Coursera Partners With Publishers To Give Away Free Textbooks

Coursera, the online course provider, is one of the fastest-growing startups that is transforming how we learn. Chegg, a company best known as a textbook rental site, is partnering with Coursera to distribute its content to students enrolled in massive open online courses.

Through the partnership, Coursera students will be able to purchase Chegg material, as well as receive some publisher content for free. They will also be able to make use of other Chegg features, including Q&A forums, search and highlight options. Coursera students could still purchase content from other sources, but the company said it offers lower prices than other vendors and students wouldn’t benefit from the social options connected to Chegg content.

Large publishing companies, including Cengage Learning, Macmillan Higher Education, Oxford University Press, SAGE, and Wiley will experiment with offering Coursera students versions of their digital textbooks, delivered via Chegg’s e-Reader. Students won’t be charged to access these materials while they’re enrolled on a course.

“We recognize the importance of forging partnerships with other stakeholders in the education space in order to help students overcome barriers and evolve the way they access education,” Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller said in a statement. “By collaborating with Chegg, Cengage, Macmillan Higher Education, Oxford University Press, Sage, and Wiley, we are able to provide access to some of the world’s best resources to Coursera students, supporting our goal of learning without limits.”

Another step forward towards free education!