ERIC Number: EJ1089486
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1027-5207
EISSN: N/A
Massive Open Online Courses and Economic Sustainability
Liyanagunawardena, Tharindu R.; Lundqvist, Karsten O.; Williams, Shirley A.
European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, v18 n2 p95-111 2015
Millions of users around the world have registered on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by hundreds of universities (and other organizations) worldwide. Creating and offering these courses costs thousands of pounds. However, at present, revenue generated by MOOCs is not sufficient to offset these costs. The sustainability of MOOCs is a pressing concern as they incur not only upfront creation costs but also maintenance costs to keep content relevant, as well as on-going facilitation support costs while a course is running and re-running. At present, charging a fee for certification seems to be a popular business model adopted by leading platform providers.
Descriptors: Online Courses, Mass Instruction, Sustainability, Open Universities, Costs, Fees, Course Content, Educational Trends, Business, Models, Literature Reviews
European Distance and E-Learning Network. Available from: EDEN Secretariat, c/o Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Egry Jozsef u 1, H-1111, Hungary. Tel: +36-1-463-1628; Fax: +36-1-463-1858; e-mail: secretariat@eurodl.org; Web site: http://www.eurodl.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A