Dive Summary:
- As massive open online course (MOOC) providers look to develop sustainable business models, Coursera announced it will offer "Verified Certificates" for a fee to students who have completed their courses.
- To receive certification, users will sign up for "Signature Track" within the first three weeks of the course by taking a photo of themselves, a photo of their ID and creating a biometric typing profile.
- At first, "Signature Track" will be piloted in only five courses but Coursera plans to make it widely available for $30-$100; students who cannot pay the full fee can register for financial aid.
From the article:
"... Nonetheless, Coursera today unveiled its next phase and what will likely be its most significant source of revenue: Verified certificates. Students who take a course on its platform will now be able to earn 'Verified Certificates' for a small fee. The new option, called Signature Track, is available on a course-by-course basis and is designed to provide verification for the work students complete on its platform, giving value to that work in the form of the startup’s first foray into credentialing. The certificate, however does not include credit toward a degree program, it simply aims to give them a more meaningful way to prove that they’ve completed the course. ..."