The evolution of learning: How Covid sparked a revolution in e-learning

The evolution of learning: How Covid sparked a revolution in e-learning

?When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, our world changed beyond recognition. Stores had to go online, work from home culture became the norm and even education had to find a new way to thrive, accelerating innovation across the board.

?The e-learning industry had already been steadily growing, but the global pandemic was the catalyst that sent it to new heights. It was a perfect storm of two major changes, courses that were often taught in-person had to find a new way to reach out to students, and employees concerned about losing their jobs focused on upskilling so they were better positioned to adapt to change.

?In fact, massive open online classes (MOOC) saw a 640 percent surge in enrolments between March and April 2020, just when much of the world was plunged into lockdown.

?Academic institutions got an up-close look at how education and technology are evolving together and had to adapt quickly as students turned toward new alternatives. With popular petitions to refund tuition fees and doubts swirling in the minds of students who did not get to enjoy campus life this year, many are tempted by the various online learning benefits available.

?And they’re not the only ones considering alternatives. As many industries evolve, adults whose jobs are at risk look to retrain and upskill quickly. Even in a divided political sphere, experts agree that this mass retraining is wholly necessary, with bipartisan support in Congress for a $4,000 skills training credit for unemployed Americans.

?Suddenly, the didactic form of learning, attending classes, being graded on written assignments, is undergoing a revolution, and new ways of upskilling and educating ourselves are emerging.

?With the US e-learning market predicted to grow by?$12.81 billion?between now and 2024, it seems these new trends are here to stay. So, what does this mean for educational institutions of old, and how might non-traditional learning take shape in the future?

?The trends to look out for

?Whether it’s learning on the go on your cell phone, or the gamification of learning to make it more enjoyable and fun, we can expect the way we interact with information to change dramatically in the next few years, accelerated by the global pandemic. Microlearning - just focusing on a small area or topic relevant to you - is heavily influenced by the trend for upskilling to find better jobs, while big data could influence how institutions decide which courses to teach.

?Over the next few years, the evolution of learning will see virtual, augmented, and mixed reality tools to make learning truly immersive and interactive even from the comfort of your own home. And it’s not just personal learning that is seeing a sea-change due to Covid, 62 percent of businesses affected by the pandemic will be spending more on training in 2021, ensuring their employees are equipped for the new world of work.?

?A tall order for traditional institutions

?One industry that has been particularly hard hit by the change in the way we learn is traditional institutions. They have been forced to reinvent themselves at lightning speed in the wake of the Covid-19 health crisis. While a university degree was once seen as the foundational element for professional success, many students are growing more tempted by the ever-expanding sea of high-quality, affordable alternatives. As the world begins to ponder what life might be like post-pandemic, the option to develop competitive skills without going into debt grows more and more intriguing.

?It’s not just universities, but also schools that have had to find new ways to work due to closures, which could spell long term changes for the way we learn. In the US, some school districts teamed up with television stations to offer educational broadcasts when they were forced to close. And learning technology companies, such as BYJU’s in Bangalore, India, and Singapore-based Lark, have seen their stock rise as institutions desperately search for new ways to collaborate with students.

?High tuition without campus life

?Universities have particularly struggled with the new way of learning, with probing questions about how a more digital and e-learning based experience could affect campus life and tuition fees. In 2020, students have missed many of the things they love most about their educational experience. Their fees covered campus life, sports, events, and a whole range of amenities, but students could not participate in any of these in-person activities.

?Many universities started offering heavily discounted, fully online courses in response to the pandemic, jumping on the MOOC trend. It has forced huge change on one of the least-digitized industries and could set a new precedent that could see students eschew the campus university experience to avoid sky-high student debt. While many university courses simply switched to Zoom, imitating the video conferencing trends that date back to the 1990s, there is also space for technology companies to step in and create true online learning benefits for universities, which could justify higher fees.

?Affordable online learning benefits all

?In March of this year, Zoom saw daily participants skyrocket from 10 million to over 200 million. Among those were thousands of university students doling out a pretty penny to stream lessons from the free app. One in 10 US universities decided to go completely online at the start of the fall 2020 semester, which was necessary yet frustrating for students. Many quickly realized that the same education delivered through expensive video classes could be found for free online, at times with more advanced technology, and in exchange for more sought-after credentials.

?While university is often seen as expensive and elitist, available only to those who have parental help or take out huge loans, other e-learning options are emerging as offering a viable alternative for more specialist training which could funnel students into jobs. For example, Google is growing its own educational platform with affordable career certificate programs that claim to be the equivalent of a four-year degree in the related field. Around 80 percent of IT support program participants claim a positive effect on their career within six months of program completion. Many other online learning programs have shown similar results, showing how education and technology are evolving together.

?A shift years in the making

?This shift away from traditional education began well before the pandemic. This is especially true in industries that change fast, like technology, innovation, and marketing. It is becoming more common for employers to prefer applicants with the latest online certifications over those with a four-year degree.

?It’s not the only reason why online learning is good for students. Studies reveal that e-learning improves retention rates by 25 to 60 percent and has increased income for 42 percent of US companies. Organizations across the globe have seen the evidence that non-traditional education can positively impact their profit margins, and they are willing to invest in employees that choose these online learning methods for in-demand skills.

?When unconventional education prevails

?Entrepreneurs are all too familiar with the fact that four years in a classroom is no substitute for real-world experience. The field is all about jumping in, getting your feet wet, and trying things before you feel completely ready. Short, flexible online courses align better with this approach to the professional world, allowing students to learn as they go and put their skills to use straight away.

?According to the World Economic Forum, 65 percent of primary school children today will be working in jobs that do not yet exist. It creates a strong argument for flexible, forward-thinking learning rather than focusing on traditional subjects to prepare students for new ways of doing business. A global focus and a step away from the all-knowing teacher as the only educator drive the evolution of learning and ensure opportunities for new creative ways of learning that can inspire entrepreneurialism and critical thinking.

?Learn as you go, a lesson from Silicon Valley

?Learning from failures, rather than spending years with their heads buried in textbooks, is how startup owners succeed time and time again in Silicon Valley. Take it from the well-known tech moguls like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs, who each began multi-billion-dollar companies without receiving four-year degrees.

?Success stories like theirs reveal the benefit of allowing oneself the freedom to learn in alternative ways. These experts selected a more experiential approach to learning, choosing the path less traveled and gaining powerful insight through failure. Bill Gates’ first company failed, and Steve Jobs dropped out of school after one semester. They could have accepted defeat, but instead, they decided to seek an alternate route for themselves, one that they had to pioneer on their own.

?These and countless other stories prove that professionals need academic paths that work for them. With new developments in the educational landscape, individuals are beginning to see more potential for a trajectory that aligns with their needs. Many students learn best outside of the ivory tower of a traditional schooling environment, and the e-learning revolution paves the way for this group of learners to thrive.

?Credentials curated for the entrepreneurial spirit

?Entrepreneurship requires spontaneity, quick thinking, and innovation. University and specialist courses don’t necessarily teach you how to start a business, missing practical tips that you pick up along the way. But with the rise of e-learning, businesspeople get the chance to learn as they go, collecting the specific skills and credentials they need to get started and diving into new ventures without delay. Even for young school children, resilience and adaptability are set to become two key skills taught alongside more traditional studies to ensure they are ready for new ways of working.

?Cutting edge new e-learning platforms, from Udemy to Skillshare and Coursera, offer the opportunity to curate an education tailored to a learner’s specific needs and goals. They can choose various online courses to create the exact skill set they need and enjoy the flexibility to learn on their terms.

?As we look toward a post-Covid future, this customized learning method provides online learning benefits and appeals to workers around the world. With quality courses accessible in a matter of clicks, people will be eager to upskill whether they’re unemployed, seeking a raise, or ready to pivot to a new profession.

?Non-traditional education: a crucial new direction for learners

?Experts predict that future generations will likely have more than one career in their lifetimes and will need to adapt to work landscapes we haven’t yet experienced. So this idea of moving seamlessly from education into a life-long profession will need adjusting. E-learning offers a way to alternate between studying and working without the time commitment, so education becomes more accessible and more streamlined for the modern world.

?In 2024, one in four workers is expected to be over 55 years old, compared to just one in 10 in 1994. This shows a need to continually educate the workforce and offer in-work training to ensure that your workforce can adapt to technology-driven changes.

?With the growing concern of many adults whose jobs are in danger, there is no better time to dive into online learning. In today’s fast-paced markets, it takes much less than a generation for current skills to become obsolete. To keep up with the competition, professionals need to adapt to a changing world, and nothing helps with this more than non-traditional education.

?Hope as technology and education evolve together

?Covid-19 may have changed the way we live our lives, but it has also created modernization opportunities. As the education sector finally catches up with the world of digitization, a new way of learning opens doors to exciting career opportunities and chances to upskill.

?Universities will be forced to offer new ways to study and learn, potentially helping lower tuition fees. Schools can think outside the box when it comes to subjects they teach and the way children learn. And professionals can pick up the credentials necessary to move their careers forward without investing too much time, money, and energy in a multi-year full-time degree.

?While Covid-19 and the disruption it has caused could soon be put behind us, thanks to the vaccines that have been developed, its legacy could be a new way of learning, one that is fairer, more flexible and tech-led to prepare both students and professionals for entrepreneurship and the future workforce.