It seems that elearning companies still have a lot to learn when it comes to their business models and practices. Other popular media companies have come a lot further when it comes to technology than elearning, including the television and movie phenomenon of Netflix. Elearning should be looking to these popular platforms for suggestions of where to go and how to be successful.
Netflix has a lot to teach these new elearning companies about catering to consumers and how to manage all of their content. These three helpful insights from Netflix could help elearning to revolutionize its offerings.
Elearning needs to learn how to curate better materials.
Our technology has an endless supply of resources and materials that are only a few mouse clicks away. The curation process is extremely important to ensure that the right material is available whenever educators or students need it. Netflix already seems to have mastered this process, coming up with proposed lists of television shows and movies you might enjoy. Artificial intelligence has to work better to make the educational resources you need more easily accessible.
Personalization based on outcomes is important.
Much like curation, Netflix seems to have mastered the idea that users should be allowed to personalize their platform. It can generate suggestions, create playlists, and keep track of your feedback and reviews. Elearning could use a similar slant toward personalization, giving users the ability to choose information that is interesting and relevant to their current studies. There needs to be some degree of personalization in order to offer a deep and well-rounded education to every unique learner.
However, elearning does need to be careful that its personalized preferences are focused on outcomes instead of simply a student’s desires. The suggestions made have to be helpful for the overall outcome of greater test scores, survey reports, and a deeper knowledge of the material. While elearning can learn a lot from Netflix in this capacity, it also needs to adapt the methods to better suit its end goal.
Netflix knows how to make information available.
One of the greatest attributes of Netflix is the sheer volume of resources it makes available to its subscribers. They can watch television shows and movies created by the most well-known brands, as well as those from lesser-known media companies. Even Netflix created its own series of original shows for viewers. Elearning could learn a lot from a company who offers an extensive list of resources, even those that aren’t as well-known or advertised.
Elearning must also keep in mind that Netflix is an affordable subscription-based service. It’s key to make the information available at a reasonable rate that a school district or student could actually afford. Otherwise, the cost-prohibitive nature of the service is bound to deter students from effectively learning.
Elearning still has a lot of growing to do to reach its full potential in the years ahead. It can start on a more successful note by taking notes from the popular media platform Netflix. Using their current model, elearning could create a more effective and engaging platform for its end users.