According to Research.com, the number of users of e-learning courses has passed 70 million globally.
New technologies have helped to make e-learning courses more accessible to users.
E-learning platforms are succeeding by offering flexibility and rich course libraries to attract users and help them learn more easily and quickly than in a traditional system.
Users browse courses in their own style. They find various functionalities on e-learning platforms to attract and motivate them to achieve their learning goals.
Here are 5 trends that are increasingly common on e-learning platforms:
- 1. Personalization
- 2. Gamification
- 3. Multilingual support
- 4. Artificial intelligence
- 5. Virtual reality
Personalization
Personalization enables the creation of a unique learning experience that addresses an individual’s specific needs and goals. This helps users who use e-learning courses to specialize in one subject area, instead of focusing on what is taught in a universal and generalist manner.
There are several types of customization that are increasingly common on platforms offering e-learning courses:
Personalization of the learning environment
This consists of changing the visual appearance of the platform. The user can choose the platform’s font, color or background on which they spend time learning.
Customize notifications
At the time of registration, the e-learning platform takes the user’s name and uses it to address them directly during courses or to send them personalized notifications.
Personalizing learning objectives
Each user has unique needs from the e-learning platform they use. If they want to specialize in a particular job or industry, the platform will recommend content specific to that learning need.
Personalized learning experiences are more engaging because they allow users to see the relevance and importance of the material they have learned in their professional or personal development. This leads to higher levels of motivation and engagement, which can improve learning outcomes.
Gamification
Using game elements in e-learning courses is becoming increasingly popular, making the learning process more engaging and interactive.
Completion rates for e-learning courses are higher when gamification elements are used. When users are actively involved in the learning process, they are more likely to retain the information they have learned.
Here are some gamification elements that succeed in engaging users in the learning process:
Collecting points
Points increase motivation by giving users a sense of achievement and progress. Users receive points for completing tasks or passing quizzes. Points can also foster a sense of competition among users, encouraging them to complete more courses to get the highest scores.
Creating leaderboards
A leaderboard activates a sense of competition among users, encouraging them to get more points and compete with each other for the highest scores. This increases motivation and engagement in the learning process.
Giving badges
After completing a learning module, users receive badges. These can be added to personal profiles and provide a sense of recognition of merit. Badges serve as a form of feedback and motivation for users. They can see which e-learning courses they have completed and compare their progress with their peers.
Multilingual support
Educational materials offered through e-learning courses are easier for users to navigate when they are translated into a native language. In this way, any learning barriers are removed and theory and processes are easy to remember.
Within a company, there are also employees who speak several languages. But the organization needs to ensure that it can offer e-learning courses that are easy to understand and follow for those who have difficulty understanding other languages.
Increased engagement and completion rates
Course materials are easier to understand in the mother tongue. Offering the possibility to choose the language in which the learning material is covered is a motivating factor for the user. In this way, the translation barriers that prevent the correct understanding of the theories and processes are removed.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is much more common in e-learning platforms. It collects data and uses intelligent algorithms to improve the recommendations offered to users.
The AI algorithms behind e-learning platforms analyze the learning style of each user. Based on their interests, the algorithms find their strengths or weaknesses and provide the user with a personalized learning path.
Creating content using artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence algorithms can be used to create new educational content and assessments, including tests, exercises and other personalized and adaptive materials. This streamlines the time organizations spend developing materials on the platform.
Virtual reality
Thanks to new technologies, virtual reality is increasingly accessible. The interactive and immersive environments that can be created or experienced have helped this technology gain more and more attention from users.
Creating 360 simulations
Virtual reality can help an e-learning platform by creating immersive and interactive learning environments. They can even simulate real-life situations. By copying reality, users can benefit from hands-on learning and understand complex concepts in a more engaging way.
Once the user enters an environment created through virtual reality, they can apply their knowledge and go through real-life scenarios. The advantage is the lack of danger that can arise from mistakes or errors. This is why, for some professions, this type of learning offers the best practical way of applying knowledge. Simulation can start from the beginning whenever needed.
Future trends for e-learning courses
All these trends have the ultimate goal to help the user in completing learning modules.
The increasing accessibility of these technologies has played a major role in their adoption by e-learning platforms. Their implementation is made to succeed in capturing users and ease their way through complex theoretical or practical notions.
mindclass is a software product developed by htss that helps organizations deliver content and manage online learning processes. It provides a portal and library of over 600 online courses with a catalog of customizable avatars that can teach courses in over 30 languages to professionals in any industry and students in educational institutions.
Furthermore, mindclass allows access to multiple forms or learning models, including learning paths, virtual classrooms, assessments and certifications.
Grow your people and your business with the mindclass platform, which offers a complete e-learning experience.
