Online learning platform Coursera has expanded its portfolio by launching a new assessment tool for business, technology and data skills, it has been announced.
As part of the company’s enterprise platform, Coursera has announced LevelSets to test proficiency in “high-demand data and analytics skills”.
The company said initial assessments will test skills such as data analysis, cloud computing, and machine learning, as well as various programming languages.
The newest offering from Coursera is said to save time, with learners being able to complete assessment in “less than 15 minutes” to evaluate their current skill level.
Additionally, learners will be able, through the new assessments, to demonstrate those existing skills “needed to unlock new career opportunities”.
“A lack of time and frustration over not knowing what courses to take are major barriers for learners,” said CEO of Coursera Leah Belsky.
“Rapid digital transformation is increasing the urgency to acquire in-demand skill”
“LevelSets helps to motivate learners to enrol in recommended courses and enable them to develop job-relevant skills faster.”
The tool will also offer “targeted recommendations” that are evaluated once assessments are completed, to match their proficiency level and let them “avoid taking courses that are too rudimentary or advanced”.
Completing a LevelSets assessment, Coursera said, will allow learners to gain access to “world class content recommendations” from various partners – which is delivered on Coursera’s SkillSets.
Some content recommendations include a machine learning course from the University of London, Amazon Web Services’s “AWS Fundamentals: Migrating to the Cloud”, a Python course from the University of Michigan and “SQL for Data Science” from UC Davis.
The new tool is currently available to companies, institutions and governments that have implemented Coursera’s Data and Analytics SkillSets.
Coursera also said that initial data from early adopters of LevelSets, such as Fidelity, Pfizer, and Thermo Fisher Scientific suggest that learners within these companies are three times more likely to enrol in a recommended course “within one day of after taking” an assessment.
“Rapid digital transformation is increasing the urgency to acquire in-demand skills,” said Belsky.
“These assessments determine where training should begin, and create a clear development path for learnings featuring high-quality content that aligns to their skill goals,” she added.
