Anar Utemisova, Head of the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Power Engineering and Information Technologies, has become the first KRU faculty member to have a course published on Coursera.
Coursera is a global online learning platform offering courses from leading universities and companies around the world.
In spring 2025, KRU faculty members were given the opportunity to receive training in developing online courses for Coursera.
Anar Utemisova was among the first to complete the “Coursera Getting Started with Course Builder” program and began developing her own course.
“I wanted to try something new and become a course developer on such a major international platform. It has been a new and exciting experience,” Anar Utemisova shared.
She independently developed the course syllabus, teaching materials, practical assignments, and assessments. The video lectures were recorded in the university’s media studio.
The course, “Matrix Algebra for Beginners,” is designed to be completed over three weeks and consists of 11 video lectures and three modules.
The theoretical material is reinforced through practical assignments and final assessments.
A distinctive feature of the course is its use of simple, real-life examples to explain matrices.
“A matrix is essentially an ordinary table,” the course author explains. “For example, it could be a class schedule or a payroll table, with employees listed in rows and months in columns. I tried to use familiar, everyday examples to demonstrate how matrices work and why they are useful.”
The course is suitable for students who are just beginning their study of mathematics, as well as anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of matrix algebra from scratch. The course is free of charge.
Anar Utemisova also encourages her colleagues to embrace new approaches to teaching:
“Don’t be afraid of the camera or of stepping outside your comfort zone. Experiment with new tools, and use slides and animation to make your lectures more engaging.”
Knowledge and educational content created at KRU in Kostanay are now accessible to learners around the world.
Congratulations to Anar Utemisova on this remarkable achievement! We are proud of you!
