Online Courses Look for a Business Model

As we think about how we can make our own Distance Learning courses sustainable and revenue generating in the future, I'd like to share this Wall Street Journal article titled "Online Courses Look for a Business Model." Just as we find challenges with a sustainable, revenue generating and profitable online course model, so does the business sector. The article focuses on unlocking the potential profitability of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) by finding a successful business model(s). MOOC providers such as Udacity, Coursera and edX are still figuring out how to keep basic course access free while generating revenue.

Some business models that are being tested include:

matching students to employers
licensing content to schools
charging for proctored exams

At this point, it is still unclear if any of these models will be successful in the long term to generate sustainable revenue and profits. However, investors and increasingly higher education recognize MOOCs potential and want to jump on the band wagon before it's too late.

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Kamehameha Schools Distance Learning (KSDL) Owau

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