Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about books that have gone on to find new life as movies, television shows, theatrical productions, video games and more. This week’s challenge is focused on fiction and nonfiction works about space exploration that were adapted into popular films.
Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. And scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the books and their movie versions.
Look closely at this image, stripped of its caption, and join the moderated conversation about what you and other students see.
Is it OK not to vote, or is voting a civic duty?
This word has appeared in 100 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year. Can you use it in a sentence?
The first week of an online course is critical. It establishes the tone, sets expectations, and can determine a learner’s commitment to completing the course. At Coursera, we have been analyzing data to understand which elements are most impactful during that first week, and how best to design Gateway Professional Certificate courses to boost completion rates.
Our Data Science and Teaching & Learning teams recently collaborated to investigate data from Coursera’s global platform. We developed a prediction model to identify design factors in the first week of learning that drive persistence through the course and entire certificate program on Coursera. Our objective was to uncover which content design decisions lead to full course and specialization completion.
In our research, we found:
These findings have major implications for course designers and instructors. By thoughtfully structuring the first week of learning, we can mitigate unnecessary dropout and position learners for success throughout the duration of their online course.
Want to put these insights into action? Here are a few tips:
At Coursera, we are committed to continually improving the online learning experience. By sharing these research-backed insights, we hope to empower educators and instructional designers to create courses that engage learners from the start and encourage them to continue learning.
Fall into the beauty of autumn with our free November 2024 wallpaper and Instagram quote pack! These wallpapers feature a light beige background adorned with vibrant brown, orange, red, and burgundy leaves. Choose from desktop, phone, or tablet sizes, and even grab a ready-made Instagram quote to share your autumnal vibes.
Each wallpaper download from November 2024 includes the following:
As the days grow shorter and the nights draw longer, nature paints the world in a breathtaking palette of colors. Autumn, with its vibrant hues of red, orange, yellow, and brown, is a season of unparalleled beauty. Let the words of Albert Camus inspire you this November: “Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.”
Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower
P.S the square image is also included as a larger file in the download package below! Feel free to post it on your Instagram.
Looking for more? Check our previous wallpapers!
You can get three different desktop options with the free download – one with a calendar, one without the calendar, and another with a quote. Additionally, there’s a wallpaper available for tablets and three phone options too. You’ll also find an Instagram-ready square that features the weekly quote.
NOTE: This wallpaper is available as a free download through November 30, 2024 only. After that, a $5 download fee applies.
Browse all wallpapers from this series.
Speaking of setting the tone, have you considered giving your website or blog a makeover too? A visually appealing design can grab attention and keep visitors engaged, just like a killer wallpaper. Check the designs below and find the perfect fit to elevate your online presence!
If you have your favorite quotes or lyrics and would like them to appear on the next free wallpaper, make sure to post them in the comments below or send us your ideas via email.
Enjoy!
By Marni Baker Stein, Chief Content Officer, Coursera
Today, we are announcing an expansion of our entry-level Professional Certificate portfolio, including 10 programs from new and existing industry partners. With these additions, Coursera now hosts 80+ entry-level Professional Certificates spanning numerous job roles from software development to game design, with nearly half launched in 2024 alone. As technology reshapes the global labor market, these certificates are designed to prepare learners of all backgrounds for in-demand, entry-level jobs.
Global momentum of microcredentials
Since launching our first entry-level Professional Certificate with Google in 2018, Coursera has become the premier learning platform for tech titans and Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, CVS Health and Unilever. In 2024, we added 23 new brands, bringing the total to more than 150 of the world’s leading companies offering online skills training.
Over 30 partners now offer entry-level Professional Certificates on Coursera, amassing over 13 million enrollments to date, including 8 million STEM enrollments, and 3.3 million enrollments in this year alone. Women account for 39% of overall enrollments and 35% of STEM certificate enrollments, demonstrating progress in closing the gender skills gap while meeting the demand for millions of jobs. According to Coursera’s 2023 Learner Outcomes Report, 77% of learners reported career benefits from earning microcredentials, and 25% of those who completed an entry-level Professional Certificate secured a new job.
Today, over 30 entry-level Professional Certificates on Coursera from top companies, including Google, IBM, Meta, and Salesforce have earned credit recommendations from the American Council of Education (ACE), European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), and NSQF. These credit recommendations remove barriers to degrees by making it easier for learners to earn academic credit for the industry microcredentials they complete, with most available in up to 21 languages.
Paving career pathways with new entry-level certificates from leading partners
Recently announced partners Amazon, Dell, Liberty Mutual, National Academy of Sports Medicine, and Xbox are launching their first entry-level Professional Certificates on Coursera, while long-time partners Microsoft and IBM expand their portfolios. Each certificate program gives learners the skills and opportunity to break into new, in-demand careers in fields like product management or software development in as little as six months:
Learning without limits
Coursera’s microcredentials are driving real-world impact by helping individuals start and advance their careers to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market.
Annaka McClelland is a student and Technical Data Analyst at John Deere, a position she secured with skills she gained from the Data Analytics Professional Certificate from Google on Coursera. As a data science major living with a traumatic brain injury since she was young, Annaka enrolled in the program to boost her understanding of data science and build her skillset as she continued her studies. “The certificate is […] actually learning the day in the life of a data analyst. I had never coded in my life before the certificate,” Annaka explains.
“As the only woman in my AI society, my understanding of [data analytics] made me feel like I could show up in a new way,” she said. Today, Annaka is now president of outreach and marketing of her Data Science/Artificial Intelligence Society on campus, and is using her experience with Coursera to help upskill learners as a project manager for the Skep Foundation. “I don’t think I’d be where I am today without Coursera and the Data Analytics certificate from Google.” Hear more about Annaka’s journey below:
The World Economic Forum predicts that 60% of the global workforce will need reskilling by 2027. We’re proud to work with our partners to expand the Coursera catalog, turning the threats of disruption into opportunities for learners of all backgrounds. Our leading partners are fundamentally reshaping the labor market and have embraced a collective responsibility to empower our more than 161 million learners with the skills needed to adapt to this disruption through high-quality, trusted content.
Explore a new career by enrolling on Coursera today.
I have been following Brown University Professor and Economist Emily Oster for a number of years, basically ever since I started my journey of becoming a parent. Now, I listen to her podcast and read her newsletters (and the newsletters from the endocrinologist on her team, called “Hot Flash”) to hear from Emily and experts on data-driven parenting. I also love listening to Emily talk about evidence-based decision making in a world where we don’t have all of the data we would want to make a “perfect” choice for our families. She also talks a lot about using data to inform your decision making, but that each individual or family may not make the same choice, and yet still can be making the best choice for them.
As you can see, I’m a big fan of Emily Oster, and the ParentData brand. And so, this week, I bring you a list of high-quality ParentData podcast episodes related to learning and/or kids in schools. I think that parents and teachers will find something to love from this list.
A couple notes about the links I’m providing. You can access the podcast on Emily’s website, ParentData, and I’m providing those links. However, each person only gets so many free reads (and accessing the podcast episodes on her website counts as a “read” because there is a full transcript available). So, I’m also providing the Apple Podcast links as well. You can get these podcasts wherever you get your podcasts, without a subscription. For example, I listen on Overcast, a free podcasting app. I’m also including publishing dates to make searching a little easier on apps like these. Happy listening!
We all have them. What are your strategies?
What do you think this image is communicating?
