Coursera Quiz: Test Your Learning IQ

Coursera was founded during a wave of optimism around open online education, when academics believed the internet could democratise access to world-class university learning. Its founding year came at a time when MOOCs were generating widespread excitement across the global education sector and attracting significant media and investor attention.

Coursera was built by two Stanford University professors who shared a vision of making high-quality education available to anyone, anywhere. One co-founder went on to become a globally recognised voice in artificial intelligence research and education. His work outside Coursera has shaped how the world understands and teaches machine learning.

Coursera chose a California city at the heart of Silicon Valley as its home base. Situated close to Stanford University, where its founders were based, the location gave Coursera natural ties to academic institutions, technology companies, and venture capital firms that supported its growth into a globally recognised learning platform.

Coursera's stock market debut was a landmark moment for the ed-tech industry, arriving during a period of heightened interest in online learning following global disruptions to traditional education. The listing gave the company access to public capital and brought greater scrutiny to its financials, growth strategy, and long-term profitability.

Before Coursera was formally launched, one of its key early figures parted ways to build a separate online learning platform focused more heavily on technology and vocational skills. That platform, Udacity, carved its own niche in nanodegrees and industry-specific training, becoming a direct competitor in the global MOOC market.