is possible to find the course you are looking for. The platform would be better with more intuitive searching.
EdX Vs Coursera: Cost of the courses
EdX:
EdX is quite interesting as an online learning platform. There are plenty of free courses, and there are paid ones too. The noncredit courses inclusive of XSeries are free of cost most of the time. The Certificate courses of the Credit-based programs differ in price range, but they are quite affordable. In case a certain course is "featured," then it would come with a price tag.
There is no fixed price on the courses. Some might cost $50 a course for the certificates. The courses which form part of the college degree or credit program cost a few hundred. Some of the joint certificate programs would cost in between. You can get price details on clicking on the course or program. The prices are not listed upfront.
Coursera:
In contrast to EdX, Coursera has listed their prices for various course categories upfront. Though you can join this platform free of cost, every course has different prices. The "About" page gives you an idea about the price range of every course type.
Some of the courses are charged on a monthly basis, whereas some have a fixed price for the whole course. This could be tricky, so make sure you read through it well.
The Open Access Courses cost between $29-$99 a course and it lasts for about 4-6 weeks
Specialization courses cost between $39-$79 a month; the duration being 4-6 months.
Online Degrees can cost anywhere between $15 to $25,000. The price range provided is not very helpful and is quite huge. The programs have a duration of 1-3 years.
EdX Vs Coursera: Subject Areas
EdX:
There are many subject areas to choose from. The various subject areas offered in EdX are Architecture, Biology, Art and Culture, Life Sciences, chemistry, business Management, Communications, data analysis, Computer Science, economics, design, finance,
Education/ Teacher Training, engineering, ethics, energy, food and nutrition, history, language, law, humanities, health and safety, Environmental Studies, History, Literature, Music, mathematics, Medicine, Philanthropy, physics, Philosophy, Science, and Social Science. The popular courses are those under business and management; data analysis, computer science, humanities as well as language. There are related disciplines under every category.
Coursera:
The subject area categories in Coursera include Masters's degrees, free courses, business English, data science, cloud computing, courses related to python, digital product management, MBA, digital marketing, etc.
EdX Vs Coursera: Learning Tools
In comparison to the EdX platform of learning, Coursera has a lot of similar features like video lectures led by experts, and you get a lot of information on the specifics that will be learned n the course. Also, like EdX, there are apps that can be used to learn. However, when it comes to the learning experience, the platform EdX offers a little extra! In EdX the course resource and experience can vary based on the program and the platform also offers course mentors, and complete academic as well as technical support.
According to reviews by customers, Coursera does not fare well in Consumer Affairs. They appreciate the courses however, the expensive subscription costs seem to be a negative point.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
👉🏻Does Coursera have accredited courses?
Coursera has a mix of courses - accredited as well as non-accredited. In contrast to platforms such as Udemy, Coursera definitely has a better choice in terms of accredited courses and its MOOC or Massive Open Online Courses have partnered with many leading colleges and universities.
👉🏻What is the main difference between the two platforms - EdX and Coursera?
The main difference between EdX and Coursera is that EdX has a lot of science-based courses, whereas Coursera has a balance and has variety. EdX offers free courses (no certificate of completion), whereas Coursera calls for payment for courses.
- Does Coursera have accredited courses?
Coursera has a mix of courses - accredited as well as non-accredited. In contrast to platforms such as Udemy, Coursera definitely has a better choice in terms of accredited courses and its MOOC or Massive Open Online Courses have partnered with many leading colleges and universities.
The main difference between EdX and Coursera is that EdX has a lot of science-based courses, whereas Coursera has a balance and has variety. EdX offers free courses (no certificate of completion), whereas Coursera calls for payment for courses.
Customer Review EdX
- What is the main difference between the two platforms - EdX and Coursera?
Coursera Customer Review
Pros and Cons of EdX and Coursera
Pros of EdX
Cons of EdX
Pros of Coursera
Cons Coursera
- EdX offers many science-related courses
- EdX, as well as the classes, are free
- A lot of topics are covered
- Courses are offered from some well known and reputed institutes
- Completion certificates are offered for some courses
- Transparent billing system
Final Verdict: EdX vs Coursera 2020
- There are self-paced courses, however, they might not be available at all times
- The forums are not very engaging
- It is difficult to navigate through the forums
The billing system of EdX is quite transparent, with a lot of high-quality courses being offered free of cost. It also has a lot of discounts. The platform has a wide variety of courses to select from.
Both platforms are exceptional when it comes to instruction quality and both have a lot of common features that make them amazing platforms. Coursera might have a better interface, however, EdX offers a lot of free and low-cost courses. you can opt for any of these platforms based on your budget, the course preference, time constraints and need for completion certificates.
- You can choose from an array of courses
- The courses can be audited free of cost
- Courses are offered in different languages
- Transcriptions are also offered for different languages
- Some of the courses will provide a verified certificate on payment of a fee
- Many of the courses offered are from top universities and institutes
- Full courses cannot be taken free of cost
- Sometimes the courses might not be available and the waiting period can be very long
