From DSC:
Not that this is anything new…but the business model/strategy that FiftyThree, Inc. is following with their Paper app is very intriguing to me (and caused me to reflect, again, on the changing business models within higher ed)

  1. People can obtain the basic app for free
    To get an idea of the basic interface & functionality.
    .
  2. Additional functionality costs $
    People can purchase additional tools from the in-app store: such as Sketch, Write, Outline, and Color.

As I was reflecting on this business model, I wondered…will this be a part of our future educational marketplaces/exchanges?

Lynda.com (and many others as well I suppose) already does something similar to this by providing prospective students with a few modules — for free — but then requires a subscription for accessing the rest of the content/modules.

So…what if a student could bop into a “class” to get a feel for what the content was like — and perhaps the instructor/professor as well — before they ante up for additional information/learning opportunities/content?