A SWOT Analysis of Small Private Online Courses

Abstract

While some research has been conducted to identify the strengths and weaknesses of Small Private Open Courses (SPOCs), a significant research gap exists in comprehensively examining the opportunities and threats they face. To determine if SPOCs are beneficial to learners, the authors adopted the PRISMA protocol to filter literature for SWOT analysis in SPOCs. The authors identified and analyzed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by SPOCs using a SWOT analysis method. The strengths of SPOCs include high-quality content and course delivery, accessibility, and personalization. Weaknesses involve lack of social interaction, limited resources, credentialing issues. Their opportunities consist of market growth, collaboration with other institutions, and access to new student markets. Their threats include competition from traditional courses, technology updates, and student privacy concerns.