基于多边市场的慕课商业运作探究:特征、定位与策略

The Business Operation of MOOC Platform Based on Multilateral Markets:Characteristics,Positioning and Strategy

随着高等教育成为开展终身学习活动的重要依托,寻求开放性和信息化的发展路径势在必行,而慕课可以扮演关键性角色。作为教育领域的新兴产物,慕课具备了独特的多学科特性,而从经济学视角来进行分析则具有显著的现实意义。慕课非营利性的特点与其需要稳定的经费来源相冲突,尤其是目前大多数慕课依旧是由私人平台提供,这些慕课项目究竟是如何运行的、能否长期运行,都是亟需解决的问题。为此,期望通过对基于多边市场的慕课商业运作进行探究,深入研究慕课的商业特征,了解各利益相关者所扮演的角色,以及掌握如何基于多边市场的组织形式来运行其商业模式,以大幅度增加多边市场下慕课的存活率。首先,有必要了解慕课的发展历史和脉络,掌握慕课的基本属性和应用形态。其次,基于多边市场理论分析慕课的主要商业特征,包括显著的供给成本优势、典型的需求集中效益和艰难的非营利性运作。再次,以多边市场理论为指导对慕课中学生、教师、大学和私人机构四大利益群体所扮演的角色以及群体间的相互关系进行明确定位。其中,学生是参与慕课课程的主体,教师是开发慕课课程的主力军,大学扮演着消费者与供应商两种角色,私人机构为慕课提供资金,期望以投放广告的方式宣传机构,或获取学生的行为数据,或是实现低价培训员工的目的。接着,从慕课的商业运作实践出发,对货币化策略进行阐述,提出认证模式、免费增值模式、工作-个体匹配模式和业务外包模式等四种商业模式。认证模式是慕课模仿传统高等教育机构而实施的模式,免费增值模式是为满足差异化需求而实施的模式,工作-个体匹配模式是雇主基于慕课平台寻找适合工作岗位雇员的模式,业务外包模式则是慕课平台充分发挥各个利益相关者的作用以整合最优秀专业化资源的模式。最后,面对慕课多边市场的激烈动荡,政府部门应该发挥政策指导作用,通过增加经费投入,推进教育教学改革和完善学习认证体系来为慕课的商业化运作保驾护航。

With higher education becoming the main support of lifelong learning activities,it is imperative to seek open and information-based development path,and online education platform can play a key role.As a new product in the field of education,MOOC has significant multidisciplinary characteristics,so it is of a certain practical significance to analyze from the point of economics.The non-profit nature of MOOC conflicts with the need for stable funding sources,especially as most MOOC are still provided by private platforms.How these MOOC operate and whether they can operate in the long term are urgent problems to be solved.Therefore,it is expected to greatly increase the survival rate of MOOC in the multilateral market by exploring the business operation of MOOC based on the multilateral market,deeply studying the commercial characteristics of MOOC,understanding the roles played by various stakeholders,and mastering how to run its business model based on the organizational form of the multilateral market.Firstly,it is necessary to understand the developmental history and context and to master the basic properties and application form of MOOC.Secondly,the main business characteristics of MOOC based on multilateral market theory is analyzed,including the significant cost advantages of supply,the typical focus benefit of requirement and difficult non-profit operation.Thirdly,under the guidance of multilateral market theory,the role of MOOC students,teachers,universities and private institutions as well as the relationship among the four interest groups are clearly defined.Students are the main participants in MOOC,teachers are the main force in developing MOOC courses,universities play the role of consumers and suppliers,and private organizations provide funds for MOOC,hoping to promote the organization through advertising,or access to student behavior data,or to achieve the goal of training staff at a low price.Then,monetization strategies are explained from the business practice of MOOC,and four kind of business models including Certification Model,Freemium Model,Job-person Fit Model and Outsourcing Model are presented.Certification Model is one implemented by MOOC imitating traditional higher institutions.Freemium Model is one implemented to meet differentiated needs.Job-person Fit Model is a mode for employers to find suitable employees based on MOOC platform.Outsourcing Model is a mode in which MOOC platform gives full play to the role of various stakeholders to integrate the best professional resources.Finally,in the face of fierce turmoil of MOOC multilateral market,the government should play a guiding role in policy making and protect commercialized operation of MOOC by increasing the funds investment,promoting the instructional reform and improving the certification system.