Class Central is a comprehensive online platform designed to facilitate the discovery and enrollment in online courses, particularly focusing on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Here’s an overview of what the product does and its key features:
What Class Central Does
Class Central is a search engine and aggregator for online courses, aiming to make online education accessible and user-friendly for everyone. Founded by Dhawal Shah in late 2011, the platform collects and lists courses from a wide variety of providers, including major MOOC platforms like Coursera, edX, and FutureLearn, as well as smaller platforms and independent providers.
Key Features and Functionality
Course Discovery
Users can search for courses by keywords, browse by subject, or filter results to find courses that match their interests. The platform allows users to read detailed course descriptions, check course schedules, and explore various subjects ranging from humanities to cybersecurity.
User Reviews and Ratings
Class Central features over 200,000 learner reviews, which help users make informed decisions about which courses to take. Positive reviews can elevate a course’s visibility in search results and across the site.
Personalized Learning
Users can create a free account to create personal course lists, write and read reviews, and follow specific subjects, universities, or course providers to receive personalized updates. This allows for better planning and tracking of their learning journey.
Community Engagement
The platform is community-driven, with a team of learners who have themselves benefited from online education. Users can engage with the community through reviews, follow updates, and contribute to the continuous improvement of the platform.
Transparency and Trust
Class Central generates revenue through advertising and affiliate links but ensures that these relationships do not influence the course listings or user reviews. The platform is committed to maintaining transparency and trust with its users.
Additional Resources
Class Central also publishes “The Report,” which provides insights into the overall state of the online education landscape, uncovering overlooked stories and identifying trends in the field.
Metrics and Impact
- Course Listings: Over 200,000 courses available.
- User Reviews: More than 200,000 reviews.
- User Base: Over 60 million people have used the platform to find courses.
- Unique Users: 60 million unique users.
In summary, Class Central is an indispensable tool for anyone looking to explore and enroll in online courses, offering a robust search engine, valuable user reviews, personalized learning tools, and a transparent business model.