AN annual study of learner trends conducted by one of the world’s largest online learning platforms across the Philippines showed that the most popular courses were those in language courses and business skills.
Data from Coursera, Inc. said that based on choices from over 1.3 million registered learners offered insight into the skills, competencies, and subject-matter most desirable to the Filipinos.
The need to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was the top course for the Philippines this year, the one offered by Johns Hopkins University’s, which is about COVID-1- Contact Tracing.
The 2021 data also showed that Filipino learners showed interest on language courses such as those offered by Yonsei University that is First Step Korean and Learn to Speak Korean 1, and Saint Petersburg State University’s Japanese for Beginners 1.
Learners also strived to hone their business skills needed to thrive in the global economy, including professional English-language competency, and an understanding of financial markets. According to the study, Filipino Coursera learners recognized the shifting nature of work, and prioritized mental health and wellbeing. They explored the human brain through courses like Learning How to Learn from Deep Teaching Solutions, and Yale University’s Introduction to Psychology and The Science of Well-being.
This year, Coursera observed a rising uptake of courses related to Professional Certificates, which are designed to prepare learners without a college degree or technology experience for a wide range of high-demand digital jobs. The growing emphasis on these certificates will also help to reduce a skills gap that saw the Philippines rank 60th and 77th globally for Data Science and Technology proficiency respectively in the latest Coursera Global Skills Report. Google’s Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere, which forms part of Google’s Data Analytics Professional Certificate ranked 7th this year.
“It’s inspiring to see learners make strong progress on their learning goals even as challenges persisted around the world. This year’s learner trends suggest that Filipino learners are recognizing the needs of the digital economy while simultaneously striving to gain control of their mental health,” said Raghav Gupta, Managing Director – Asia Pacific, Coursera.
“Filipino learners are preparing themselves for success — seeking ways to build future-proof professional skills, especially across business and data science. This coming year, we look forward to working together to make online learning even more effective and equitable for learners by delivering new world-class content and tools,” Gupta added.
Other new trending courses illustrate that 2021 was a year of continued personal and professional growth as the world adapted to the new normal.
| Ten most popular overall courses in the Philippines in 2021 | ||
| S.No. | Course Name | Partner Name |
| 1 | COVID-19 Contact Tracing | Johns Hopkins University |
| 2 | First Step Korean | Yonsei University |
| 3 | English for Career Development | University of Pennsylvania |
| 4 | The Science of Well-Being | Yale University |
| 5 | Learn to Speak Korean 1 | Yonsei University |
| 6 | Introduction to Psychology | Yale University |
| 7 | Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere | |
| 8 | Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects | Deep Teaching Solutions |
| 9 | Japanese for beginners 1 | Saint Petersburg State University |
| 10 | Financial Markets | Yale University |