In the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional learning has proven to be a significant barrier for both corporations and educational institutions. However, these constraints accelerated the adoption of new technologies in response to specific educational demands. The pandemic, looked at the positive side, is a catalyst for the revolution in elearning software trends. Methods that businesses and educational institutions distribute their training and learning have changed a lot.
Students must maintain their study. Companies and organizations cannot postpone the L&D (learning and development) activities. As a result, elearning was prioritized, aiming at maintaining ordinary learning activities.
Here, GCT Solution lists the top 5 elearning software trends for 2023. Elearning software influences studying methods, gives access to global learning materials, and provides technological tools to customize the particular needs of each person.
Lockdown restrictions have strengthened the online learning sector. The LMS (Learning Management System) market is expected to rise to $44.49 billion by 2028 (Globe Newswire, 2021). This prediction suggests that the demand for elearning tools will keep growing at a record-breaking rate.
Beside Covid-19, gaining knowledge in diverse fields is accelerating elearning software trends. The number of edX users increased by 15 times in April 2020 (CNBC, 2021), whose main reason, according to edX, is employee upskilling concerns. The expectation of job promotion also played a significant role in the rise in interest in e-learning, as today staff are encouraged to know about cutting-edge fields like AI and machine learning.
The above impressive numbers illustrate the rapid expansion of online learning, both in the past, in the present and in the future. The following trends towards elearning software for 2023 will help businesses and educational institutions plan both short-term and long-term plans to adapt to global changes in the education sector.
1. VR & AR
2. Gamification
3. Off-the-shelf Learning Content
4. Smart Content Curation
5. No-code Tools
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are important elearning technologies, which can turn boring lessons into lively ones, with vivid animations, effects and graphics. Virtual co-working spaces, webcasts, audio and video conferencing, file sharing, and co-creation of content are some examples of AR/VR. These technologies, therefore, can create amazing experiences for learners.
VR and AR can grow sharply in the next few years. In 2023, it is anticipated that businesses will spend $4.26 billion on VR (Arinsider, 2020). VR and AR are expected to receive $12.6 billion in global spending on advanced educational technology by 2025, followed by $6.1 billion for AI (artificial intelligence) (Oxford Business Group, 2019). The VR market will develop to generate more than $24.5 billion in sales by 2024 (ABI Research, 2020). VR has substantially grown along with the development and expansion of business. It is easy to foresee that AR and VR has been one of significant trends in elearning.
Educational institutions can adapt AR and VR to attract more new students, provide more options for learners and enhance the productivity in the teaching-studying processes. Businesses can make use of AR and VR to optimize L&D activities, thus optimizing the available workforce and increasing productivity of employees.
Gamification is another elearning trend. It motivates students by using video games and game elements in learning environments. Gamification is a concept of micro learning, which aims at memory enhancement and avoidance of information overloaded. Gamification in education is particularly suitable for millennial learners who are tech-savvy, and must study a lot of things to become significant in the competitive labor market.
The market for game-based learning is predicted to grow from $3.5 billion in 2018 to $24 billion by 2024 (Statista, 2021). In another report, the global gamification market is forecasted to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.4% from $9.1 billion in 2020 to $30.7 billion in 2025 (Forbes, 2022).