The E-Learning Landscape in Maldives

Over the last decade, online learning has given millions of people worldwide the opportunity to gain new skills. No longer teaching is confined to a physical classroom as learning is now more dynamic than ever before. Indeed, the recent outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has only helped to encourage this trend by thrusting E-learning into the spotlight almost overnight.

To understand what the E-learning landscape looks like in 2021, and how COVID-19 has affected this growing industry, we surveyed online teachers in Maldives, inviting them to share how the pandemic has impacted them and how they view the long term trends.

As you'll see, the future looks bright for E-learning. So, if you're looking to supplement your income or switch careers, make sure to dive into the survey results and enjoy our guide to everything you need to know to onboard as an online teacher.

Global Facys

• The global E-learning market is expected to reach $350 billion by 2025.
• Online teaching platform, Udemy, reported a 425% increase in enrollments since late February 2020.
• 73% who teach professional skills (e.g. programming, digital marketing, etc.) do not have any formal teaching qualifications, while 77% of those who teach a foreign language do.
• 4 in 5 foreign language teachers have a formal teaching qualification but even those without can still earn well from teaching online.
• 77% of foreign language teachers are earning their sole income trom 7% online teaching.
• 90% of all E-teachers would consider eLearning their primary source of income in the future.
• During COVID-19, 82% of professional skills teachers and 55% (82 9% of foreign language learning teachers saw an increase in course registrations.
• 87% of those teaching professional skills, and 54% of those teaching foreign languages expect that demand for their courses will increase in the long term.

The internet has radically changed the way people obtain information, and part of this digital revolution is the way we teach and learn.

Over the past two years, more than 6 million students worldwide have enrolled in online courses, with that number expected to rise in in the coming years. It's not surprising, then, that according to a 2019 study, the online education market is projected to reach $350 billion by 2025. The same report also found that the United States, China, and India are leading the global online education market due to growing internet adoption, distant learning programs and the availability of online courses.

Online Education Surges in Response to COVID-19 

While online education has been growing steadily in the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly paved the way for even stronger market growth. Social distancing measures and the sudden shift to quarantine has meant millions of people worldwide have had to quickly adapt to a new reality; connecting solely online in order to teach, work, and learn. Others found themselves out of a job and had to quickly shift gears to learn a new, digital trade.

As a result, global E-learning platform, Coursera, saw drastic growth during the peak of the outbreak with more than 25 million enrollments since mid-March, a 520% increase from the same period last year.

Udemy, another American online learning platform, recently reported a 425% increase in enrollments of students and a 55% increase in course creation by instructors. Categories with the highest surge in new courses include office productivity (1599% increase), health & fitness (84%6), IT & Software (77%) and personal development (61%).

Survey Result : Boom in the Scene

Based on our results, 74% of teachers joined the online education industry within the last two years. This suggests the demand for E-learning has boomed. Reasons for this could be that video communication tools have advanced and now enable people to more easily work or learn from home, freelancing is quickly becoming the preferred Iife style of choice, and due to COVID-19 and the sudden shift to remote work, larger businesses and companies are now actively seeking remote talent who hold specific professional skills.

Opportunities exist for those with or without teaching qualifications. Looking into the required qualifications that online teachers need, we see that 77% of those who teach in Maldives have a formal qualification to do so.

This is reflected in the E-learning platform guidelines where formal qualifications, like TESL or TOEFL, are prerequisites. Interestingly enough, close to 22% of respondents reported that they have no formal teaching qualification and are still able to earn income via this medium

E-Teaching: A Great Way to Make Supplemental Income

The earning potential is an attractive aspect that is drawing in teachers. Indeed, 58% of teachers earn above MVR 7,000 per month and almost half of these earn above MVR 15,000 per month. This level of income can may offer a decent way of life (depending on your lifestyle), so it's not surprising that an increasing number have turned to E-teaching in recent years.

This survey shows, though not that attractive, online teaching is a reasonable way to earn a living, though further research is required to know the practical and economic impact of online teaching, in respect to the continuity, demands, fees and type of programs.