Top 2019 trends that defined online learning for the ‘next decade’

The education industry has seen radical changes in the past decade, transforming its very framework across the globe. Several developments have been made both in terms of technology as well as the approach. For instance, the year 2019 saw acute diversification in India, with more digital users coming to the fore and exploring more online learning platforms than before. As we venture into 2020 and the ‘next decade’, let’s look back at how online learning has evolved in the last year and what the future holds:

Online learning made more accessible

While online learning has been playing an instrumental role in democratizing education around the world, 2019 saw learning technology evolving further, thus making it more accessible to more people. Considering how many developing and underdeveloped nations are still unable to address the needs of millions of students completely, online learning is leading the charge by providing them with access to education even in the remotest of regions, while simultaneously increasing the quality of learning in a significant, value-added manner.

Homework remains to play key role

Homework has been widely acknowledged as a core part of the learning process. Especially in India, the education system lays great emphasis on homework as a highly useful practice tool for a deep and sound understanding of academic concepts. However, students are often found struggling with homework which renders this whole exercise for retention and practice ineffective. With online peer-to-peer learning platforms, bringing social learning to students, homework is steadily becoming an interactive, engaging, and meaningful exercise, thus paving the way for more proactive and open-ended academic learning.

Redefining personalisation

Personalisation was one of the biggest trends that emerged in the year 2018, but it had escalated to another level last year. With technology advancing next to every day, existing solutions are evolving, and new solutions are being deployed for enhanced personalisation.

Vernacular content on the rise

India has been renowned for its diversity and this is steadily reflecting in online learning as well. With digital channels penetrating deeper, there has been a rise in user-ship among Tier-II and Tier-III cities and rural areas, and this has further translated into the need for more languages to be incorporated in online learning processes. Learning platforms have begun diversifying their content to include regional languages like Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Gujarati, Sanskrit etc. This trend is bound to continue gaining momentum, with more players venturing into this space and incorporating these languages on their platforms.

AI, VR, and AR witness further growth

The phenomena of AI, VR, and AR are not new and were, in fact, the buzzwords in 2018. While these concepts have become commonplace in online learning domain as well as institutional areas, 2019 saw more developments made in these immersive technologies, augmenting education further for learners and educators alike. 

Gamification continues to dominate

No one can deny how learning can be a saturating process, especially for young minds. However, gamifying education can make it fun and engaging! Games have their own appeal, irrespective of one’s age, and incorporating it into education has massive potential to drive efficiency in the learning process. Being able to secure points for solving questions, for instance, can help motivate students to learn more and share their knowledge in order to provide solutions to others, and earn points thus. This also leads to healthy competition among students along with facilitating meaningful interactions.

by Mr. Michał Borkowski, CEO & Co-founder Brainly