Online education or e-learning has been a hot topic for quite some time now. It is a buzz word you see and find everywhere these days.
The term was used for the very first time in October of 1999, and as per this fact e-learning has been in existence for exactly two decades.
Today there are multiple online platforms that offer online courses such as Coursera or edX, to help people from all over the world in enhancing their skill set and broadening their intellectuality.
Along with the traditional methods that people employ in order to acquire a degree, e-learning in this modern age has facilitated the rapid growth of the market. It has enabled several global and multinational businesses to proliferate throughout the globe and set headquarters in multiple places.
E-learning can reach anyone. Be it the wide range of professionals from manufacturing to banking and all the way to pharmaceutical, or students belonging to all the different fields. Even businesses, big or small, have a share in it all around the world.
With such a wide reach of e-learning platforms, there is bound to be cultural and language barriers. To prevent anything from going sideways, the best solution is to localize.
Why is e-learning a big deal?
Definitely, this question has crossed your mind. After all, there must be some reason that everyone is fussing over an educational platform.
Experts have predicted a significant boost in its growth in the coming years. Why is it becoming so popular? Here are some of the reasons.
- Cost: Online education costs a lot less than regular methods.
- Convenience: It is accessible on any electronic device, at any place and any time – as per your convenience.
- Globalization: the trend of globalization is also one of the reasons for its popularity. Which also begs the need for localization of the platforms.
Top Three Benefits Offered by e-Learning
E-learning has really caught the eye of the consumer. And its use is only becoming more popular by the minute.
And it is not unwarranted. It offers the consumer so many benefits that it is not a surprise that they are attracted to it more the conventional methods.
To get a better understanding, here are the top three benefits of e-learning platforms.
1. Time
Time is money, and we all know how important money is.
E-learning platforms have set records in saving people’s time, in terms of hours. Business employees, for instance, can study on their own saving many resources, effort, and time that is better spent somewhere else.
It has also become a platform that eliminates the middle man, i.e. a professor, or the employer who manages the progress of the employees. There is no time-consuming routine for traditional document submission and marking.
Thus, it ensures productivity while saving a lot of money and time.
2. Flexibility
Most of the times, the reason that the people are unable to resume their studies is that “life happens”. It means that they are so caught up in a routine that they are unable to break free from it to go to a traditional place of education.
E-learning picks on exactly that nerve. It has enabled people to acquire knowledge and education in accordance with their daily routines.
Now consumers can decide their own pace and get education wherever they like however they like. The users decide the time that suits them best.
This enables them to mold education hours to their daily routine.
3. Intellectual Engagement
The world is more dynamic now than it has ever been.
With the increase in the knowledge out there in the world, the passion to gain that knowledge is also increasing.
It not only helps the consumer learn new skills, but also gives them a project to focus on outside of their hectic daily routine.
Most people love to gain knowledge, but they are prevented by the lack of time and schedule. Luckily, online learning platforms take care of that which is why it is becoming a favorite all over the world. The only problem is that every country is different, and even though an online educational platform is reachable to everyone around the world, there are other barriers.
Which is why there is a need to localize the educational platforms.
Why Localize?
Localization is the process of adapting the educational platform (or any other business) to the specificity of the target market. This includes customizing everything as in accordance with the locale.
While it may seem surprising, but only 20% of the whole world’s population speaks English. According to which, if the educational platforms are only in English, they fail to reach 80% of the population.
Think about all the potential consumers that are missing out on your educational platform only because of a language barrier. And while you may not be able to localize for the entire globe all at once, you can cater to one locale at a time.
Convenience is the core of online education. A language or a culture barrier defeats the whole purpose of it. Some other benefits of e-learning localization are:
Consistency
The meaning doesn’t get lost in the translation. The same message gets across to consumers all over the world because it is delivered in their own language. A good localization company can preserve the meaning, context, and the tone of the document.
Relevancy
People will not understand the examples if they are from an alien country. Some of them might even be offensive, or just plain frustrating.
Localization ensures that there is cultural relevancy, so that the people can not only connect better but also retain the information better.
Legal Compliance
In some countries, not translating is going against the law. So by localizing you are shielding yourself from potential legal harm.
Final Word
The world is moving towards no barrier system. Having a language barrier will only retain you behind. There are countless benefits of online educational platforms and even more of localizing it.
Vanessa Anderson is an enthusiastic and self-reliant creative writer at marstranslation. Her passion for writing and effective communication skills add to her credibility as a writer. In addition to writing for multiple foreign corporations, she enjoys writing poems on current social issues.
