Cubing K12

by Barbara Mair

I am not very familiar with any learning software but i have studied K12 a little. I will cube them. http://www.k12.com/

Face 1. Market

They are as their name suggests focused on the K12 educational market

Face 2. Offering

They offer mainly content. They have all the courses for students to do online learning K thru 12

Face 3. The buyer

K12 mainly sells to state governments in the US who then offfer it to their citizens as an option to state schooling. K12 is also getting a few students whose parents are buying the training for them, mainly american expats in countries with no american school offering.

Face 4. Global markets

K12’s largest market is in the US. They are now going overseas to families seeking an american education, i.e. countries with quality internet without translation but all over the world, asian countries, latin countries, middle eastern countries. So a large market in the U.S. and a much more pulverized market elsewhere.

Face 5. Development of the market

If we look at the specific market they are going after it is a market that supports import of content and infrastructure. These are foreigners who want an american education or americans abroad who are looking for an american education. If they decide to grow their market then it would have to be analized country by country.

Face 6. Learning technology competes with existing forms of learning. Both in the US as well as oversees the family decides if this is the best option for their children versus the state education in schools or the local offerings oversees.

2 comments


1 davidp { 09.27.09 at 7:14 pm }

Interesting model and rhetoric to go with the marketing pitch on the web site.

“For parents looking to change or supplement their child’s traditional schooling.”

Tells me something about the particular bias of this company. Wonder whether many teachers support this model of engagement?

Comments?

d.


2 Barbara { 09.30.09 at 12:04 am }

They have around 50000 students online. As i said they are competing against traditional systems. They sell this as a good alternative to home schooling. They are definitely not well appreciated by traditioanl teachers but they are also getting a lot of teachers willing to come work with them as distance teachers. It is a disruptive model. In a few cases they complement the schools offering with language courses and AP courses but in most cases they are offering this model to children at home.

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