Digital learning firms likely to reap the most of lockdown

As India goes into a lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, physical presence at educational institutions and businesses are next to nil and digital learning companies seem to be the new saviours for the students and workforce.

As India goes into a lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, physical presence at educational institutions and businesses are next to nil and digital learning companies seem to be the new saviours for the students and workforce.

Several institutes and companies in India and globally have turned to digital or online learning medium to carry on the courses during the restriction period.

"I believe there has never been a better time to be in the business of digital learning and talent development," said Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek, CMO of Skillsoft.

Manjeet Singh, co-founder and CEO of Buddy4Study noted that March is a crucial month for scholarships and companies like his can come in to fill the gap.

"This is a crucial time for Buddy4study as scholarships of more than 5 crore are being disbursed in March. In case we fail in our duty, many students will drop out of their education. At the same time, we do not want students to get hurt hence our team is guiding the students to provide their pending documents over Whatsapp instead of submitting offline at school/colleges," Singh said.

Skillsoft's Michelle said that there has been significant change in the last 3-5 years and inclination has increased towards digital learning.

"With the current COVID-19 situation, developing and managing a remote workforce is at the forefront for many businesses. Digital learning is an invaluable tool as workers and managers at every level can continue their learning programs from the comfort and safety of their homes," she said.

Digital learning allows companies to efficiently reach more of their employee population. And it delivers content through different modalities -- courses, workshops, books, videos -- that allow people to learn within the flow of work and in ways that are most effective for them as individual learners, she said.

He noted that there has been increased demand for 'micro-learning,' which lets learners consume 'bite-sized' content the moment they need it -- anytime, from anywhere.

According to Michelle, Learning experience platforms (LXPs) said are growing at a rate of over 50 per cent per year.

(Inputs from IANS)