E-Learning Opportunities and Trends in the Chinese Market

The China e-learning market grew fast in the late 2010s: 144 million people had taken online education courses by June 2017, and the Ministry of Education opened 490 national-level quality courses to the public in January 2018. Corporate training, personalized tutoring, AI, virtual reality and mobile learning were the main trends shaping it.

Online education spread quickly in China at the end of the 2010s. In January 2018, China’s Ministry of Education made 490 national-level quality courses publicly available, with another 3,000 courses expected by 2020. This growth created significant opportunities for people around the world. Whether you plan to teach, to train your staff or to build your e-learning platform, the trends below will help you understand this market.

What Opportunities Does E-Learning Present in China?

E-learning presents many significant benefits to Chinese students and to others around the world, including:

Diverse Offerings

In 2018, China had more than 10 online course platforms, offering over 3,200 online courses that 55 million college students or social learners had viewed. The China Internet Network Information Center reported that 144 million people had taken online education courses as of June 2017. Beyond common university courses, online learning includes many skill-based learning opportunities, such as Motif, with online courses taught by apparel experts on topics like sustainable fashion, and TechTrek, a company that offers STEM courses and camps.

Corporate E-Learning

Businesses are major players in the space. In a 2017 report, 98% of small businesses said they planned to use some type of e-learning by 2020. E-learning enables professionals to fine-tune their skills without leaving their business or taking significant time away from work. At the time, corporate e-learning was said to have grown by 900% over 16 years, to approximately $165 billion in revenue.

Teaching Opportunities

The size of the e-learning market has opened many teaching opportunities, especially for people who can tutor Chinese students. In 2018, TechCrunch reported that VIPKid, a Beijing-based education platform that had raised $200 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, listed openings for thousands of United States-based teachers. Other e-learning companies appeared to be in a race to do the same.

Personalized Learning

E-learning offers students a unique opportunity to receive a customized learning experience. Students can take the courses they are interested in while comfortable at home, and learn at their own pace. Improved communication channels meet their desire for personalized learning, which helps them become lifelong learners. With technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and cloud computing, companies can keep adapting their delivery models to provide a better learning experience. Today’s learners are quickly moving to new delivery methods and passing on traditional educational processes.

Additional Assistance

When this article was written in 2019, many families turned to e-learning to supplement learning in the classroom. Education is important to many families in China, and many of them expect children to keep learning after returning home from school. E-learning gives students the opportunity to get personalized attention from a tutor or teacher, to help them gain a competitive edge in the classroom.

E-Learning Trends in China and Worldwide

Students and teachers, at both ends of the e-learning spectrum, should know the trends of this market before deciding to be part of it. When this article was written in 2019, the main trends in the industry were the following. Our article on e-learning trends covers them in more detail.

Increased Adaptive Learning

Adaptive learning provides confidence-based assessments and analytics to adapt teaching methods to a student’s level and understanding. This trend is expected to continue, and to be amplified by the delivery of personalized learning experiences. Some programs let students skip material altogether if they are comfortable with it.

Use of Artificial Intelligence Assistance

Artificial intelligence assistance is expected to grow, with bots guiding learners during courses, as in our AI Sales Coach for sales team training. This technology predicts learner behavior and helps customize the learning experience based on these predictions. Voice-enabled bots help students search for keywords in learning modules and serve as technical support. This technology also helps individuals with special needs learn new skills.

Use of Virtual Reality

In 2019, virtual reality was growing at a significant rate: PSVR had made over $500 million by the end of 2017. K-12 education has adopted virtual reality and augmented reality to teach subjects like science and math. This technology can also teach safety-related procedures, helping anyone from chemistry students to factory workers. Walmart used virtual reality technology to train employees to prepare for Black Friday. Learning platforms implement virtual reality by combining photographs, student interactions and graphics.

Game-Based Learning

Game-based learning is increasingly used in a variety of industries. Some law firms use it to track the skills of summer associates. Coca-Cola and Home Depot have also introduced games and apps to teach existing employees. Other companies, like Farmers Insurance, use it to simulate different scenarios that help adjusters determine the cost of damages. Our article on e-learning gamification explains how game mechanics work in online courses.

Social Learning

With social media still a leading driver of consumer decisions and social interactions, social learning keeps trending in the learning environment. This type of learning involves collaboration between students or coworkers. Cloud-based applications make it easier for students to upload documents. Learning circles, chat sessions, forums and other innovative technologies allow students to interact even if they are located in different cities or countries. E-learning communities help students learn how to interact in a digital community.

Video-Based Learning

Videos are increasingly used to train students and workers alike. In 2017, 98% of organizations said they planned to implement video as part of their digital learning process, and 80% of internet traffic in the world was expected to be video by 2019.

Mobile Learning

Mobile use keeps growing in all aspects of life. When this article was written in 2019, reported figures showed that 67% of people used their mobile devices to access learning, that using a mobile device increased productivity by 43%, and that 60% of all video was watched on mobile devices. With mobile devices more accessible to the general public and so widely used, more content is being made mobile-friendly, and learning platforms keep offering more mobile options.

What Should You Do Next?

E-learning presents many benefits for Chinese and worldwide audiences, and many opportunities for those who create online courses. However, for e-learning to be useful and generate revenue for your business, you need an efficient platform and a course structure that meets the real needs of your audience.

QPSoftware is an e-learning development agency in Shanghai with experience in e-learning projects. For TechTrek, we designed and developed a game-based e-learning platform where young learners solve STEAM coding missions. For Motif, created by Alvanon, we extended an e-learning platform for apparel professionals with course management and interactive training features. We can also create H5 pages and WeChat web apps to make your course more appealing in China and reach a broader audience. Contact us, and we will help you create the right e-learning solution for your audience.

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