According to an article on Mail Online, the average person spends 8 hours and 41 minutes on electronic devices each day. Considering that 6-8 hours are used to sleep and the remaining are taken up eating and everyday chores, the time spent on our laptops and phones is now literally life consuming.
So, no surprise that education is increasingly moving online. Courses are anytime, anywhere, portable, personalisable, customisable and a lot more engaging than ever before.
Here are the top 5 eLearning trends for 2016 for your delectation.
- Gamification, which is predicted to be a $10 billion industry by 2020. People love playing games, so gamification is one of the most popular strategies used by online course companies to motivate their learners. Learning games become more engaging due to their point systems, levels, badges, rewards and leader boards which constantly push students to stay on the course and better their results.
- Video based training is growing faster than ever, as more people watch an increasing amount of videos each day, whether they be on social media, YouTube, or simply catching up with the news whilst commuting to work. According to eLearning Feeds, in 2016, 98% of online organizations implemented videos as part of their digital learning strategies. Combine this with MOOCs, flipped classrooms, webinars and video-driven self-study, we can see that millions of people are learning via video and this is set to increase rapidly over the near future.
- Mobile learning, just as popular is the increasing creation of the easy-to-access mobile apps. Students are able to access their course, submit answers and get instant feedback in the click of a button, whether it be on the way back from work, or whilst awaiting the bus or train. It’s estimated that the mobile learning industry alone will grow to over $37 billion by 2020. Even online courses designed for PCs, such as SLC's Medical English courses, are accessible on a smartphone through the responsive platform, which allows content to adapt to any screen, anywhere, at any time.
- Virtual reality, for those who say "actions speak louder than words". Multiple companies are now creating new interactive tech devices specifically for eLearning, in order for online courses to become dynamic and more engaging than ever with students. Using VR, students can immerse themselves in learning scenarios An article by eLearning Industry claims that the equipment is currently being delivered from across the world, and is scheduled to arrive in a few months. Many in education believe that VR will be part of mainstream education before we know it.
- Adaptive learning, which allows eLearning courses adapt to the unique needs of each user, so creating targeted, individualised courses.It can be accomplished by offering personalized learning paths based on the outcome of previous activities, giving each student the possibility to self-assess, and challenge themselves, encouraging them to strive for greatness through determination.
As technology continues to develop at warp speed, new developments will impact on how we learn more quickly than ever before. Who can predict what's next?
