There is no business model for open educational resources: a business model approach

Abstract

The economic proverb ‘There is no such thing such as a free lunch’ applies also to open educational resources (OER). In recent years, several authors have used revenue models and business models to analyse the different sources of possible funding for OER. In this article the business models of Osterwalder and Chesbrough are combined with research on the motives of the participants of OER to analyse possible funding models. If the motives of governments (knowledge economy), educational institutions (efficiency, marketing), individual producers (reputation, academic interests) and users (intermediary educational products, learning) are combined, it is shown that the only long-term sustainable independent business model is based on subsidies. However, this conclusion depends both on the definition of openness (in the sense of at no cost) and on motives. More research on both aspects could alter these conclusions.

Keywords:

• OER
• open business models
• management of educational organisations

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank colleagues at NELL (Marlies Bitter, Marjolein Caniëls and Kees Pannekeet) and OERNED (Ben Janssen) for their comments; the remaining errors are the author’s own.