From the passage about the early days of MOOCs and the growth of Coursera and EdX, answer this factual question: “Coursera was founded by professors from which university, as mentioned in the passage?”

Introduction / Context:
In describing the history of MOOCs, the passage briefly introduces Coursera and explains its origins. This information is used to show how recently MOOCs became popular and how quickly platforms like Coursera grew. The question asks you to recall which university the founders of Coursera came from. It is a straightforward detail question that requires paying attention to a single sentence in the passage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage states that Coursera “was founded by two Stanford professors.”
• This line appears while describing how the MOOC sensation was just beginning when the author first used the platform.
• The options provided are Harvard, Massachusetts, Stanford, and Oxford, all notable universities.
• We assume the passage is accurate and that “Stanford professors” refers to professors from Stanford University.

Concept / Approach:
The concept here is direct factual recall. You do not need to infer or interpret anything beyond remembering which university was explicitly named in connection with Coursera’s founders. The presence of multiple famous universities among the options is meant to test whether you remember the exact one mentioned, rather than guessing based on familiarity or prestige.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Locate in your memory or in the text the sentence that talks about Coursera’s founding. Step 2: Recall that the sentence says Coursera was founded by two professors from Stanford. Step 3: Match this information with the options given. Step 4: Identify that option C, Stanford, is the only one that corresponds to the passage. Step 5: Confirm that no other university is mentioned in relation to Coursera’s founders in the text.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you have some general background knowledge about MOOCs, you might remember that Coursera is widely associated with Stanford University and its computer science faculty. This external knowledge aligns with the passage and supports the choice of Stanford. Additionally, you can scan the passage to see that Harvard, Massachusetts (as shorthand for MIT), and Oxford are not linked to Coursera’s founding in the text. Only Stanford appears in that context, which confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Harvard is a prominent university but is not mentioned in the passage as the origin of Coursera’s founders. “Massachusetts” here refers to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but the passage does not say Coursera was founded by its professors. Oxford is another prestigious university, yet the text does not associate it with the creation of Coursera.

Common Pitfalls:
Because all the options are famous universities, students sometimes choose based on which one they personally associate with online education, instead of focusing on the text. Another mistake is to confuse the roles of different universities in the broader MOOC movement. To avoid such errors, always rely first on the passage itself. When a detail is explicitly stated, as in “two Stanford professors,” you should treat it as the controlling fact for the question.

Final Answer:
According to the passage, Coursera was founded by professors from “Stanford” University.