Once in a while, every industry gets an opportunity to flourish and grow at a significantly rapid pace.
And, during this phase, the players involved in it go through breakneck phases of expansion and scaling. Plus, a lot of new trends also emerge, and companies that adapt to these trends benefit much more than the companies that don’t.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the eLearning industry has been operating in a similar phase. The industry is growing at an exponential rate now, and as a result, a lot of new trends are also emerging.
So, in this article, we’ll take a look at how the eLearning industry has changed after Covid-19 and which new trends have emerged due to the pandemic.
Let’s begin?
Growth of eLearning and impact of COVID-19
The eLearning industry was huge and growing at a rapid pace even before the Covid-19.
In 2019, the global eLearning market surpassed $200 billion in market value, which is enough to tell about its potential. And, even before the pandemic arrived, it was expected that this market will grow at a CAGR of 8%.
However, the pandemic has only accelerated the growth of this industry significantly. As schools, colleges, and universities around the world have been forced to shut down and go online, the growth of eLearning industry has skyrocketed overnight.
As 1.38 billion students globally got affected by the lockdowns and the pandemic, this has made whole new market segments available for the eLearning industry. Many of the edtech companies have experienced more than 100% growth in 2020 alone.
eLearning Trends for 2021
As the eLearning industry grows at a never-seen-before pace, new trends are emerging that will shape the industry in the future. Here we shall take a look at 10 such trends that will define the eLearning space in the post-pandemic world of 2021 and beyond. Let’s begin:
1. Emphasis on Train-the-Trainer module
Covid-19 has significantly increased the need for online teaching for all sorts of training and schooling needs.
And, because of this, the need for ‘training the trainers’ for online teaching environments has also increased. There’s a strong trend going on right now to prepare almost all teachers on the planet for the eLearning mode of education, so they can manage their students in a better way.
2. Microlearning
Gone are the days of long lessons and modules that took several days to complete.
Now, the days of short lessons and modules that can be learned in less time are here. Lessons are now being packaged into short videos, guides, tutorials and other similar formats to make them personalized and easily memorable for learners.
This trend is also going to continue at a rapid pace after Covid-19 because as more and more teachers come onboard, they’ll want to minify even more lessons.
3. Mobile-first, not just mobile-ready
It’s not enough to be mobile-ready alone. You need to prepare yourself from a mobile-first perspective now.
As more and more people are going online, the proportion of mobile internet users is increasing manifolds. Ask any eLearning business owner and they’ll tell you that the majority of their learners are using mobile devices to learn on the go.
This trend is only going to accelerate in the future, that’s why it’s important to prioritize mobile readiness above anything else in your eLearning business.
4. Adaptive learning
The days of standard classroom learning are gradually getting left behind.
We’re entering the age of adaptive learning where students want to learn at their own pace and through methods that suit their learning style.
The eLearning companies are also enabling plenty of features that aid in this type of learning and you too should keep it in mind while building your eLearning site or app.
5. Embracing social learning to distribute training resources
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced classrooms and schools to shift online. The eLearning industry was thriving even before the pandemic, but the need of introducing social features has increased significantly. Features like a forum, messaging, commenting, groups, etc. are more important than ever today for any eLearning site.
6. Focus on video-based and interactive content
Video content and other interactive forms of content (i.e. live lectures) are also emerging as a major new trend in the space of eLearning.
This is mainly because of the capability of videos to explain everything in a detailed and comprehensive way. Plus, with the help of graphics and animations, complex subjects can be explained very easily.
And in live interactions (i.e. conference calls), you can solve the doubts of your learners no matter where they live. That’s why you too should consider integrating them in your eLearning site.
7. Development of Learning Experience Platforms
There’s a good chance that you may not know about this trend despite being involved in the eLearning industry because this is relatively new in comparison to other ones mentioned on this page.
A Learning Experience Platform is a platform that allows users to curate content and create shared learning experiences that benefit not just one or two people but a large community of learners.
The impact of such platforms is huge on the entire eLearning landscape when done right because it makes learning even better than a classroom setting sometimes.
8. Multi-pronged learning and training aids
Most of the professional skills required today ask for not just theoretical knowledge but also practical understanding and experience.
That’s why they’re a strong need for multi-pronged learning and training aids that focus not just on training material but also on practical and social learning.
As a result of this requirement, multi-pronged training aids with social learning, collaborative learning, and practical tasks has become a major eLearning trend in 2021.
9. The diverse aspects of eLearning content continue to evolve
eLearning is expanding with every passing day, which is bringing more diversity than ever in the nature of the content being taught and subjects being covered.
Though it was happening for a long time, this trend has picked a lot of pace after Covid 19. Since everything is being taught online, there are barely any subjects not covered by the huge eLearning industry.
10. Upskilling and reskilling
Finally, the needs of the modern workforce require constant upskilling and reskilling. And, that is becoming evident in the eLearning industry too.
The courses made available on eLearning platforms today are being developed in such a manner that they can be used to help learners upskill themselves by learning a combination of subjects that can come in handy for their job.
In fact, some courses are designed to help learners in even reskilling themselves completely by forgetting what they had learned enabling them to relearn it in a different way.
Conclusion
So, this was an introduction to 10 major trends that are shaping the eLearning industry in 2021 and beyond.
You should focus and work on them to implement it in your eLearning business too if you want your business to grow at a rapid pace and take advantage of the opportunities that have been made available by this pandemic.
Share your thoughts and questions about these trends in the comments, and if you think we missed out on any trends, feel free to reach out and we will try out best to include and respond 🙂
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