OLDaily

Welcome to Online Learning Daily, your best source for news and commentary about learning technology, new media, and related topics.

The Business of Online Education: A Deep Dive Into Thinkific’s Financials
Dhawal Shah, ClassCentral, 2023/05/29

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I'm less interested in the financials than I am in the lessons. Like Udemy, Thinkific allows creators to launch and sell their own online course. Unlike Udemy, Thinkific allows creators to brand their own courses. You can see how it would be a pretty good business model, and Thinkific certainly caught on: "In 2020, Thinkific boasted 50,000 active creators and an impressive 66 million course enrollments from 21 million students." But here's what happened: it raised a pile of money from investors, aggressively sought growth over profitability, and began to tank. Maybe it will survive, maybe it won't, but it doesn't matter, because it will now pursue the mediocre middle all such companies pursue.

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Guide to Design, Issue and Recognise Micro-Credentials
European Training Foundation, 2023/05/29

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This is a pretty comprehensive guide (62 page PDF) written in what feels like a check-list format, in the sense that the content could be converted into a 'what to do' checklist to ensure microcredential initiatives are well planned and well executed. As such, it's a very good companion to the other paper on microcredentials referenced today. "This document is the first attempt to provide universal advice on developing, issuing and recognising micro-credentials."

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

A Strategic Institutional Response to Micro-Credentials: Key Questions for Educational Leaders
Mark Brown, Rory McGreal, Mitchell Peters, JIME, 2023/05/29

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This is quite a good paper outlining a range of institutional approaches to microcredentials. The paper starts with what is essentially a warning: while microcredentials are like 'catnip to politicians', "the micro-credential movement is not benign, and institutions must be aware of the risks and rewards of unbundling traditional credentials." The risks, however, can be mitigated if academic leaders are deliberate and intentional in their plans, and the purpose of this paper is to make clear the system design options and objectives. This paper is especially important given, as the authors note, that a small subset of these models is described in existing literature. The work of Don Presant is especially noteworthy in making clear the range of options. "We have shown that educational leaders should be weighing up many different considerations," write the authors, "while offering a compelling strategy and business case for how their institution can benefit from micro-credentials. A serious investment in micro-credentials is not for the faint hearted and can require a long-term commitment." Part of a JIME special issue on microcredentials.

Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]

We publish six to eight or so short posts every weekday linking to the best, most interesting and most important pieces of content in the field. Read more about what we cover. We also list papers and articles by Stephen Downes and his presentations from around the world.

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