Coursera User Retention
I led research and prototyping for a new enrollment-to-course-start flow that gives learners autonomy to define what “completion” means, then tracks progress toward those personal goals. We simplified checkout, moved goal-setting into the course context, and introduced milestone tracking, then iterated after usability testing with 8 Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) learners.
Problem & context
Self-paced MOOCs attract diverse intents (career switchers, refreshers, single-module learners). Coursera’s definition of “completion” (finishing the entire course) didn’t always match those intents, which left many learners feeling like they’d “failed” even when they’d learned what they came for.
The challenge
How might we give learners with different learning goals a sense of accomplishment and completion?
My responsibilities
Research & insights
I combined stakeholder interviews, 8 learner interviews/tests, journey mapping, competitive landscape analysis, user testing.
Key insights:
Strategy & prioritization
We focused on clarity and momentum over complexity:
Constraints:
No changes to Coursera’s subscription/pricing model or back-end plan architecture. Goal-setting needed to layer onto the existing experience, not overhaul it.
Design solutions
1. Simplified Enrollment (Single Payments Page)
2. Personal Learning Goal Setup
3. Milestone Tracking & Goal Updates
Personal milestone progress bar displayed alongside overall course progress.
“You’re on track” micro-feedback and easy goal edits if needs change.
Validation & iteration
Collaboration
Results & impact
Reflection
This project taught me to design for intent, not just completion. By moving goal-setting into the right moment (after a quick skim) and surfacing personal milestones, we reframed success in a way that better fits real learner motivations, without touching risky business levers like pricing or subscriptions. If continued, I’d explore lightweight streaks and “return points” to further reduce the friction of restarting after a break.
