The COVID-19 outbreak has most professionals locked in their houses for months. Not only did the pandemic take a toll on people’s health and lifestyle, but it also negatively impacted education and career development.
Fortunately, technology has played a pivotal role in bringing the education system on track, with eLearning. Online learning platforms has given curious minds new hopes and opened ways for them to pursue their education during the crisis.
The global increase in online classes, meetings, conferences, and interviews, to name a few are evident for the contribution of the eLearning industry to society during the pandemic.
Trainers and presenters worldwide are using eLearning platforms to impart distant and safe education to employees. These platforms are well-equipped with tools to share reading material, worksheets, collaboration and even conduct testing. Often times, making learning fun and engaging.
Various forms of communication and lecture delivery include support documents (PDFs/Word Doc), presentations, webinars, virtual events etc. Consequently, the trainers and presenters are constantly evolving their methods, while the participants are leveraging the interactive way of learning online.
Companies like Google, Microsoft, Zoom, Slack, etc. have extended their full-fledged support towards educational institutions in terms of providing free product features. While meeting platforms like Zoom increased their video calling duration in some countries, online learning platforms offered free live classes to students across the globe so they can learn safely from their homes.
As a result, there is a huge surge in participants joining online learning apps for free-of-cost education and other career benefits.
The education industry was not the only sector to get disturbed with the outbreak. Organizations looking for new talent and onboarding them were equally affected with the sudden shutdown of workplaces. However, virtual meeting and project management platforms came to rescue as remote working arsenals.
Moreover, eLearning platforms and tools like Zoom, Adobe Connect, Storyline, Lectora, etc. powered up training and development activities for the employees. Not only the fresh hires could kick-start their onboarding and training activities, but the existing employees also embraced learning via innovative methods and technologies.
Companies that have already implemented eLearning systems before the pandemic stand a solid chance to innovate their training strategies. They have started developing and experimenting with new methods and courses to creatively strategize online learning.
Other initiatives include providing psychosocial support, promoting digital learning systems, opening MOOCs (massive open online courses), and giving access to self-directed content for learning. These initiatives give full-fledged support to both modern and conventional workforce to reduce their knowledge gap.
The “Global Corporate E-Learning Market 2020-2024” report mentioned that the market grew to over $200 billion. Over the next four years, it is expected to grow by $38.09 billion with a CAGR of more than 11%.
Companies have initiated various online learning programs for their employees, owing to which, several e-learning industry leaders have reported an increase in the app downloads and active users. The surge in demand for video conferencing apps, eLearning systems, and business meetings indicate how COVID-19 impacted corporate eLearning. The effect of pandemic on the growth of the eLearning market is indeed considerable but yet to be defined clearly.
No matter what technology does for society, there are some countereffects that go against the actual motive.
For instance, unavailability of internet connection, lack of proper knowledge of tools and technologies, distractions at home, and many others tend to degrade the positive impact of the eLearning landscape.
However, if dealt with prior training and measures to handle the exceptions, the eLearning wave can withstand these unfavourable situations.