The online learning platform Coursera (COUR) saw a big pop following its Nasdaq (^IXIC) debut this week. Coursera revenue was up 60% last year, and CEO Jeff Maggioncalda predicts online learning is here to stay even after the pandemic eventually winds down.
“The world needs more access to high-quality learning. ... There will be a new normal that emerges. We don’t know what that will look like either in terms of how we work remotely versus in an office and how we will learn online and also on campus. But it’s pretty clear that the world will never be the same again and that online learning will be a big part of it,” he told Yahoo Finance Live.
“So we really think about the long term, all the structural reasons why people will need to learn continuously through their lives to learn new skills as the world goes more digital,” he said.
One area that Coursera is looking to expand is its degree and certification programs. Maggioncalda tells Yahoo Finance that the company can use technology to shake up traditional degree offerings.
"What we’ve seen for centuries is that college degrees are the most meaningful, recognized learning credential that there is, and the credential type hasn’t really innovated that much over the last period of history. We think with technology, the ability to create not only degrees but other types of credentials,” he said.
“It will be a portfolio of credentials. We believe that will serve lifelong learning needs in a world where people need to keep learning, even as they’re working,” he added.
Reggie Wade is a writer for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @ReggieWade.
Read more:
‘There’s just so much energy around the sneaker market:’ Footlocker CEO on company’s growth
ArtGrails debuts NFT of Diamond Supply Co. & Nike Tiffany SB Dunks
Nike and other Western brands are likely to remain under a microscope in China: Cowen
Stimulus checks ignite spending in athletic footwear and apparel: BofA
Nike’s brand strength is much higher now, even with earnings miss: Analyst