The future of e-learning. My open notes & thoughts.
By: Sven Ten Hove
Tags: Future, Education, E Learning, Progress, Growth

Why we think this sector is so important.

In my last post; Building an E-learning app I’ve shared our adventure of building an E-learning platform for one of our clients.

Since then we successfully launched their new platform and are already improving and developing new features.

Making these small adjustments already points out a massive benefit of learning online.

If you read my last post you already know I’m not a big fan of the traditional (public) school systems.

A lot of people within the system try to change this, but its a classic example of scale and structure that they are not able to make any beneficial changes.

In this process to change things for a better future, they burn a lot of cash. Those who are building applications are the only one who benefits from this (making a huge profit).

I believe change should come from the outsiders, the entrepreneurs who have skin in the game. If their solution doesn’t work, they go bankrupt. They need to build something that just works.

These new products should focus on microlearning and individuals. Where established school systems focus on the average, the tools of tomorrow should focus on the extreme.

In the end, students should have content that is designed especially for them. A product should define which skills should be improved along the way, to become a better version of themselves. It should match students who can learn from each other.

While you learn something new, you have all kinds of emotions. On the one hand, it’s exciting, but in some moments it’s difficult as well. We all have our moments of procrastination. It’s important to think about features that motivate users to keep learning and in making progress.

We should detect when and how students procrastinate. And follow up with the right questions. There is always a more significant reason behind this. We should find out what the barriers are.

In most cases, we judge people that they are lazy.

Judgment like these, as almost every judgment, are making it only worse.

I believe people want to succeed. And if they don’t, they are not happy about it either.

People who learn something new should feel safe. That is our responsibility as makers. To design for trust.

I’m not predicting what the right solutions are. We can only try and test what works. That is the only way forward.

I do believe that a combination, a balance between a product that focuses on a niche combined with practitioners (with experience in that niche) is a great starting point.

Celebrating progress is important. That is what makes us people happy, to overcome the obstacles.

While I was a student at the university, my progress was completely invisible. The progress you make should be made more open (visible) and transparant.

Making progress and consistent effort should be rewarded.

Freedom and giving people responsibility is essential. Besides that, it’s necessary to have a certain downside with the task you are trying to solve (if you fail). You will make better decisions, or at least it will challenge you to consider your next move more carefully.

For example, If you learn to drive a car, you pay attention, and the instructor will make sure you don’t make any mistakes. The simple reason is that if you make a significant error, a big downside will follow.

I don’t have a clue what the future will look like.

But I will react to what works.

From there we can design tools which are fun to play with and hopefully help people in achieving their goals.

Why I’m writing this down?

With every new subject that I’m interested in and learning more about (like I’m doing now), I always have the same feeling. The more I experience, read and do the less I know.

Sharing this, will challange me to think and plan my next steps more carefully.

To practice, what I preach.

And to get in thouch with people who are trying to solve the same problems as we are.

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