E-Learning Roundup: Laura Cowan, Linkedin Learning, Skillshare and Coursera
By Space Coast Daily // February 9, 2022
While most industries suffered losses with Covid-19 still affecting the global economy, E-learning has seen a formidable, steady growth. Currently, more than half of all high school students in the US use digital e-learning tools, and 40% of all workforce learning is now completely digital, according to the learning platform on LinkedIn.
According to a Statista report, in 2019, the global online e-learning market was sized at approximately 101 billion U.S. dollars. New trends include up-skilling and acquiring micro-credentials. With thousands of courses and e-learning options available on a number of well-organized and easy-to-use platforms, such as StuDocu, and with courses added daily the e-learning industry is set for an incredible growth to the tune of $13 billion by 2024.
Here’s the latest roundup of the top E-Learning news:
Laura Cowan
With Women’s Empowerment being at the forefront of current e-learning trends, entrepreneur and business attorney Laura Cowan’s new learning website https://www.thelauracowan.com is packed full of resources in business consulting for female entrepreneurs and women-run businesses with an aim to building successful brands. The site offers DIY legal templates, online business startup courses, and other resources for budding entrepreneurs. Laura’s background as an attorney and running her own law firm imparts a wealth of useful information, both on the site and on her Instagram posts.
The online courses are easy to access worldwide so all women can learn how to start their own business and the legalities involved.
Started in 1995 as a supplement to traditional classes by teacher Lynda Weinman, LinkedIn Learning is now a $10 billion e-learning business. Their library consists of over 17 000 courses, with just under 30 courses added weekly.
Latest courses show a strong focus on business analysis and strategy, however, due to the diverse range of their global student reach, courses are available in several other subjects like: Project Management, building customer rapport, social media platform marketing, and learning to use certain aspects of software, like Google Slides, InDesign and Adobe for example. There are also interesting and insightful HR-based courses presented by business leaders in various industries, such as Mary-Frances Winters’ course on ‘inclusive conversation’ skills.
LinkedIn Learning has seen a rise in introspective courses on ethics as well, seeing as the world has shifted focus in that direction. Courses like: Tech on the Go: Ethics in AI with Ayodele Odubela and Ethical Hacking: Mobile Devices and Platforms with Malcolm Shore show a distinct upward trend of interest in micro-courses that deliver a different kind of upskilling need.
Founded in New York in 2010, Skillshare has become a giant in the e-learning sphere; almost twice the size of LinkedIn Learning, it offers more than 35 000 classes with 5 million registered learners. Classes focus on delivering interesting and immersive information for creatives and entrepreneurs.
Classes at Skillshare include graphic design, photography, video, animation, illustration, film, art, and craft-making. You can learn how to tend to plants, attend interesting art classes and learn alongside experts in each field of study.
The latest classes added on the platform are tailor-made for people who are home-bound, whether due to Covid-19 restrictions or otherwise.
Course titles like: Still Life Photography: Capturing Stories of Everyday Objects at Home focus on finding beauty in the mundane. In Film Lighting Made Simple, you can watch a professional create insta-worthy food images – a skill to entice an accomplished home cook looking to branch out.
University-based E-Learning platform Coursera was founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors. Coursera provides a platform for universities to offer their own content. It boasts several prestigious schools like Stanford, Yale, and Princeton. Over the years, course offerings have included specializations in certain subjects, as well as fully accredited degrees. There is also a government workforce development component and a Human Resources element for businesses as well.
Coursera reached 82 million registered users in 2021, and offers just over 3000 courses, ranging from Arts and Humanities and Language Learning to Data Science, Math and Logic, and Business Studies. Popular latest courses include Python software training, improving English language skills, a course on: Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects, and you can even start studying Korean language, a course offered by Yonsei University.
Udemy is unique in that it offers the opportunity for users to upload their own courses on the platform. Founded in May 2010, the platform had over 46 million students in 2021, boasting 175,000 courses, with over 60,000 instructors teaching in 75 languages.
Courses primarily focus on work and business development in subjects such as marketing, software, design, accounting, and honing leadership skills. The best Udemy courses for 2022 include a web developer bootcamp, a complete Digital Marketing course and an MBA.
Final take:
Whatever your needs are – be it purely interest, upskilling, qualification, certification or even a degree, there’s an E-Learning platform with the right course choice out there for you in 2022.
