Publications
Publications
- August 2013 (Revised September 2015)
- HBS Case Collection
Coursera
By: Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Hyunjin Kim
Abstract
By providing free and open-access online courses at a large scale, Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms seek to innovate the business models of the traditional higher education industry. In a little over a year, Coursera had grown at a rapid rate to emerge as a leader of the MOOCs in terms of the number of student enrollments, courses, and partners. The case examines two aspects of these developments in the industry: (1) What choices did Coursera make that enabled it to grow so quickly? (2) In what ways did Coursera's success impact the success of its competitors, Udacity and edX? Would one player naturally come to dominate the industry, and if so, what choices should Coursera make to retain its market positioning?
Keywords
Business Models; Strategy; Competition; Business Model; Internet and the Web; Higher Education; Competitive Advantage; Education Industry
Citation
Casadesus-Masanell, Ramon, and Hyunjin Kim. "Coursera." Harvard Business School Case 714-412, August 2013. (Revised September 2015.)