Overall Picture of the EM-K12 field
Research Questions
- How was this field born and how is it evolving?
- What are the main business models?
- What are the innovation dynamics in this field? (inputs/outputs, timing of innovation/ disruptive or incremental innovation?)
- How does knowledge flow in this field?
- Is this field replicating models from other fields?
- How many companies?
- How much money do they make or how much money do they “move” in the American economy?
- How important is research from universities in this specific field?
- How important is public funding in this field?
- How important is private funding / venture capital in this field?
- Are there any specific public policies (from agencies, federal or state policies) that give incentives for openness or enclosure?
- What is the cost structure of the field?
- Who are the producers, the buyers, and the users?
- What is the structure of power from the production side and what is the structure of power in the demand side? E.g., who has the power to control production and demand? How is the control distributed?
The Educational Materials Sector for K-12 in the USA can be divided into non-digital and digital solutions. Digital Solutions is a general term that describes a range of technologies used to enhance the delivery and the administration of K-12 education, including data management systems, web-based course and assessment materials, and online tutoring and professional development. While under the non-digital solutions for K-12 education we find textbooks and other materials, such as educative toys and games.
The Digital Solutions market is a growing market, marked by fragmentation and overlapping segments, making it difficult to find specific information. A 2000 Merrill Lynch study "The Knowledge Web" estimated the market to be $1.3 billion at that time. In 2008, the market was estimated in between $5 and $7 billion. For some, key drivers of this growth have been the ongoing impact of NCLB, improving IT infrastructure, and the growing number of tech-savvy students and teachers. Three market segments are identifiable: Instructional Materials and Assessments, data management and analysis, and supporting services.
For the purposes of this research, we will focus just on that products that have specific educational purposes, embedding knowledge that can be enclosured under some form of Intellectual Property. Thus we will not consider into this research the segment markets of
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