5 of the Best E-learning Platforms & Tools Everyone Should Try at least Once in 2023

It goes without saying now that the future of education is online. And this is not merely a rhetorical statement from a tech-enthusiast, facts and figures gathered by legitimate sources like Statista support these claims.

This year alone, the revenue generated by e-learning platforms is expected to skyrocket to over 166.6 Billion USDs and if the current rate of growth picks up the yearly revenue generated by this industry will shoot up to a whopping 239.3 Billion USDs by 2027.

And online education only forms up a small portion of the digital education industry which was worth over 243 Billion USD in 2022 and is expected to post similarly impressive growth stats this year.

And while developed countries like the United States are at the forefront of this revolution, considering that the U.S. is the biggest market for the digital education industry, developing economies like India and South East Asian countries are also quickly jumping on the digital education bandwagon.

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Why are Digital Learning Platforms and Tools so Popular all of a Sudden?

The current explosive trends in online education can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, during which almost all educational activities in the entire world were forced to shift online, virtually overnight.

But the trend has persisted even after the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reasons are simple enough, digital education tools and e-learning platforms have made the process of learning much more accessible. People from far-flung and remote areas, who previously had very limited access to quality educational resources can now acquire top-quality education without having to leave the comfort of their hometowns.

Another important aspect of online learning, which is helping the trend make inroads in the education sector is the self-paced learning it offers. Traditional methods of education posit that people should learn at the pace of the instructor in highly disciplinarian environments. Online education offers an alternative, people can review the lecture over and over again while sitting in their couches without having to worry about their postures. In short, online education is about skills enhancement and nothing else.

Another important aspect of online education is the flexibility it offers. People can now learn at a time and place of their own choosing without having to quit their jobs for school.

Lastly, the booming trend of online education and digital learning tools can also be attributed to the nature of the modern economy whereby new skills are born every day while older ones die out more frequently. The flexibility offered by online education makes it easier for people to stay up to date on new trends in technology without having to compromise on their career growth.  

Hence it is no surprise that older more mature university students and young professionals are among the highest adopters of this innovative approach towards learning.

Moreover, online education and digital learning tools are not merely popular because of the convenience they offer. Many of these interactive and engaging learning tools have the potential to radically alter the way we approach education in the first place. And may help remedy many of the limitations and shortfalls of traditional forms of learning.

This write-up is dedicated to helping users introduce themselves to some of these tools, technologies, and platforms.

Important Pre-requisites to a Seamless Online Learning Experience

But before we move any further it is very pertinent that we talk about a very basic yet essential issue. You cannot hope to learn online or properly leverage digital learning tools if you do not have access to a fast-paced internet connection. These tools and technologies rely heavily on consistent connectivity to function properly.

If you have a DSL connection or a cable connection that lags repeatedly, you will only get frustrated while trying to learn online. So, at the risk of sounding promotional, we’d like to advise you to shift to a more established and reliable service provider like Cox Internet before your foray into the world of digital education.

 
Two of the Top Tools and Platforms Everyone Must Try at Least Once

Now that we have the prerequisites figured out let’s move on to a discussion about the two of the best tools and platforms this scribe was able to find.

Udemy Business

Anyone with even cursory information about online learning or digital education tools has probably heard about Udemy. This is because the platform is perhaps the most popular and accessible online learning resource available to knowledge-thirsty wiz kids. You can make your learning even more budget-friendly with a Udemy coupon code.

The platform boosts an astonishing 59 Million annual users and offers over two hundred thousand courses prepared by skilled professionals. Courses on the platform range from simple tutorials on how to ensure email security to advanced themes like machine learning automation.

But as you have probably noticed from the headline, it's not Udemy but it’s the associated platform Udemy Business that we want to talk about.

Udemy Business is curated toward meeting the learning needs of mid-career professionals who are already engaged in the job market. The platform offers over fourteen thousand professional skills enhancement courses and is affiliated with over nine and a half thousand global companies.

In addition to video lectures, courses on the platform are packed with interesting assignments, project exercises, and quizzes, so that learners can assess and reassess their progress on their own.

Similarly, the platform is also equipped with advanced analytics features so that instructors can keep an eye on the progress of the people they are supposed to be teaching.

The online downside of the platform is that it does not offer interactive and one on one learning opportunities and most of the courses are pre-recorded outside the platform.

Linked In Learning

Most of us are already familiar with Linked In. After all, it is one of the most popular professional social networking websites out there and boasts Millions of monthly users.

But what many of us do not know is that in 2017 the platform acquired a small e-learning platform, integrated it, and launched an e-learning platform called Linked In Learning.

Linked In learning is primarily focused on micro-learning directed towards individuals who are looking to upskill themselves in a short period to become more attractive to recruiters.

Unlike Udemy, which has no subscription fee and requires learners to pay for the courses they want to take, Linked In Learning is a paid service, charging users almost forty Dollars a month.

The platform also offers its own certificates which despite not being accredited by institutions or universities have a worth of its own and can be integrated into your Linked In account.

Coursera

Coursera may be a relatively new player in the e-learning and digital education industry, but it has been able to occupy a dominant position in the market within a surprisingly short span of time. And when you consider the extensive list of unique features offered by the app, this rapid growth seems more than justified.

The most important feature of the app is the wide range of different functionalities it can perform. The platform has been curated for everyone from students to working professionals to even those looking to hop onto the master’s track.

Another form of versatility offered by the app pertains to the wide variety of disciplines it covers. It doesn’t matter if you are into physics, programming, business management, math, social sciences, or even the arts and the humanities, Coursera has something to offer everyone.

Moreover, Coursera courses also enjoy a certain degree of legitimacy. The platform is accredited with over two hundred and seventy-five universities and offers solutions to their online learning dilemmas. At the same time, many of these universities have placed their stamps of approval in Coursera’s offerings.

Coursera’s pricings are slightly on the higher end of the spectrum, but that does not mean that the learning material offered on the platform is inaccessible. The platform offers hundreds of free courses and even a well-designed financial support program for individuals in need.

Moreover, curious learners can access most of the courses on the platform for free and pay only if they want a certification, this empathetic aspect of Coursera has made it immensely popular amongst students who want to learn for the sake of it.

Lastly, several of Coursera’s offerings help learners create market-relevant projects which help increase both their confidence and market worth.

Docebo

Docebo is one of the most innovative e-learning platforms in the market today. The reasons are simple enough, Docebo deploys advanced Artificial Intelligence algorithms to curate and regulate user experiences.

The app is most suited for corporations looking for tools to streamline their onboarding processes. The app has in-built tools directed towards both the creation and disbursement of learning materials. These features make the app most suited for companies that have their own in-house teams for content creation and do not rely on third parties.

Docebo also offers amazing analytics and oversight tools which make it easier for instructors to gauge the performance and interest of their students.

In addition to supporting content creation, the app also helps make the process of learning more engaging by deploying gamification techniques to break down learning modules.

And to top it all up the platform is built to be super-interactive. The social networking features embedded in the app make it ideal for bolstering engagement amongst learners, which in turn enhances the learning experience.

The only downside is that the app is on the pricier side. The platform’s main subscription costs users $1600 and clients must pay extra amounts for each additional user.

Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn is a Learning Management System (LMS) directed towards catering to the needs of K-12 level students and higher. Unlike the previous entry on the list, Blackboard Learn does not have a lot of features targeted toward catering to professional learners. But despite this limitation, the platform is a forerunner in the niche that it claims to cater to.

One of the core features of the app is that it's built to be smartphone friendly. Considering now several among the younger generation prefer using the internet over the small screen, this feature has helped enhance the appeal of the platform.

The app is also offering a state-of-the-art progress-tracking feature that helps students teachers oversee their students. Similarly, instructors can also directly deploy the tool to check their students’ papers for plagiarism.

Another key feature of the app is its advanced video conferencing feature. This allows students and teachers to interact with each other without having to rely on third-party tools.

And even if they did need to rely on any third-party service, Blackboard Learn allows for surprisingly seamless integration with many other education-centric third-party apps.

The only flaw experienced by Blackboard Learn users was how difficult its user interface is, but the developers have caught on and have been able to introduce updates that have made the platform very easy to use.

Final Thoughts

Online Learning is not just the future, it is already here. And there is an increasing acceptability for this new form of education amongst both students and faculty. Studies have shown that over 65 percent of university faculty in the United States is supportive of online education. Similarly, over half of all students in the United States are already using digital learning tools and platforms to enhance their educational experience.

So, if you have missed out on this revolution or did not pay heed to it, do not worry, it is still not too late. Just turn on your laptop and take a quick look at the two platforms mentioned in this write-up to start your online education journey, Godspeed.

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