It has rightly been said that in times of recession, the education industry will always remain unaffected. People will continue to seek knowledge, and the propagators of knowledge can make the best of any crisis because there will never be a shortage of people who are willing to learn.
Schools in the metropolitan and smart cities have already switched to electronic modes of learning and gone ‘Phygital’. A portal generally replaces the traditional book systems, and students use their tablets and electronic pads to access these learning portals.
The EdTech firms making the best use of the crisis
Various online education platforms have brought down their subscription costs, and some of them have even made various courses free for the students, which are driving huge traffic. People are locked down in their homes which make them turn to acquiring a new skill or learning something. EdTech companies have come to their rescue. The distance education sector is booming and is seeing constant growth.
Companies like upGrad, Coursera, Simplilearn, Vedantu, etc.,are hiring professionals who can facilitate the growth of the online education setup. This pandemic has brought about an increase of 3000 new jobs in the predictions for this particular sector. upGrad has doubled its profits and is growing exponentially in the COVID-19 crisis. The user base of Simplilearn has gone up to 3 million. People are using portals like UrbanPro to find a suitable home tutor for their kids. From coding to Spanish lessons, people are going all-digital. Platforms like Vedantu are offering real-time tutoring and online classes and making huge profits. Big companies like Coursera have brought down the costs of courses drastically and have also made a lot of courses free till the 31st of July.
The K-12 education system goes online
Companies like BYJUs and Vedantu, who are the pioneers of online primary and secondary education have stepped up in this situation. The schools have been shut down by the Government, and these companies are offering free access to all the material which is available on their learning platform.
This will inculcate a habit of studying online and is gradually shaping the whole education system. The new mould for the Ed-clay is digital, and the pandemic has given it the best possible start one could have ever imagined.
Vedantu has partnered with various schools in the southern and central India to help school teachers take online classes for their students with the convenience of sitting at home. The schools can use their learning materials and also get an additional set of resources from Vedantu, which further facilitates e-learning and also better understanding.
E-learning is a blessing in disguise for video calling platforms
It's not only the Ed-Tech companies but the video conferencing platforms which are making the best out of the situation. For them, the idea of online learning and implementation of the same in the real world is fetching in lots of user traffic. Platforms like Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts etc. are being used by school teachers to conduct online group classes. Also, April is the time when schools start with their new sessions, and the online platforms are making sure that the learning process remains unaffected amidst this crisis.
E-learning is the cure to the disaster which has deeply affected the physical education system. Also, it is a relief for students who are stuck in badly affected countries. E-learning aims at eliminating any disruptions which can affect the studying habits and patterns of the students. EdTech is changing the way the whole world studies and gains knowledge and if not now, then when?