Trends in the development of e-learning markets
Some of the main evolution features in the e-learning markets are presented below:
Trends in different sectors
Schools
- Although many schools have introduced platforms for sharing information and supporting the pupils in their learning, it is likely to take years before the teaching staff and culture is ready to adopt comprehensively pedagogical approaches that take full advantage of e-learning. -In the medium term, learning material publishers will continue to introduce text-based curricula resources supplemented by e-learning elements, but these will typically require access to different external platforms and will be linked directly to specific
textbooks.
- On the platform side, if in-house developments and the open source tools succeed in overcoming problems of reliability, interoperability, documentation, continuous development and standards integration,
commercial offerings will have a very tough time trying to achieve market shares in the school market.
- As teachers become more ICT literate, they will be developing more of their own learning materials and sharing these with each other and pupils, making these suitable to individual learners.
Higher Education
- Open Source e-learning platforms are likely to gain a foothold in this sector.
- The universities will increase in the number of courses offered in e-learning format (as stated in the study “Virtual Models of European Universities”, European Commission 2004).
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Open source e-learning platforms will offer a serious competitive alternative for users in the VET market and this is based on the fact that there is already a solid base of in-house developed learning platforms at VET institutions.
Workplace Learning
- Strong e-learning sectors in the workplace market will continue to be the ICT, business services, financial and pharmaceutical sectors.
In the public sector, it will continue to be the national health services, the defence departments and public including local government authorities.
- In this sector, apart from internal education and training for employees, there is likely to be more focus on training through e-learning to external partners and customers.
Consumer market
- The consumer e-learning segment will consist of Internet and CD-ROM based edutainment products primarily for children and young people and in the long term, also mobile, location independent edutainment to handheld devices. It will also include standard and individualized language learning products for the same media, and educational products that allow parents to supplement their children’s education with online or CD-ROM based learning opportunities.
- In future, more and more guidelines and manuals associated with complex domestic appliances and small machines will be multimedia based with simulations of the assembly process, maintenance, cleaning and/or usage.
It will be possible to access the simulations from various devices (PDA, Mobile phone, TV connected to Internet or a PC).
Lifelong learning
- Although it is an obvious market for e-learning products and services, it is unlikely to show much growth in the future because the motivation of learners to choose lifelong learning via e-learning is limited unless it is part of a formal postgraduate education financed by employers or required education in order to change or advance in careers while still in employment.
Future development in the sector of e-learning suppliers
The evolution of e-learning supplies can be characterized as follows:
a) Many small e-learning operators in all product areas (technology, service and content) will have disappeared, merged with others (both international and national) or evolved into a different sub sector. Those that survive will have identified a valuable niche or built strong ties to a loyal customer base.
b) New operators could emerge either in niche areas (game based learning, simulations, open source integration) or by complementing their current offerings with e-learning services.
In the future telecommunications operators and professional associations are expected to enter the market as suppliers of e-learning services for their customers.
c) The international (predominantly US and Canada-based) e-learning operators can be
expected to continue their strong market presence and in some areas they will increase their dominance. Firms offering L(C)MS and enterprise suites include companies like IBM, Oracle, SAP, SumTotal and SABA, all mainly addressing the needs of large o rganizations. Within education segments, they will include companies like WebCT, Blackboard and
Microsoft. Within live e-learning platforms, they will include Centra, Interwise and Webex. d) Strong international entrants can also be expected within emerging segments such as game based learning. US-based operators like Horn Interactive, Digital Mill, Socratic Arts, Breakaway Games, ACLS Interactive could be tempted to enter the European markets.
Blended learning
Another trend in our days involves blended learning programs. The term “blended learning” has come to describe a well thought-out combination of e-learning and other traditional training methods. The combination that we speak about is meant to increase effectiveness in the process of learning, due to the fact that a single delivery method is no longer sufficient to handle all training needs. Blended learning has the advantage that preserves the necessary consideration of how people learn, but in the same time offers options for learning and produce measurable savings in learning offerings promised by e-learning.
Some of the main evolution features in the e-learning markets are presented below:
Trends in different sectors
Schools
- Although many schools have introduced platforms for sharing information and supporting the pupils in their learning, it is likely to take years before the teaching staff and culture is ready to adopt comprehensively pedagogical approaches that take full advantage of e-learning. -In the medium term, learning material publishers will continue to introduce text-based curricula resources supplemented by e-learning elements, but these will typically require access to different external platforms and will be linked directly to specific
textbooks.
- On the platform side, if in-house developments and the open source tools succeed in overcoming problems of reliability, interoperability, documentation, continuous development and standards integration,
commercial offerings will have a very tough time trying to achieve market shares in the school market.
- As teachers become more ICT literate, they will be developing more of their own learning materials and sharing these with each other and pupils, making these suitable to individual learners.
Higher Education
- Open Source e-learning platforms are likely to gain a foothold in this sector.
- The universities will increase in the number of courses offered in e-learning format (as stated in the study “Virtual Models of European Universities”, European Commission 2004).
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Open source e-learning platforms will offer a serious competitive alternative for users in the VET market and this is based on the fact that there is already a solid base of in-house developed learning platforms at VET institutions.
Workplace Learning
- Strong e-learning sectors in the workplace market will continue to be the ICT, business services, financial and pharmaceutical sectors.
In the public sector, it will continue to be the national health services, the defence departments and public including local government authorities.
- In this sector, apart from internal education and training for employees, there is likely to be more focus on training through e-learning to external partners and customers.
Consumer market
- The consumer e-learning segment will consist of Internet and CD-ROM based edutainment products primarily for children and young people and in the long term, also mobile, location independent edutainment to handheld devices. It will also include standard and individualized language learning products for the same media, and educational products that allow parents to supplement their children’s education with online or CD-ROM based learning opportunities.
- In future, more and more guidelines and manuals associated with complex domestic appliances and small machines will be multimedia based with simulations of the assembly process, maintenance, cleaning and/or usage.
It will be possible to access the simulations from various devices (PDA, Mobile phone, TV connected to Internet or a PC).
Lifelong learning
- Although it is an obvious market for e-learning products and services, it is unlikely to show much growth in the future because the motivation of learners to choose lifelong learning via e-learning is limited unless it is part of a formal postgraduate education financed by employers or required education in order to change or advance in careers while still in employment.
Future development in the sector of e-learning suppliers
The evolution of e-learning supplies can be characterized as follows:
a) Many small e-learning operators in all product areas (technology, service and content) will have disappeared, merged with others (both international and national) or evolved into a different sub sector. Those that survive will have identified a valuable niche or built strong ties to a loyal customer base.
b) New operators could emerge either in niche areas (game based learning, simulations, open source integration) or by complementing their current offerings with e-learning services.
In the future telecommunications operators and professional associations are expected to enter the market as suppliers of e-learning services for their customers.
c) The international (predominantly US and Canada-based) e-learning operators can be
expected to continue their strong market presence and in some areas they will increase their dominance. Firms offering L(C)MS and enterprise suites include companies like IBM, Oracle, SAP, SumTotal and SABA, all mainly addressing the needs of large o rganizations. Within education segments, they will include companies like WebCT, Blackboard and
Microsoft. Within live e-learning platforms, they will include Centra, Interwise and Webex. d) Strong international entrants can also be expected within emerging segments such as game based learning. US-based operators like Horn Interactive, Digital Mill, Socratic Arts, Breakaway Games, ACLS Interactive could be tempted to enter the European markets.
Blended learning
Another trend in our days involves blended learning programs. The term “blended learning” has come to describe a well thought-out combination of e-learning and other traditional training methods. The combination that we speak about is meant to increase effectiveness in the process of learning, due to the fact that a single delivery method is no longer sufficient to handle all training needs. Blended learning has the advantage that preserves the necessary consideration of how people learn, but in the same time offers options for learning and produce measurable savings in learning offerings promised by e-learning.
