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There’s no denying that our digital world is revolutionizing the way we self-educate. With the mass adoption of technology and a dramatic increase in accessibility, we have more ways than ever to educate ourselves online. When I want to learn how to make a tri-tip steak on the BBQ, I watch a Youtube tutorial. When I have a question about Taxes, I ask Google and find a good article. When I want to critically think about the Future Of Education, I read blog posts and listen to podcasts. Speaking of, I recently listened to David Rogier, Founder, and CEO of MasterClass, on the Business Casual podcast. He talked about creating a platform to inspire life-long learning online. Listen here. This episode made me think in-depth about how a business like MasterClass can use its platform to make online learning fun and engaging to the masses.

Side Note: Some Other Interesting *EdTech Businesses I’ve Recently Researched:

*EdTech, or Educational technology, is the combined use of computer hardware, software, and educational theory and practice to facilitate learning.

Coursera
Chegg
DuoLingo
Kahoot!
Udemy

Here are a few fun stats I found about the advancement of recent online education: 1

The worldwide online learning market will increase to $15.72 billion by 2021, and steadily grow by 5% over the next three years.
Global E-Learning Market to Reach $325 billion by 2025
Mobile learning is expected to grow to $38 billion.
More than 40% of all Fortune 500 companies are using online learning for training.
The online learning industry has grown by 900% since the turn of the century.
Oh, and there’s this:

Screen-Shot-2021-01-25-at-11.23.32-am.png

So, without further ado, here are 5 reasons why I believe the mass adoption of online learning is inevitable:

#1: Convenience and Flexibility

We are cultivating a generation of independent, self-sufficient learners who can use the digital world as a tool to self-educate themselves anywhere in the world. Most professionals found they couldn’t continue with their education or upskilling because they couldn’t fit studies around their work schedules. Those shifting to online learning platforms will find that online learning offers convenience and flexibility in timings and pace, allowing you to learn in your own time and in your own pajamas.2

#2: Cost-Effectiveness; Lower Total Costs

This one is pretty straightforward. Online learning is traditionally priced much lower than traditional university courses. Important note: lower costs don’t necessarily mean a decrease in quality; but they do ensure that a wider audience has access to universities and courses that were once reserved for those with higher budgets. I believe colleges and universities will need to adapt and be willing to adjust to meet the needs of their potential student population.

Note: This isn’t a jab at higher education; it’s just a fact that tuition fees are unaffordable for many households and online learning looks more and more attractive as mass adoption becomes the norm.

#3: Broad Accessibility; Democratization of the Internet

As technology improves and the “barrier of entry” is reduced, the democratization of online learning and educational tools will positively affect third-world countries and marginalized communities. I understand this is far from our current reality; however, slowly mass adoption will give people a second chance at educating themselves despite their current economic situation. Low fees combined with a large database of educational content is a winning recipe. My hope is that everyone will have a chance for quality self-education with access to the proper resources online.

#4: Online Learning Will Exponentially Grow In Popularity

It’s fully expected that web-based learning will continue to experience a surge of popularity well after the Pandemic is over. There’s no doubt in my mind that there will be an insane amount of good quality educational content for every niche imaginable. Web-based learning includes live streaming, video-on-demand, seminars, webinars, talk shows, interviews, and more. As this technology improves, so does the content, which in turn will provide better and better quality content.

#5: Advancements In Technology Will Lead To Immersive Learning

As new technology is introduced and cost of technology goes down I expect the interactive online learning experience to get better. Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term for augmented reality, virtual reality, or the combination of related technology with the real environment.3 I don’t know what this will look like or when mass adoption will happen, but I am confident it will happen in the future. Likely this decade.