The Fractured Noncredit Platform Market(s)

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In several recent consulting engagements, and in our latest LMS Market Analysis report shared with On EdTech Enterprise subscribers, we have dealt with the issue of how to understand the future of noncredit academic programs as it relates to making operational decisions. In other words, what is an institution to do with noncredit programs today, and what should they expect in five years? Similarly, what are platform vendors to do in this important but chaotic market?

As a side note, even naming this space is difficult. There are significantly overlaps between Noncredit and Microcredentials and Nondegree terminology, meaning that the terms are often used interchangeably even if there are nuanced differences. When looking at the high-level strategic questions, however, the differences can become a distraction.

Because of the increasingly common questions, we plan to release our analysis to a broader audience, and today we are sharing a sub-section from the LMS report, specifically on platforms, to all premium On EdTech+ subscribers.

Growing Interest

There is growing interest in higher education in all kinds of continuing education, noncredit offerings, and microcredentials. These types of offerings typically involve people or students who are not matriculated into the institution formally, and who usually take a single class or workshop for which they would like to pay and enroll immediately. It is also often the case that a corporation or government entity will purchase access for employees and want to manage access to the courses and payment while needing to receive reporting on course completion.

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