Open Education for Associations
I don’t usually cross-post between Hedgehog & Fox and Mission to Learn, but I think my recent “Can Open Education Work for Associations” series over at Mission to Learn may be of interest to readers here as a look into a business model that could be of value to associations and other organizations that sell knowledge and education products.
For those not familiar with open education, the core of the idea is to offer educational resources that are:
- Free of Charge
- Freely Accessible
- Reusable
- Modifiable
The “free” part, I find, can be a discussion stopper, but forward-thinking organizational leaders have begun to realize that this is just one part of the mix - it does not mean, and nor do I advocate, giving up paid offerings. Strategically offering some educational resources for free, however - particularly in combination with “reusable” and “modifiable” - can be a tremendous way for an organization to extend brand, attract new customers, spur innovation, and generate engagement. Nice benefits, eh?!
I hope you will give the series a read and share your thoughts. Here are the links to all three parts:
- Can Open Education Work for Associations? (Part I - Benefits)
- Can Open Education Work for Associations? (Part II - Challenges)
- Can Open Education Work for Associations (Part III - Business Models)
To complement the series, I also recently interviewed Eric Frank, chief marketing officer of Flatworld Knowledge about how his company is trying to revolutionize the textbook industry with an open model. Listen in to find out what Flatworld is doing and how it plans to make money.
Enjoy,
Jeff Cobb
Hedgehog & Fox
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