An analysis by Class Central has established that, currently, 2921 of Coursera’s 9754 active courses (or 30%) include peer-reviewed assessments — that is, assessments manually scored by other learners.

In June 2023, our research showed that 39% of Coursera courses had peer reviews (2704 of 6939). Coursera now has 2815 more active courses, but the number with peer reviews has only increased by 217.

Online education tends to rely on automation when possible. When it comes to course assessments, this typically translates into courses using (or overusing) multiple-choice questions, since these can easily be autograded.

But multiple-choice questions aren’t always ideal, in particular in disciplines inherently subjective or open-ended. An equation might have one solution. But when it comes to, say, creative writing, there usually isn’t a single “right answer”.

Some learners might prefer the human touch of peer reviews. So we’ve compiled a list of the best Coursera courses that include peer reviews. We’ve broken the list down into subjects. Click on a subject to jump to the corresponding courses:

• Computer Science
• Programming
• Personal Development
• Health & Medicine
• Business
• Humanities
• Education & Teaching
• Data Science
• Social Sciences
• Art & Design
• Mathematics
• Science
• Engineering
• Information Security (InfoSec)

Peer Reviews: Strengths & Weaknesses

Peer reviews are a type of assignment used in online learning — though prior to this analysis, we wouldn’t have guessed that nearly a third of Coursera’s courses used them.

Peer reviews on Coursera work as follows:

1. You complete an assignment, typically involving open-ended questions that you address by writing a few paragraphs of text. You submit it, but you don’t get a score just yet.
2. You score other learners’ assignments, according to a specific rubric, giving more or fewer points depending on how well the assignment addressed each rubric item. In addition, you may write comments.
3. You get your assignment score back, but only after (1) you’ve scored enough assignments, and (2) your assignment has been scored by enough learners.

Unfortunately, precisely because they introduce a human factor, peer-reviewed assessments come with limitations. Humans can be cunning. Our colleague @pat has written two articles about peer reviews:

• The Problems of Peer Assessments at Scale: Cheating, Delays, Inconsistencies
• Not Just Plagiarism: Investigating the Integrity of Peer Reviews in Online Learning.

That said, in our experience, many learners tackle these assignments earnestly, providing fair scores and useful feedback that can help one gain a better understanding of the course topic.

So if you’re looking for a good online course with peer-reviewed assessments, you can find our selection below.

Computer Science

• Computational Social Science Methods from University of California, Davis ★★★★★(127)
• Computer Simulations from University of California, Davis ★★★★★(46)
• Computational Social Science Capstone Project from University of California, Davis ★★★★★(32)
• Practical Machine Learning from Johns Hopkins University ★★★☆☆(27)
• Fundamentals of Reinforcement Learning from University of Alberta ★★★★★(24)
• The Arduino Platform and C Programming from University of California, Irvine ★★★☆☆(13)
• Introduction to the Internet of Things and Embedded Systems from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(12)
• Algorithmic Thinking (Part 2) from Rice University ★★★★☆(9)
• Interfacing with the Arduino from University of California, Irvine ★★★★★(8)
• Usable Security from University of Maryland, College Park ★★★☆☆(8)
• Internet of Things: How did we get here? from University of California, San Diego ★★☆☆☆(6)
• C for Everyone: Programming Fundamentals from University of California, Santa Cruz ★★★★☆(5)
• Internet of Things: Setting Up Your DragonBoard™ Development Platform from University of California, San Diego ★★★☆☆(5)
• Networking and Security Architecture with VMware NSX from VMware ★★★★★(4)
• Programming Languages, Part B from University of Washington ★★★★☆(4)

Programming

• Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) from University of Michigan ★★★★★(44405)
• Python Data Structures from University of Michigan ★★★★★(16732)
• An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Part 1) from Rice University ★★★★★(3375)
• Predictive Modeling and Machine Learning with MATLAB from MathWorks ★★★★★(78)
• An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Part 2) from Rice University ★★★★★(59)
• Introduction to HTML5 from University of Michigan ★★★★☆(52)
• Object-Oriented Design from University of Alberta ★★★★☆(41)
• Exploratory Data Analysis with MATLAB from MathWorks ★★★★★(38)
• Julia Scientific Programming from University of Cape Town ★★★★☆(32)
• Design Patterns from University of Alberta ★★★★★(29)
• Programming Languages, Part A from University of Washington ★★★★★(27)
• Responsive Website Basics: Code with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript from University of London International Programmes ★★★★☆(27)
• C++ For C Programmers, Part A from University of California, Santa Cruz ★★★☆☆(26)
• Software Architecture from University of Alberta ★★★★☆(19)
• Introducción a la programación orientada a objetos en Java from Universidad de los Andes ★★★★★(18)

Personal Development

• Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(25789)
• Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential from McMaster University ★★★★★(7890)
• Apprendre comment apprendre (ACA) : Des outils mentaux puissants qui vous aideront à maîtriser des sujets difficiles from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(463)
• Aprender from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★★★★(107)
• Creative Problem Solving from University of Minnesota ★★★☆☆(19)
• Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success from Imperial College London ★★★★★(15)
• Introduction to Public Speaking from University of Washington ★★★★☆(14)
• Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator from Yale University ★★★★★(11)
• Story and Narrative Development for Video Games from California Institute of the Arts ★★★★★(9)
• Successful Career Development from University System of Georgia ★★★★★(9)
• Emotional Intelligence: Cultivating Immensely Human Interactions from University of Michigan ★★★★☆(9)
• Aprendiendo a aprender: Poderosas herramientas mentales con las que podrás dominar temas difíciles (Learning How to Learn) from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(9)
• Teamwork Skills: Communicating Effectively in Groups from University of Colorado Boulder ★★★★★(8)
• How to Get Skilled: Introduction to Individual Skills Management (Project-Centered Course) from State University of New York ★★★★☆(8)
• The Art of Negotiation from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(8)

Health & Medicine

• Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics from University of Cape Town ★★★★★(820)
• De-Mystifying Mindfulness from Leiden University ★★★★★(99)
• Severe to Profound Intellectual Disability: Circles of Care and Education from University of Cape Town ★★★★★(26)
• Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health from The University of Sydney ★★★★★(21)
• Organ Donation: From Death to Life from University of Cape Town ★★★★★(14)
• Herbal Medicine from University of Minnesota ★★★★☆(11)
• Community Change in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(10)
• Introduction to Breast Cancer from Yale University ★★★★★(7)
• Science of Exercise from University of Colorado Boulder ★★★★★(7)
• Managing Your Health: The Role of Physical Therapy and Exercise from University of Toronto ★★★★☆(7)
• Living with Dementia: Impact on Individuals, Caregivers, Communities and Societies from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(7)
• Science Matters: Let’s Talk About COVID-19 from Imperial College London ★★★★★(6)
• Data Management for Clinical Research from Vanderbilt University ★★★★☆(5)
• Chemicals and Health from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(5)
• Medical Technology and Evaluation from University of Minnesota ★★★★★(5)

Business

• Marketing in a Digital World from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(621)
• The Digital Marketing Revolution from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(414)
• FinTech Foundations and Overview from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(205)
• Preparing to Manage Human Resources from University of Minnesota ★★★★★(154)
• FinTech Security and Regulation (RegTech) from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(118)
• Becoming a changemaker: Introduction to Social Innovation from University of Cape Town ★★★★★(39)
• Digital Marketing Analytics in Theory from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★☆(35)
• Financial Markets from Yale University ★★★★☆(34)
• Mastering Data Analysis in Excel from Duke University ★★☆☆☆(27)
• Digital Marketing Analytics in Practice from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★☆(23)
• Protecting Business Innovations via Strategy from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(23)
• Foundations of Business Strategy from University of Virginia ★★★★☆(21)
• Business Strategy from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(18)
• On Strategy : What Managers Can Learn from Philosophy – PART 1 from École Centrale Paris ★★★★☆(16)
• Managerial Accounting: Cost Behaviors, Systems, and Analysis from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(14)

Humanities

• A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment from Indian School of Business ★★★★★(502)
• Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics from Leiden University ★★★★★(105)
• Philosophy, Science and Religion: Religion and Science from University of Edinburgh ★★★★★(68)
• Grammar and Punctuation from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(32)
• The French Revolution from University of Melbourne ★★★★★(23)
• Philosophy, Science and Religion: Philosophy and Religion from University of Edinburgh ★★★★☆(23)
• English for Career Development from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(22)
• The Modern and the Postmodern (Part 1) from Wesleyan University ★★★★★(21)
• Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop from California Institute of the Arts ★★★★☆(19)
• Getting Started with Essay Writing from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(18)
• Magic in the Middle Ages from University of Barcelona ★★★★☆(16)
• Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot from Wesleyan University ★★★★☆(15)
• How to Write a Resume (Project-Centered Course) from State University of New York ★★★★☆(15)
• English for Journalism from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★☆(15)
• Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest from Commonwealth Education Trust ★★★★☆(15)

Education & Teaching

• Uncommon Sense Teaching from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(447)
• Uncommon Sense Teaching: Part 2, Building Community and Habits of Learning from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(105)
• Uncommon Sense Teaching: Teaching Online from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(48)
• Teaching Character and Creating Positive Classrooms from Relay Graduate School of Education ★★★★★(22)
• Disability Inclusion in Education: Building Systems of Support from University of Cape Town ★★★★★(13)
• Learning to Teach Online from University of New South Wales ★★★★☆(9)
• American Education Reform: History, Policy, Practice from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(8)
• Get Organized: How to be a Together Teacher from Relay Graduate School of Education ★★★★☆(6)
• What future for education? from University of London International Programmes ★★★★★(5)
• Foundations of Teaching for Learning: Learners and Learning from Commonwealth Education Trust ★★★★☆(5)
• Teach English Now! Second Language Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation from Arizona State University ★★★★★(4)
• ICT in Primary Education: Transforming children’s learning across the curriculum from University of London International Programmes ★★★★★(4)
• Aboriginal Worldviews and Education from University of Toronto ★★★★★(4)
• Blended Learning: Personalizing Education for Students from New Teacher Center ★★★★☆(4)
• Teaching EFL/ESL Reading: A Task Based Approach from University of London International Programmes ★★★★☆(4)

Data Science

• R Programming from Johns Hopkins University ★★★☆☆(245)
• The Data Scientist’s Toolbox from Johns Hopkins University ★★★☆☆(166)
• Getting and Cleaning Data from Johns Hopkins University ★★★☆☆(58)
• Introduction to Big Data from University of California, San Diego ★★★☆☆(34)
• Statistical Inference from Johns Hopkins University ★★★☆☆(34)
• Regression Models from Johns Hopkins University ★★★☆☆(33)
• Reproducible Research from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(27)
• Data Visualization from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★☆☆(21)
• Process Mining: Data science in Action from Eindhoven University of Technology ★★★★☆(18)
• Developing Data Products from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(17)
• Applied Plotting, Charting & Data Representation in Python from University of Michigan ★★☆☆☆(9)
• Quantitative Methods from University of Amsterdam ★★★★★(7)
• Introduction to Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★★(6)
• Graph Analytics for Big Data from University of California, San Diego ★★★☆☆(6)
• Social Network Analysis from University of California, Davis ★★★★★(5)

Social Sciences

• Protecting Business Innovations via Patent from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(169)
• Social Psychology from Wesleyan University ★★★★★(88)
• Protecting Business Innovations via Copyright from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(69)
• Protecting Business Innovations via Trademark from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(68)
• Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities from Lund University ★★★★★(53)
• EU policy and implementation: making Europe work! from Leiden University ★★★★★(52)
• Chinese Politics Part 1 – China and Political Science from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(40)
• The Science of Well-Being from Yale University ★★★★★(29)
• Introduction to Sustainability from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★☆(16)
• Security & Safety Challenges in a Globalized World from Leiden University ★★★★★(16)
• Chinese Politics Part 2 – China and the World from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★★★(16)
• Understanding Research Methods from University of London International Programmes ★★★★☆(15)
• Paradoxes of War from Princeton University ★★★★☆(12)
• International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague from Leiden University ★★★★★(11)
• Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ★★★★★(10)

Art & Design

• Gamification from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(58)
• Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics from Berklee College of Music ★★★★★(24)
• Guitar for Beginners from Berklee College of Music ★★★★★(22)
• Fundamentals of Graphic Design from California Institute of the Arts ★★★★☆(22)
• The 3D Printing Revolution from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(19)
• Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★☆(17)
• Developing Your Musicianship from Berklee College of Music ★★★★★(16)
• Introduction to Game Design from California Institute of the Arts ★★★★☆(14)
• 3D Printing Software from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(12)
• Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century: The Camera Never Lies from University of London International Programmes ★★★☆☆(12)
• Introduction to Typography from California Institute of the Arts ★★★★☆(11)
• Roman Architecture from Yale University ★★★★☆(11)
• 3D Printing Applications from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(8)
• Ignite Your Everyday Creativity from State University of New York ★★★★☆(6)
• Cameras, Exposure, and Photography from Michigan State University ★★★★☆(6)

Mathematics

• Introduction to Mathematical Thinking from Stanford University ★★★★☆(51)
• Probability and Statistics: To p or not to p? from University of London International Programmes ★★★★★(3)
• Introduction to Complex Analysis from Wesleyan University ★★★★★(2)
• Predictive Modeling and Analytics from University of Colorado Boulder ★★☆☆☆(2)
• Estadística aplicada a los negocios from Universidad Austral ★★★★☆(2)
• Improving your statistical inferences from Eindhoven University of Technology ★★★★★(1)
• Bayesian Statistics: Techniques and Models from University of California, Santa Cruz ★★★★★(1)
• Introduction to Linear Algebra and Python from Howard University ★★★★★(1)
• Discrete Mathematics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• Precalculus: Mathematical Modeling from Johns Hopkins University
• Calculus through Data & Modelling: Vector Calculus from Johns Hopkins University
• The Classical Linear Regression Model from Queen Mary University of London
• Modern Regression Analysis in R from University of Colorado Boulder
• Bayesian Statistics: Mixture Models from University of California, Santa Cruz
• Calculus through Data & Modelling: Series and Integration from Johns Hopkins University

Science

• Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries from University of Cape Town ★★★★★(35)
• Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life from The University of Chicago ★★★★★(27)
• Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space from University of Arizona ★★★★★(23)
• Introduction to Forensic Science from Nanyang Technological University ★★★★☆(18)
• Disaster Preparedness from University of Pittsburgh ★★★★☆(14)
• An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing from Copenhagen Business School ★★★☆☆(12)
• Gut Check: Exploring Your Microbiome from University of Colorado Boulder ★★★★☆(10)
• Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression from University of Melbourne ★★★★★(10)
• Global Warming I: The Science and Modeling of Climate Change from The University of Chicago ★★★★☆(8)
• Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems from University of Manchester ★★★★★(8)
• Greening the Economy: Lessons from Scandinavia from Lund University ★★★★☆(7)
• Visual Perception and the Brain from Duke University ★★★★☆(6)
• Planet Earth…and You! from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★☆(5)
• A Circular Economy of Metals: Towards a Sustainable Societal Metabolism from Leiden University ★★★★★(5)
• Statistical Mechanics: Algorithms and Computations from École normale supérieure ★★★★★(4)

Engineering

• Fundamentals of GIS from University of California, Davis ★★★★☆(11)
• Our Energy Future from University of California, San Diego ★★★★★(7)
• Introduction to Systems Engineering from University of New South Wales ★★★★★(6)
• BIM Fundamentals for Engineers from National Taiwan University ★★★★☆(4)
• Analyse numérique pour ingénieurs from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne ★★★★☆(3)
• GIS Data Formats, Design and Quality from University of California, Davis ★★★★★(2)
• Global Energy and Climate Policy from SOAS University of London ★★★★★(2)
• Embedded Hardware and Operating Systems from EIT Digital ★☆☆☆☆(2)
• Geodesign: Change Your World from Pennsylvania State University ★★★★☆(2)
• Robótica from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★☆☆☆(2)
• Introduction to Embedded Systems Software and Development Environments from University of Colorado Boulder ★★★★★(1)
• The hidden value – Lean in manufacturing and services from École des Ponts Paritech ★★★★★(1)
• BIM Application for Engineers from National Taiwan University ★★★★★(1)
• Semiconductor Physics from University of Colorado Boulder ★★★★★(1)
• Nanotechnology and Nanosensors, Part1 from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology ★☆☆☆☆(1)

Information Security (InfoSec)

• Cybersecurity and Its Ten Domains from University System of Georgia ★★★☆☆(9)
• Cyber Threats and Attack Vectors from University of Colorado System ★★★★☆(2)
• Introduction to Cybersecurity for Business from University of Colorado System ★★★★★(2)
• Hacking and Patching from University of Colorado System ★★★★★(1)
• Proactive Computer Security from University of Colorado System ★★★★★(1)
• Cybersecurity in Healthcare (Hospitals & Care Centres) from Erasmus University Rotterdam ★★★★★(1)
• Cybersecurity for Everyone from University of Maryland, College Park ★★★★★(1)
• Cybersecurity Capstone: Breach Response Case Studies from IBM ★★★★★(1)
• Cybersecurity and Mobility from University System of Georgia ★☆☆☆☆(1)
• Secure Networked System with Firewall and IDS from University of Colorado System
• Network Security & Database Vulnerabilities from IBM
• Cybersecurity and the Internet of Things from University System of Georgia
• Introduction to IT Security from Akamai
• Design and Analyze Secure Networked Systems from University of Colorado System
• Cyber Attack Countermeasures from New York University (NYU)