Quantitative SWOT Analysis on Factors Influencing the Sustainable Development of Non-Academic Education in China’s Open Universities: A Case Study of Beijing Open University

Abstract

In 2012, considering the needs of citizens’ livelihoods and social development, the Chinese government approved six large-scale radio and television universities to become open universities (OUs). Developing non-academic education (NE) has become an important target of OUs’ transformation and development due to its importance in constructing a lifelong learning system in China. To promote the development of NE requires planning a good strategy by analyzing its internal and external environment. The purpose of this research is to provide a referential strategy for OUs in China to develop NE in their transition period. This study used the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats approach in combination with the analytical hierarchy process (SWOT-AHP) to investigate the factors influencing the development of NE in China’s OUs using the example of Beijing Open University. As shown by the research results, although the development of NE in OUs has disadvantages such as the shortage of professional personnel, insufficient capital investment, and poor market operation, the favorable national policy environment, the adjustment of local functional structure, and the extensive learning needs of citizens have led to good external opportunities. Therefore, reverse strategies should be adopted.

1. Introduction

From the 1960s to the 1980s, with the reform of the economic and industrial structure, the trend of lifelong education emerged in a global context. In 1969, the Open University of the United Kingdom (OUUK) was established in England. As the benchmark of open universities (OUs) worldwide, OUUK’s concept of “four opennesses” (openness to people, places, methods, and concepts) is an innovation in the history of higher education. Open education boasts openness and flexibility beyond traditional education, and considers the cost, quality, and efficiency of education. By accommodating the needs of the learning groups who are constrained in terms of learning time, who live in remote areas, and who are politically or economically disadvantaged, it fully reflects the humanistic spirit and humanistic care, conforms to the idea of fair and equal education democratization, and promotes the massification and popularization of higher education. Many countries have followed the successful experience of the UK, and established their own OUs [1].

Inspired by the first OU, in 1979, the Central Radio and Television University and 28 provincial radio and television universities (RTVUs, the predecessor of OUs) were established in China. This was an important measure to deal with the labor force shortage for the development of industrialized society in terms of both quantity and quality within a specific historical period. At this point in time, the Cultural Revolution had just ended, and there were many tasks waiting to be carried out. By 2010, RTVUs had trained 7.577 million graduates of higher education [2]. RTVUs have played an important role in the compensatory education, and made an irreplaceable contribution to talent training in China.

Despite these breakthroughs, with the changes of the times, the massification and popularization of regular higher education have accelerated, the social demand for compensatory education has been significantly reduced, and the space for academic education (AE) of RTVUs has decreased. Therefore, it is now necessary to find a new way to improve the social and economic benefits of running an RTVU. At the same time, non-academic education (NE), as the main form of lifelong education, has become an important necessity of people’s work and life. Due to China’s aging population, industrial upgrading, improvement of economic conditions, and promotion of the construction of a learning society, people’s demands for rapid access to knowledge, ideas, and skills are becoming increasingly strong. Moreover, compared with the strict requirements of AE on the subject knowledge system and learning conditions, NE has better flexibility, convenience, and accessibility, better meets the diversified and personalized learning needs of many learners in the busy modern life, and presents a rapid development trend [3]. In 2010, China’s National Medium- and Long-Term Education Reform and Development Plan (2010–2020) was released. This plan proposed to “vigorously develop non-academic continuing education” and “run an open university well”, thereby endowing the OU with a new historical mission. In 2012, upon approval by the Ministry of Education, six OUs were established on the basis of the original RTVUs, and the road of transformation and development was opened. The transformation is mainly reflected in the following aspects: in terms of the orientation of school running, the transformation from adult higher colleges to the important pillar of building a learning society. In terms of the goal of school running, the transformation from cultivating high-level applied talent to promoting the quality of the general public. In terms of the content of school running, the transformation from adult higher education to equal stress on AE and NE. In terms of teaching methods, the transformation from in-person teaching to network teaching [4]. It can be seen that the development of NE is not only the transformation direction of OUs, but an important historical mission. However, compared with the AE, the NE of the OU began late, and suffers from little experience, underdeveloped mechanisms, and a lack of talent. The original education management mechanism, teaching content, teaching methods, teaching results, and teaching staff of the OU are all designed around the AE. In the process of transformation to the diversification of school running tasks, the OU will face difficulties in policy, institution, concept, system, and technology [5].

There are 32 provincial RTVUs in China. In 2012, six of them were changed into OUs as pilots. In addition, NE began to be prioritized in the six OUs, while the other RTVUs still paid most of their attention to AE. Most local RTVUs are still in the stage of experimenting and planning, without the implementation of NE in a real sense. Therefore, the development of NE in China’s OUs has been almost entirely embraced by these six open universities alone. In this study, Beijing Open University (BJOU) is selected as the survey object among the six pilot OUs by means of purposive sampling. BJOU, located in the capital of China, formerly known as Beijing Radio and Television University, is the first university in China that offers distance education. Long history and premium location make BJOU a good example in terms of progressiveness, typicality, and representativeness in the development of NE. Research on BJOU is referential for other OUs, policy makers, and other parties interested in the development of non-academic open education in China.

For the above reasons, the goals of this study are to explore the factors influencing the development of NE, and to reflect on the improvement path of the sustainable development of open education in China using the case study of BJOU.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Definition of NE

According to China’s Ministry of Education, NE refers to education activities beyond AE held by colleges and universities directed toward society, such as the various types of training and advanced study, with the goal of enhancing the students’ professional quality, professional skills, knowledge, and cultural level, or to satisfy personal interests and other criteria [6]. Some scholars believe that NE refers to the supplementary education planned, organized, and implemented according to the actual needs of the Party and government organs, enterprises and institutions, social organizations, and most professionals and social people in addition to the national sequence of AE, thus making it a form of continuing education activities. This definition can be generally divided into skill training, knowledge training, concept training, qualification training, and post training [7].

Specifically, the NE in the OUs mainly includes two categories. The first is community education and elderly education oriented to the construction of a learning society and meeting the diverse learning needs of residents. This form of education mainly focuses on cultural and leisure education. It is usually not aimed at career development and has no productive characteristics. It is mainly aimed at improving personal living ability, cultivating cultural sentiment and improving quality of life, meeting people’s needs in social communication and spiritual development, and maintaining social stability, health, and positive development. The second category is various vocational education and skill training centering on improving vocational ability. This form of education is mainly a short-term targeted training for some specific skills in social production. Although it differs from systematic learning in AE, its objective of talent training is relatively consistent, and its original intention is to improve people’s productivity.

2.2. Overview of NE in China’s Six Pilot OUs

As early as 1986, the Central Broadcast and Television University of China, formerly the Open University of China (OUC), set up a special department of non-academic continuing education to carry out various forms of NE. The main focus was on providing open, integrated, and tailored NE services for national ministries and commissions, industry associations, medium and large enterprises and public institutions, and specific groups of people, so as to deepen lifelong learning in the field of careers. In addition, the OUC set up the Community Education Research and Training Center in 2010, and established 50 community education experimental bases in the RTVU system. In 2015, the Open University for the Elderly was established, carrying out education programs for the elderly such as “open class for the elderly”, “lecture hall for the elderly”, and “study tour for the elderly”. With its resource advantages, COU has carried out a number of special NE and training programs. It also focuses on exploring 11 special programs and 550 general courses for integrating AE and NE [8].

After being renamed the Open University in 2012, the five provincial OUs have gained greater autonomous rights. Except for part of the AE, all of their operations have gradually become independent from the COU. The five provincial OUs have carried out a series of NE practices to serve regional economic and social development.

BJOU is located in the capital of China, the country’s center for political, cultural, scientific, and technological innovation and international exchange. BJOU makes full use of the capital’s political and economic resources to carry out customized training. In cooperation with the Beijing municipal women’s federation, the Beijing municipal civil affairs bureau, Beijing municipal education commission, the Beijing municipal federation of trade unions, Beijing disabled persons’ federation, and the Beijing bureau of prisons, BJOU has carried out various training programs (see

Table 1. NE development of provincial OUs in China.

OU	Branch School/Learning Center	Special Program	NE Platform
BJOU	26 branch schools 17 sub-centers of community education and guidance	Training of employment counselors for persons with disabilities Police teacher training Social worker training Professional skills training for teachers Training for female science and technology workers Family education instructor training International quality course center	Social Education Online (https://bkpx.bjou.edu.cn) Accessed on 22 September 2022 Beijing Learning Website (https://www.bjlearning.cn) Accessed on 22 September 2022
SHOU	43 branch schools	Shanghai Parent School construction project Training for nursery practitioners Training for elderly service personnel Junior business administration training Training of non-academic teachers in OU’s teaching system	Shanghai Learning Website (https://www.shlll.net) Accessed on 23 September 2022 Shanghai Lifelong Education Resource Distribution Platform (http://zyps.shlll.net) Accessed on 23 September 2022 China and Germany open online learning platform (https://cgonline.org.cn) Accessed on 23 September 2022
GDOU	19 municipal branch schools 69 county level branch schools More than 20 industry college/ branch school	Entrepreneurship training Vocational qualification training of Guangdong Labor Institute Professional skills training of construction, operation, and maintenance of network system Professional skills training of digital application in project cost Professional skills training on development and design intelligent terminal of Internet of Things Computer vision application development and WEB front-end development training	Guangdong University for Elderly (https://gdlndx.ougd.cn) Accessed on 22 September 2022
JSOU	9607 community educational institutions, including four community universities, 103 community colleges, 890 community education centers and 8610 resident schools	A demonstration base for joint support and education Learning Garden of Jiangsu Open University Master’s Studio	Jiangsu Learning Online (http://www.js-study.cn) Accessed on 23 September 2022 Jiangsu Education for Elderly (http://www.jslnxx.cn) Accessed on 23 September 2022
YNOU	28 state (municipal) or industry (enterprise) open colleges 132 teaching stations; 535 off-campus training bases; Three overseas learning centers	Knowledge and ability training for veterans Party history education Special ability training for grassroots agricultural technical personnel Leading cadre training	Yunnan Education for Community and Elderly (https://www.ynsqjy.cn) Accessed on 23 September 2022 Yunnan Cadre Online Learning Institute (http://www.ynsgbzx.cn) Accessed on 23 September 2022

). In 2021, 82 non-academic programs were held, with a total of 291,090 participants [9].

Shanghai Open University (SHOU) is located on the east coast of China, an economic and an international exchange center. As an important functional department of SHOU, the Department of Non-Academic Education is responsible for the overall management of NE in the university. It provides multi-level, multi-form, and high-quality NE for various social groups such as employees, students, community residents, and professional farmers (see Table 1). SHOU attaches great importance to the scientific research of NE. It has established the Shanghai Lifelong Education Research Association, and published the journal Shanghai Community Education. Based on the theoretical exploration and practical experience of Shanghai’s community education, it has played a driving role in promoting such work [10].

Guangdong Open University (GDOU) is located in the most economically developed area on the southeastern coast of China. The characteristics of its NE are mainly reflected in its adherence to deepening the integration of industry and education, school–enterprise cooperation, and focusing on serving high-end industries. A variety of vocational skills training has been carried out (see Table 1), which has made a positive contribution to the cultivation of many highly qualified workers and skilled personnel who can promote economic development in the local area. At the same time, to balance the needs of the elderly, as of the end of 2021, the GDOU had established 52 schools for the elderly based on its brand. An education system for the elderly covering the whole province has been initially formed, providing more than 300 courses on music, instrumental music, dance, arts and calligraphy, sports, and cultural accomplishment [11].

Jiangsu Open University (JSOU) is located in the Yangtze River Delta region. JSOU has led the establishment of a five-level characteristic NE network system, and created a series of well-known characteristic social education brands (see Table 1). JSOU focuses on education for the elderly as the starting point of NE, and carries out comprehensive quality improvement training. JSOU unites more than 40 members of the learning alliance, forming an integrated learning alliance of data exchange, resource construction, sharing, and mutual recognition. In the form of targeted enrollment, vocational skills upgrading, job qualification certificate, re-employment and other skills, and business training are provided to enterprises and public employees, rural workers, students, and retired soldiers [12].

Yunnan Open University (YNOU) is located in the border area of southwestern China. In accordance with the mode of headquarters, open colleges, learning centers, and teaching points, YNOU has built a school system covering both the urban and rural areas of the province, along with overseas learning centers covering South Asia and Southeast Asia. In 2020, YNOU carried out a total of 184,174 NE training sessions, evaluations, and appraisals. One of the characteristic tasks of its NE is developing cadre training. Its online learning platform for Yunnan provincial cadres has more than 80,000 course resources, and 168,362 leading cadres are trained every year. Another of its characteristic tasks is training agricultural technical personnel, and the Provincial Grassroots Agricultural Technical Personnel Training Base has been approved. In addition, the Yunnan University for the Elderly, with excellent and diverse teaching facilities, has been established. In 2021, 72 classes of elderly students participated in the training of 1721 person-times [13].

Combined with their own advantages and resources of the economic, political, social, geographical, and cultural environments, six OUs in different regions have carried out many NE projects, such as vocational training, community education, and education for the elderly, through both online and offline teaching methods. Through nearly a decade of exploration, the development of NE has begun to take shape.

2.3. Review of Studies on the Influential Factors of OUs’ NE Development

Although the development of NE in China’s OUs has achieved certain social and economic benefits, it is still in its infancy and remains immature, and its future development is affected by a series of complex factors. Though not much academic research has been performed on this topic, some crucial factors for the development of the OUs can still be summarized from the relevant research performed both inside and outside China.

The primary factor is national policies and regulations. Many developed countries attach great importance to education legislation, and carry out education activities under the framework of laws. For example, in 1966, the US issued the Adult Education Act; in 1969, the UK established the Open University by Royal Charter; in 1970, Canada established Athabasca University by the Alberta Post-Secondary Study Act; and in 1972, South Korea established the Korean National Open University by Presidential Decree No. 6106. Furthermore, in 1981, Japan issued the Broadcasting University College Law. The legislation content of distance education in developed countries is comprehensive and practical, and defines the idea, education object, teaching methods, and means of OUs. At the same time, the legislation makes operational provisions in the awarding of academic degrees, establishment of institutions and employment of personnel, rights and interests of teachers and learners, quality certification and evaluation, financial allocation, and other aspects [14]. Due to the lack of complete legislation when RTVUs were founded in China, the long-term development of RTVUs was affected by the lack of clear legal provisions on the positioning of the university, the construction of the distance education system, management system, institutional setting and funding, and other major issues [15].

The second factor is achieving learning anytime and anywhere, since open education must rely on a certain amount of teaching infrastructure and a wealth of learning resources. Welinton et al. [16,17] stressed the importance of learning centers, and indicated that learning centers were considered solid components of the distance education system. In addition, since OUs usually adopt long-distance education, there are diverse types of interaction, not always including direct and frequent contact with teachers. The challenge of designing and developing learning resources is in providing the conditions for learning to occur. Aside from their own investment in the construction of learning resources, many courses of Open University Australia and Indira Gandhi National Open University are provided through cooperation with other universities or research institutions, thus eliminating the limitations of OUs mainly relying on internal resources [15,18]. In addition, it is worth noting another kind of form in non-academic leisure culture education present in the UK. According to their own careers, interests, and abilities, students apply for teaching courses, such as car maintenance, care and first aid, baking, needle crafts, bridge, investment, BBS, infant care, and various language courses. A steady stream of novel and high-quality teaching resources has been developed to greatly supplement the content of NE [19]. Although the NE resources of OUs in China have begun to take shape, there remain some problems, such as limited construction channels and low-quality and obsolete content, which restrict the development of NE [20].

The development of education relies on teachers and professional administrators. The Nordic countries, the US, Japan, and other countries have both part-time teachers and full-time teachers, and they have a mature model of continuing teacher education and pre-service training mechanisms. In terms of salary and treatment, they are roughly the same as teachers in other education fields [21]. However, in the study performed by Khalida Nasreen [22] regarding Allama Iqbal Open University Assurances (Pakistan), and Welinton’s study [16] on the Open University of Brazil, the authors point out that the teachers have a lower salary package than other public universities, yet many responsibilities to attend meetings, seminars, conferences, and workshops. Therefore, they have less time for research work and are provided fewer opportunities to travel abroad for further studies or to attend conferences and seminars. This is similar to the conclusions reached by Zhang Wei [23] and Zhao Shenghong et al. [24] in their research on local RTVUs in China. Additionally, the six OUs in China point out in their self-evaluation reports that their major problems are quality assurance and capacity building, including quality teachers, quality management, and quality curriculum design and development. Only 30% of the teachers at OUs in China have postgraduate qualifications, and many lack professional development opportunities [25].

The restriction of financial income is one of the main problems faced by many OUs. NE needs financial support from the government, especially as public welfare in the form of community education and education for the elderly. In Sweden, Finland, Japan, and other countries, the government greatly subsidizes community education, ensuring its sustainable development [21]. During the short history of the US Open University (USOU), having only one funding channel led to its fatal crisis [26]. In China, although the government finances OUs, it can only guarantee their basic operations. For non-academic programs, especially due to the institutional problems of public institutions, the limited and insufficient use of funds restricts the development of NE [27,28]. However, the public–private management mode of the Open University of Catalonia (OUC) in Spain is worth learning from. As the highest authority of the university, the board of directors is fully responsible for its academic and financial management, which greatly endows UOC with the right of autonomy, and this is one of the reasons for its rapid development [29].

Growing competitiveness fills the development of OUs with many threats. Meyer [30] pointed out that the reasons for the boom of USOU were overestimates of the market’s size, the entry of new education suppliers, and subsequent fierce competition. In China, open and distance learning institutions are now experiencing an unprecedented prosperous period while the market is becoming increasingly competitive, now covering all education levels, attracting public and private sectors, and providing various scopes of services [31]. Following the wave of MOOCs and internet technologies in recent years, the conventional universities and education institutions in China have strived to develop open and distance learning. Even with the deepening of globalization and the development of “we media”, there will be great competition from abroad and among individuals [32]. In response to such competition, OUUK has made good use of sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to increase its visibility and educational accessibility [15]. However, OUs in China lack the marketing and operations of NE.

The certification of learning outcomes can add to the appeal of open education. Countries such as Japan, South Korea, and India have signed credit recognition agreements with other universities, or set up credit banks to recognize academic and non-academic results. Arnone [33] and Krenelka [34] stated that students are looking for regionally accredited schools and curricula, and without regional accreditation, they are reluctant to enroll in the institution. In his study on China’s open education, Professor Zhang Weiyuan [35] of Beijing Normal University said that it is necessary to accelerate the process of building a qualifications framework and credit transfer systems at the national level.

In addition to the factors mentioned above, Ma et al. [36] mentioned that incomplete data collection and utilization of education makes it impossible to accurately promote the development of an open education. Other reasons that have been mentioned are students’ satisfaction with non-academic services, organizational system, brand effect, school-running characteristics, and brand reputation [20,23,27,37].

The influencing factors of NE is one of the important issues in open education research. In recent years, some Chinese scholars and practitioners of open education at the grassroots level have turned their attention to the development of NE at OUs, and conducted discussions from different angles. However, it is not difficult to find from the literature retrieval and content sorting of the existing studies that few studies have been performed regarding the factors affecting the development of NE in OUs. The research methods adopted are all qualitative in nature, and most of them are the summaries and modes of thinking of grassroots practitioners. Despite a certain practical foundation, they are subjective and thus easily limited by personal perspectives, lacking quantitative and scientific research.

For all of the above reasons, the present study, taking BJOU located in the capital of China as an example, explores the important factors influencing the development of NE of OUs, and summarizes the problems existing in the development. The study then provides a reference basis for OUs to grasp the key points among the complex factors influencing the development and prepare targeted development strategies. The study results bear a certain significance for increasing the rate of return on resource investment, enhancing quality of service, strengthening viability, and seizing development opportunities.

The frame diagram of this study is shown in Figure 1.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Materials

3.1.1. Preparation

To comprehensively understand the factors influencing the NE of open universities, a literature search and pre-survey was conducted before the questionnaire design.

In January 2021, using “‘open university’ AND ‘non-academic education’ OR ‘non-degree education’” as the search query, the literature was searched on the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Web of Science (WOS), and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) platforms. Then, policy documents and reports were searched on the websites of related government departments and open universities. Finally, based on the literature search and advice offered by the five experts interviewed during the pre-survey stage, the questionnaire of the first stage was designed.

3.1.2. Formal Investigation

According to the requirements of the quantitative SWOT analysis method adopted in the follow-up work, the onsite investigation in this study makes comprehensive use of the interview and questionnaire methods, and the investigation is divided into two stages.

• Stage 1: Establish the hierarchy chart of influencing factors

In stage 1, a semi-structured interview (the questions are shown in

Table A1. Outline of semi-structured interview.

Number	Question
1	What is your current job related to non-academic education?
2	What do you think of the Open University taking non-academic education as the direction of its transformation?
3	What advantages do you think Beijing Open University has in developing non-academic education?
4	What disadvantages do you think Beijing Open University has in developing non-academic education?
5	What opportunities do you think exist in the development of non-academic education in Beijing Open University?
6	What external threats do you think exist in the development of non-academic education in Beijing Open University?
7	What are the key factors of the development of non-academic education in Beijing Open University that you mentioned above?
8	What measures do you think can promote the sustainable development of non-academic education in Beijing Open University?

) was conducted to understand the current situation and problems of NE development, and questionnaires were filled in to establish the hierarchy structure model required by quantitative SWOT analysis.

According to the different identities of the instructors at BJOU, the research objects were stratified (see

Table 2. Type and number of field survey objects.

Type		Number of Interviewers
		Stage 1	Stage 2
School leaders		1(1)	1(1)
Middle-level cadres	Teaching department	2(2)	3(3)
	Management department	2(2)	2(2)
Ordinary teachers	Teaching department	10(7)	14(11)
	Management department	4(3)	6(5)
Academic experts		1(1)	3(2)
Learners		2(0)	1(0)
Total		22(16)	30(24)

Note: The figure in brackets indicates the number of respondents with senior professional titles or more than 10 years’ work experience in an OU.

for details). The SWOT-AHP analysis was especially designed to draw accurate data from a small sample of experts [38], and, based on the experience of previous research, the sample size of the first stage was 20–30 people. The survey samples were selected by snowball sampling, and 22 semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were completed in September 2022 (see Table 2 for details).

2.

Stage 2: Overall ranking of influencing factors

In stage 2, a questionnaire survey was conducted to assign expert weights to the hierarchy structure model obtained in the first stage, and the main factors influencing the development of NE were analyzed.

As in the first stage, the questionnaire survey of the second stage was also conducted by making comprehensive use of purposive sampling and snowball sampling in September 2022. The sample size was set at 30 people (see Table 2). The respondents were required to compare and assign every two factors. For the questionnaires with a random consistency rate between 0.1 and 0.3, the weights of pairwise comparison were corrected, and for those with a random consistency rate greater than 0.3, the questionnaires were returned for re-assignment.

3.2. Methods

Quantitative SWOT analysis has been commonly used in strategic analysis and research since the 1990s. Various influencing factors can be explored by the SWOT method, the factors can be sorted using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and the quadrant position can be accurately positioned in the SWOT matrix to propose countermeasures. More specifically, there are three steps involved, as follows.

3.2.1. Step 1: SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis was proposed as a strategic analysis method in the mid-20th century, and innovated by Professor Weihrich of the University of San Francisco in the early 1980s [39]. It is a tool used in order to appraise the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) in a project or decision making with a strategic approach [40]. This method combines exterior opportunities and threats with the strengths and weaknesses of the organization itself, and fills the analysis results into Zone I-VIII of the SWOT matrix, as shown in

Table 3. SWOT matrix.

		Internal Factors
		III Strength (S)	IV Weakness (W)
External factors	I Opportunity (O)	V  S + O Strategies (growth-oriented strategy)	VI  W + O Strategies (reverse strategy)
	II Threat (T)	VII  S + T Strategies (diversified strategy)	VIII  W + T Strategies (defensive strategy)

.

Next, based on the SWOT matrix, dynamic system analysis can be performed according to the changes of the environment, so as to identify the location of the project or enterprise and make corresponding strategies [41,42,43,44].

As a qualitative research method, it is intuitive and simple. However, it also has certain shortcomings in terms of subjectivity and inadequate accuracy. Therefore, after sorting out the internal and external influencing factors through SWOT analysis, the AHP is then conducted for optimization.

3.2.2. Step 2: AHP Analysis

The AHP decomposes the problem into different evaluation objectives, and establishes a multi-level analysis structure model. The hierarchical structure and subordinate relationship among the evaluation objectives are expressed by the objective tree. According to the given criteria, certain weights are given based on the function value of each evaluation objective to the overall evaluation objective. The objective tree is then compared and scored from top to bottom (see Table 4). Next, a pairwise comparison judgment matrix A is established. The factor a_ij in the matrix is the importance of the factor A_i relative to the factor A_j, which satisfies a_ij > 0. See Table 5 for the specific numerical meaning. The initial weight coefficient W’ and the normalized weight coefficient W are calculated according to the following formula to obtain the weight value of each factor in the objective layer. The weight value is then calculated layer by layer along the hierarchical structure from top to bottom in order to calculate the importance of the lowest layer factor relative to the highest layer factor (overall objective), or the synthetic weight value of the relative strengths and weaknesses, i.e., the overall ranking of the hierarchy [45]. Initial weight coefficient:

$${{\mathrm{W}}^{\prime }}_{\mathrm{i}}=\sqrt[\mathrm{m}]{{\mathrm{a}}_{\mathrm{i}1}\cdot {\mathrm{a}}_{\mathrm{i}2}\cdots {\mathrm{a}}_{\mathrm{im}}}$$

(1)

Normalized weight coefficient:

$${\mathrm{W}}_{\mathrm{i}}=\frac{{{\mathrm{W}}^{\prime }}_{\mathrm{i}}}{{{\displaystyle \sum }}_{\mathrm{i}=1}^{\mathrm{m}}{{\mathrm{W}}^{\prime }}_{\mathrm{i}}}$$

(2)

When applying the AHP, it is necessary to use the random consistency ratio (CR) to check the consistency between the weight coefficient and the judgment matrix, thereby ensuring the conformance of pairwise comparison assignment to the logic. It is generally believed that when CR < 0.1, the judgment matrix bears satisfactory consistency [46]. In Formula (3), CI is the consistency index; RI is the random consistency index, i.e., the consistency index of the randomly generated judgment matrix, and its size depends on the number n of factors compared during pairwise comparison (see Table 6); λ_max is the maximum characteristic root of the judgment matrix; and finally, (AW)_i is the ith factor of the product of the judgment matrix and corresponding priority matrix [47]. The random consistency ratio is determined as follows:

$$\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{CR}=\frac{\mathrm{CI}}{\mathrm{RI}}\\ \mathrm{CI}=\frac{{\mathsf{\lambda }}_{\max }-\mathrm{n}}{\mathrm{n}-1}\\ {\mathsf{\lambda }}_{\max }=\frac{1}{\mathrm{n}}{\displaystyle {\displaystyle \sum }_{\mathrm{i}=1}^{\mathrm{n}}}\frac{{\left(\mathrm{AW}\right)}_{\mathrm{i}}}{{\mathrm{w}}_{\mathrm{i}}}\end{array}$$

(3)

Table 4. Scoring criteria for each layer of the objective tree [48].

Intensity of the Weight	Comparative Importance	Explanation
1	Equal significant	Two criteria contribute equally to objectives
3	Moderately more significant	One criterion slightly favored over another
5	Strongly more significant	One criterion strongly favored over another
7	Very strongly more significant	One criterion favored very strongly over another
9	Enormously more significant	The evidence favoring one criterion over another is of highest possible order of affirmation
2/4/6/8	Intermediate values	Employed to represent compromise between the priorities listed above

Note: If one criterion has one of the above non-zero numbers assigned to it when compared to the criteria, then it has the reciprocal value during comparison.

Table 4. Scoring criteria for each layer of the objective tree [48].

Intensity of the Weight	Comparative Importance	Explanation
1	Equal significant	Two criteria contribute equally to objectives
3	Moderately more significant	One criterion slightly favored over another
5	Strongly more significant	One criterion strongly favored over another
7	Very strongly more significant	One criterion favored very strongly over another
9	Enormously more significant	The evidence favoring one criterion over another is of highest possible order of affirmation
2/4/6/8	Intermediate values	Employed to represent compromise between the priorities listed above

Note: If one criterion has one of the above non-zero numbers assigned to it when compared to the criteria, then it has the reciprocal value during comparison.

Table 5. Weight assignment of the objective layer.

	A1	A2	A3	A4
A1	1	a21	a31	a41
A2	a12	1	a32	a42
A3	a13	a23	1	a43
A4	a14	a24	a34	1

Note: This objective layer includes four indexes, i.e., i = 4, j = 4.

Table 5. Weight assignment of the objective layer.

	A1	A2	A3	A4
A1	1	a21	a31	a41
A2	a12	1	a32	a42
A3	a13	a23	1	a43
A4	a14	a24	a34	1

Note: This objective layer includes four indexes, i.e., i = 4, j = 4.

Table 6. Values of order 1–9 average random consistency index RI [49].

n	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
RI	0.00	0.00	0.58	0.90	1.12	1.24	1.32	1.41	1.45

Table 6. Values of order 1–9 average random consistency index RI [49].

n	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
RI	0.00	0.00	0.58	0.90	1.12	1.24	1.32	1.41	1.45

3.2.3. Step 3: Quantitative SWOT Analysis

Based on the key factors and weights obtained in steps 1 and 2, internal and external factor evaluation matrixes are established. The internal factor evaluation matrix (IFE) normalizes the weights of the strengths (S_i) and weaknesses (W_i) to obtain the new total weight of the lowest layer factors. The external factor evaluation matrix (EFE) deals with the opportunities (O_i) and threats (T_i) in the same manner. Next, each factor is scored by the experts according to the specific situation to obtain P, using a 5-point scoring system, where 5: excellent, 4: good, 3: fair, 2: poor, and 1: very poor. Finally, the final coordinate value is obtained by multiplying the weights of internal and external factors with the scores, and accumulating the products (see Formula (4)). Through the above processing, the decision-making result of each expert is positioned in the SWOT strategy map, the total results are obtained by group decision analysis, and the appropriate development strategy is selected.

The normalized weight S_i′ and weighted value T of internal factors [50,51,52]:

$$\begin{array}{c}{\mathrm{S}}^{\prime }=\frac{{\mathrm{S}}_1}{{\mathrm{S}}_1+{\mathrm{W}}_1}\\ {{\mathrm{S}}^{\prime }}_{\mathrm{i}}={\mathrm{S}}_{\mathrm{i}}\times {\mathrm{S}}^{\prime }\\ \mathrm{T}={{\mathrm{S}}^{\prime }}_{\mathrm{i}}\times \mathrm{P}\end{array}$$

(4)

4. Results

4.1. SWOT-AHP Analysis Results

4.1.1. Construction of AHP Structure

In the first stage of the consultation, 22 semi-structured interviews with experts were held, and 22 questionnaires were collected. According to the results of the consultation questionnaires (see

Table A2. Factors influencing the development of non-academic education in Beijing Open University.

	Rank	Factor	Type (S: Strength, W: Weakness, O: Opportunity, T: Threat)	Importance Score
Internal factors	1	Capital investment *	W	7.91
	2	Professional personnel *	W	7.82
	3	Learning resources *	S	7.77
	4	Educational infrastructure *	S	7.59
	5	Development planning of the school *	S	7.14
	6	Collaboration among departments *	W	6.59
	7	Incentive mechanism *	W	6.36
	8	Marketing and operation *	W	6.23
	9	Faculty concept and awareness *	W	5.95
	10	Scientific research base	S	4.91
	11	Previous experience	S	4.82
	12	Teaching method and means	W	4.82
	13	Learning platform	S	4.68
	14	The school scale	W	4.55
	15	Independent intellectual property rights project	W	3.64
External factors	1	National education planning and policy *	O	8.14
	2	Urban development planning *	O	8.05
	3	Learning needs of citizens *	O	7.68
	4	Market competition *	T	7.09
	5	Recognition of the school brand *	T	6.05
	6	Cooperation with external institutions	O	4.91
	7	Referable experiences	O	4.77
	8	Recognition and credit transfer	O	4.50
	9	Development of educational technology	T	4.50
	10	Intellectual Property protection	T	4.27
	11	COVID-19 pandemic	T	4.73

Note: “*” means the factor (importance sore > 5) is selected to construct the AHP model.

), the important factors influencing the development of NE at BJOU were summarized, and the SWOT structural analysis was conducted (see

Table 7. Important SWOT factors on the development of NE.

	Positive	Negative
	Strengths	Weakness
Internal	(S1) Educational infrastructure: multiple campuses, sufficient space for school operations, and advanced online and offline teaching facilities.	(W1) Professional personnel: lack of NE personnel with market awareness and operation management experience.
	(S2) Learning resources: abundant learning resources accumulated over many years.	(W2) Capital investment: insufficient investment in NE.
	(S3) Development planning of the school: increasing attention on and development planning for NE.	(W3) Faculty concept and awareness: the faculty lack understanding of NE due to long-term engagement in AE.
		(W4) Marketing and operation: lack of experience in marketing and operation.
		(W5) Collaboration among departments: lack of collaboration among the school departments.
		(W6) Incentive mechanism: lack of various incentive mechanisms for NE development.
External	(O1) National education planning and policy: the development plan and overall deployment requirements for NE issued by the State.	(T1) Recognition of the school brand: low popularity and recognition of the school.
	(O2) Urban development planning: planning the construction of the “four centers” of the capital city and a learning city, conducive to the development of NE.	(T2) Market competition: fierce competition in the NE market.
	(O3) Learning needs of citizens: citizens’ demands for NE is increasing day by day.

).

According to the results of the SWOT analysis, an AHP structure chart is constructed. The development of NE of BJOU is taken as the objective layer. The first criterion layer includes four groups: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Next, the first criterion layer is further divided into the second criterion layer (see Figure 2). According to the above structure chart, a questionnaire with pairwise comparison weight assignment is then designed to perform AHP analysis.

4.1.2. AHP Analysis Results

In the AHP process, the weight assignment was performed by a total of 30 experts. After logical correction, the logical consistency of each expert’s weight assignment was shown to meet the requirements (CR < 10%). The inter- and intra-group weights of each factor are shown in

Table 8. Distribution of weight values of factors between and within the SWOT groups.

SWOT	Weight M (Q25, Q75)	Factors	Local Weight M (Q25, Q75)	Global Weight M (Q25, Q75)
Strength	0.182 (0.055, 0.488)	Educational infrastructure	0.338 (0.155, 0.429)	0.059 (0.018, 0.123)
		Learning resources	0.372 (0.199, 0.452)	0.061 (0.021, 0.141)
		Development planning of the school	0.332 (0.154, 0.403)	0.039 (0.009, 0.143)
Weakness	0.237 (0.093, 0.396)	Professional personnel	0.203 (0.131, 0.298)	0.058 (0.021, 0.091)
		Capital investment	0.195 (0.146, 0.242)	0.048 (0.013, 0.089)
		Faculty concept and awareness	0.132 (0.052, 0.213)	0.037 (0.011, 0.066)
		Marketing and operation	0.153 (0.086, 0.230)	0.041 (0.012, 0.065)
		Collaboration among departments	0.149 (0.089, 0.192)	0.039 (0.010, 0.088)
		Incentive mechanism	0.149 (0.081, 0.273)	0.033 (0.010, 0.067)
Opportunity	0.358 (0.128, 0.549)	National education planning and policy	0.346 (0.235, 0.713)	0.099 (0.025, 0.232)
		Urban development planning	0.289 (0.152, 0.493)	0.114 (0.021, 0.271)
		Learning needs of citizens	0.233 (0.141, 0.439)	0.097 (0.018, 0.133)
Threat	0.175 (0.092, 0.473)	Recognition of the school brand	0.345 (0.176, 0.531)	0.055 (0.027, 0.111)
		Market competition	0.451 (0.141, 0.838)	0.096 (0.018, 0.154)

Note: The consistency test results of pairwise comparison among decision-making groups are all CR < 0.1%.

.

4.1.3. Total Ranking of Factors in Group Decision-Making Analysis

Next, group decision-making was performed based on the AHP results of the pairwise comparison of the factors from the 30 experts, using Expert Choice. See

Table 9. Total weight and consistency test of the group decision-making analysis of the factors between and within SWOT groups.

SWOT	Weight	Factors	CR (%)	Local Weight	Global Weight
Strength	0.193	Educational infrastructure	0.52	0.325	0.063
		Learning resources		0.400	0.077
		Development planning of the school		0.275	0.053
Weakness	0.266	Professional personnel	0.79	0.217	0.053
		Capital investment		0.197	0.052
		Faculty concept and awareness		0.135	0.036
		Marketing and operation		0.148	0.039
		Collaboration among departments		0.153	0.041
		Incentive mechanism		0.150	0.040
Opportunity	0.369	National education planning and policy	0.88	0.374	0.138
		Urban development planning		0.349	0.129
		Learning needs of citizens		0.277	0.102
Threat	0.171	Recognition of the school brand	0.18	0.399	0.068
		Market competition		0.601	0.103

Note: The consistency test result of pairwise comparison among the four SWOT groups is CR = 0.089.

for the consistency test of the weight values and the results of each index in the first and second criterion layers. The results show that the weights of the first criterion layer are in the order of opportunities (0.369) > weaknesses (0.266) > strengths (0.193) > threats (0.171). The CR value of the logical consistency test among groups is less than 10%, which is within the acceptable range. Figure 3 shows the distribution of the key SWOT factors in the first criterion layer, while Figure 4 shows the ranking of the index combination weights in the second criterion layer.

4.2. Quantitative SWOT Analysis Results

4.2.1. Descriptive Analysis

According to the results of the AHP analysis, the internal factors and external factors are normalized, and quantitative SWOT analysis is carried out.

Table 10. Results of quantitative SWOT analysis on the internal factor group.

Internal Factors	Weight M (Q25, Q75)	Factors	Global Weight M (Q25, Q75)	Value M (Q25, Q75)	Weighted Value M (Q25, Q75)
Strength	0.413 (0.187, 0.653)	Educational infrastructure	0.101 (0.053, 0.257)	3.00 (2.00, 4.00)	0.369 (0.138, 1.282)
		Learning resources	0.133 (0.068, 0.289)	4.00 (3.00, 5.00)	0.532 (0.237, 0.961)
		Development planning of the school	0.118 (0.081, 0.248)	3.00 (2.00, 4.00)	0.443 (0.205, 1.534)
Weakness	0.587 (0.323, 0.810)	Professional personnel	0.117 (0.034, 0.169)	3.00 (2.00, 5.00)	0.158 (0.139, 0.323)
		Capital investment	0.096 (0.048, 0.197)	3.00 (3.00, 4.00)	0.202 (0.083, 0.410)
		Faculty concept and awareness	0.092 (0.023, 0.165)	2.00 (2.00, 3.00)	0.213 (0.041, 0.327)
		Marketing and operation	0.087 (0.039, 0.137)	2.00 (2.00, 3.00)	0.151 (0.069, 0.283)
		Collaboration among departments	0.084 (0.038, 0.129)	2.00 (2.00, 2.00)	0.157 (0.066, 0.223)
		Incentive mechanism	0.083 (0.034, 0.122)	1.00 (1.00, 2.00)	0.176 (0.062, 0.229)

and

Table 11. Results of quantitative SWOT analysis on the external factor group.

External Factors	Weight M (Q25, Q75)	Factors	Global Weight M (Q25, Q75)	Value M (Q25, Q75)	Weighted Value M (Q25, Q75)
Opportunity	0.683 (0.292, 0.833)	National education planning and policy	0.161 (0.052, 0.281)	4.00 (3.00, 5.00)	0.491 (0.149, 0.937)
		Urban development planning	0.129 (0.051, 0.183)	4.00 (3.00, 4.00)	0.412 (0.172, 0.648)
		Learning needs of citizens	0.078 (0.039, 0.122)	3.00 (3.00, 4.00)	0.281 (0.105, 0.334)
Threat	0.316 (0.225, 0.631)	Recognition of the school brand	0.098 (0.053, 0.186)	2.00 (1.00, 4.00)	0.242 (0.109, 0.361)
		Market competition	0.121 (0.052, 0.233)	3.00 (2.00, 4.00)	0.351 (0.187, 0.583)

respectively show the normalized weights of the internal and external factors, along with the median and interquartile ranges of the scores and weighted values of each factor. In the internal factors, weaknesses (0.587) > strengths (0.413), while in the external factors, opportunities (0.683) > threats (0.316).

4.2.2. Group Decision-Making Analysis

According to the AHP group decision-making results, the weights of the internal and external key factors are calculated, then the weighted scores are calculated in combination with the median scores of the 30 experts on each factor. Finally, the position and strategy of NE development of BJOU in the SWOT quadrant are determined. The results listed in

Table 12. Results of quantitative SWOT analysis on group decision making.

	SWOT	Factor	Weight	Value	Weighted Value
Internal factors	Strength	Educational infrastructure	0.138	3	0.414
		Learning resources	0.152	4	0.607
		Development planning of the school	0.135	3	0.406
	Weakness	Professional personnel	0.119	3	0.357
		Capital investment	0.114	3	0.342
		Faculty concept and awareness	0.077	2	0.154
		Marketing and operation	0.083	2	0.166
		Collaboration among departments	0.091	2	0.182
		Incentive mechanism	0.091	1	0.091
	Total		1.000	-	2.719
External factors	Opportunity	National education planning and policy	0.273	4	1.091
		Urban development planning	0.228	4	0.911
		Learning needs of citizens	0.184	3	0.551
	Threat	Recognition of the school brand	0.137	2	0.273
		Market competition	0.179	3	0.536
	Total		1.000	-	3.364

show that the weighted scores of the internal factors and external factors of the group decision making are 2.719 and 3.364, respectively. In the quadrant with (3, 3) as the origin, the coordinates are (2.719, 3.364) in the second quadrant. In other words, the internal weaknesses match the external opportunities. The graph suggests that an adjustment strategy should be adopted (see Figure 5), so as to overcome their own weaknesses and seize the external opportunities.

5. Discussion

The RTVU, as a member of the higher education system, is similar to the traditional university in the development of NE. Influenced by traditional educational thinking, there are many problems, such as insufficient attention to NE [53], the lack of effective cooperation mechanisms [54], flawed management and guarantee mechanisms [55], a lack of NE teachers [56], and insufficient funding [57]. However, in the new development stage of the transformation from RTVU to OU, the internal and external factors of NE development in OUs have changed to some extent, as shown by the results obtained through our data analysis.

5.1. Analysis of External Opportunities

5.1.1. Attention of Leaders at All Levels and Favorable National Policy Environment

Both the State and the Beijing municipal government have proposed requirements for vigorously developing NE from the strategic level. A series of planning and guiding opinions have been issued successively, including the Outline of the National Program for Medium- and Long-Term Educational Reform and Development (2010–2020), the Opinions on Running Open Universities Well by the Ministry of Education, and the Opinions on Accelerating the Construction and Development of Beijing Open University by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission. The role that OUs should play in the development of NE has been specified, while the requirements of “building a comprehensive system of life-long education, greatly increasing the participation rate of continuing education, and achieving an annual participation rate of 50% for employees in continuing education” have been clearly put forward [58]. The background of the national education strategy of comprehensively promoting the construction of a learning society provides an unprecedented policy opportunity for the development of NE in OUs during the transition period.

5.1.2. Planning and Positioning of the Government Requiring Assistance of Education in Transformation

In recent years, Beijing, as China’s capital, has constantly adjusted its functional orientation, taking “political center, cultural center, innovation center and international exchange center” as the core of its development, and has continuously improved the quality of the urban talent structure. As a result, enterprises, institutions, and organizations will increase the demand for high-end talent and technical talent. On-the-job workers must strengthen their professional skills, and the overall quality of the citizens in the capital, being a world-class metropolis, must be improved and fairly well qualified. This will undoubtedly bring broad development space to non-academic continuing education.

5.1.3. Enormous Market Demand and Broad Development Prospects

It is an objective fact that the training demand of the NE market is extremely vast, and this also provides a broad development space for NE. The willingness of individuals to accept NE and their ability to pay for it have been greatly improved. Increasing the numbers of state organizations, enterprises, and institutions, and industry associations are also willing to entrust internal training to education and training institutions with brand influence, especially to carry out in-depth cooperation with universities [59].

5.2. Analysis of External Threats

5.2.1. Lack of Market Awareness toward Coping with Competition

With the rapid increase of the people’s demand for NE, many social training institutions have appeared on the market. Vocational colleges have also begun to provide continuing education for employees in industrial enterprises, while enterprise universities have become more deeply involved in NE. Consequently, OUs are facing more severe challenges in the field of NE. Since the turn of the 21st century, the rise of the open educational resource movement has further expanded the opening and effective supply of educational resources. In particular, with the development of massive open online courses (MOOCs), many first-class universities have quickly chosen to join in, providing MOOCs as a public welfare approach and offering more learners high-quality academic content, and they appear to perform better than OUs in terms of the depth, breadth, and speed of resource dissemination. The technologies and tools, course construction management and service, brand promotion, etc., of MOOC platforms are more competitive on the market, and attract a wide range of partners. Their emergence certainly shakes up the traditional status of OUs in the field of distance education, and brings competitive pressure to OUs.

5.2.2. Lack of Brand Effect and Low Social Recognition

In 2012, the term “open university” was renamed from “radio and television university”, yet the new name is not yet well known in China. After the renaming, the important position of NE in the development of OUs was formally established. However, AE has always been the main body of the development of a university. Due to the insufficient experience in NE, an NE training brand with successful branding has yet to be created. To make matters worse, the lack of certification and communication mechanism for the learning achievements of NE and AE, low social recognition, and poor continuity and dependability are all inconducive to the branding of NE in OUs. For these reasons, NE has not been generally recognized by Chinese society.

5.3. Analysis of Internal Strengths

5.3.1. Years of Experience in School Running and Rich Types of Learning Resources

BJOU has a 70-year history of school operations. There are three campuses in the center of the city, and 20 branch campuses in all districts of the city, forming grid-shaped learning points with comprehensive, high-quality teaching facilities. It has made certain accumulations and developments in the construction of campus informatization, network platforms, and various NE resources.

5.3.2. Preliminary Planning and Establishment of Relevant Functional Departments

In 2018, BJOU formulated a three-year plan for the development of NE, clarifying the key work and implementation steps of NE. Later that year, during the process of institutional adjustment, it established a lifelong education department to conduct the unified management of NE, and formulated a series of management regulations to promote the standardization and high-quality development of NE [60].

5.4. Analysis of Internal Weaknesses

5.4.1. Lack of Professional Talents, Lagging behind in the Evaluation, Recruitment, and Selection of Employees

At present, there is a lack of high-quality personnel for NE. NE is challenging, and has high requirements for practitioners. These personnel need the abilities of exploration and innovation. Although most of the existing faculty members of the OU possess rich experience in AE, they do not have a complete understanding of the NE market’s development status, industry situation, project development, or operation management. A supporting management system for the selection and employment of NE instructors and the evaluation and employment of professional technicians has yet to be established. In addition, there is no channel, standard, or system for identifying the teaching quality, teaching hours, teaching achievements, and scientific research achievements of NE personnel. To a certain extent, the enthusiasm of NE personnel has thus been dampened, resulting in the instability of NE talent teams, in turn affecting the sustainable development of NE.

5.4.2. Single Funding Source and Insufficient Investment Amount

The NE of BJOU is an income-generating project. Aside from the salaries of the on-the-job personnel and basic office expenses allocated by the government, there are almost no other sources of funds. The amount of reinvestment and return of NE income is relatively low, resulting in the lack of necessary financial support in the operation of NE.

5.4.3. Lack of Competition Awareness and Market Operation Promotion

BJOU is a public institution. The mechanism within the system and the idea of an “iron rice bowl” (an occupation with guaranteed job security) have led to a lack of market competition consciousness and competitive drive, insufficient experience and strength in market operations, and challenges in competing with social training institutions.

5.4.4. Lack of Concept Understanding and Service Support

In recent years, school leaders have begun to attach importance to NE and give equal emphasis to both NE and AE as an important school operation policy. However, since AE has always been the school’s main business, NE has been marginalized for many years, and the school staff fail to pay sufficient attention to NE. In particular, the relevant functional departments do not possess sufficient understanding of the importance of vigorously developing NE. They are uncertain about the operating rules and work business characteristics of NE, and thus have no effective supervision, management, and supporting service measures. The work security support and management service efficiency also require improvement.

5.4.5. Lack of Incentive Mechanism and Institutional Constraints

The incentive mechanism for NE based on market demand and work performance-oriented evaluation has not yet been formed. In addition, the school performance management system does not match the market-oriented demand of NE. It is urgent to establish a performance-based salary payment system that meets the demand of the education and training market, and fully reflects the principle of “more pay for more work and better pay for better work”. Although NE departments have attempted to conduct some beneficial exploration and practice within the scope of autonomy, there remain many obstacles in the specific implementation process caused by mismatched financial related management systems. Consequently, it is difficult to fully mobilize the enthusiasm of NE personnel.

5.4.6. Poor Department Cooperation and Insufficient Joint Force of School Operation System

With the sharp increase in public demand for NE, OUs are facing increasingly fierce competition within the field of NE. However, the NE of various departments in schools is relatively independent and closed, thus resulting in the characteristics of scattered training projects, small scale, and various insufficiencies. Due to the lack of resource-sharing mechanisms and the ongoing development of curriculum resources, complementary advantages and joint force are not well formed, and the phenomenon of “internally competing for resources and fragmented regulation” has even emerged. To make matters worse, the large and complex OU school running system lacks cooperation and communication, along with the necessary coordination mechanism and system strength, and thus fails to form the external competitive force. The homogeneous competition sometimes even results in varying degrees of wasted social resources.

6. Conclusions

As shown by quantitative SWOT analysis, the strong national policies, adjustment of urban functional structure, and enormous demand of citizens have created obvious external opportunities for the development of NE in OUs. However, the internal weaknesses such as insufficient professional personnel, inadequate capital investment, and insufficient cooperation among inner departments have also created obstacles in the development of NE in OUs. Therefore, under the background of the steady implementation of learning city construction and the continuous integration of urban education, the OUs are facing the task to explore the road of building a new university. A reverse strategy is recommended to overcome its own weaknesses and seize the external opportunities. Considering the dual tasks of self-survival and serving society, the development strategy of a lifelong learning service for the citizens of China’s capital is formulated to meet the needs of the citizens, along with the urban transformation and the historical mission. In particular, it is appropriate to promote the construction of the talent team through internal training and external introduction, and to establish the market concept, activate the existing resources, improve the efficiency of resource utilization, set up an incentive mechanism, strengthen internal and external cooperation, and explore a mutual benefit-sharing mechanism. Finally, flexible adjustments and innovations must be constantly made according to the internal and external environment, so as to keep up with the pace of the times and the needs of the market, and better serve the citizens’ lifelong learning, and the construction of a learning city.

7. Limitations

Although this study considered multi-level interviews with experts and referred to some government documents when building the hierarchical model of influencing factors, there was a lack of interviews with high-level government officials in the field research stage. In addition, due to funding constraints and the ongoing pandemic, this study did not conduct field investigations of all six pilot OUs. Nevertheless, the research on BJOU, one of the important practitioners of NE in China, will play a referential role in the development of NE in other OUs. In future study, the investigation scope will be expanded and the influencing factors on the development of NE of OUs in different regions and levels will be compared.