Stan Altman, Special to The Times Published 7:01 a.m. CT May 28, 2020

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Its old news the coronavirus has disrupted our lives and raised considerable concerns about the digital divide nationwide.

Online learning, broadly defined is not new, so why the pandemonium among parents and teachers alike, concerning its exclusive use today?Primarily because the shortcomings of these tools were tolerated, even ignored, while other more traditional classroom approaches were in use.

But with COVID-19 forcing schools to remain closed and the potential of another wave of the virus this fall, remote learning will likely be the new normal. If we have any hope of successfully educating students, we must confront and address the following five challenges.

The coronavirus crisis has forced emergency actions to be taken in low-income communities that had limited or no access to the internet, digital devices or computers.

Internet providers offered free 60-day service to students from K-12 and colleges and universities provided students free devices. This is a quick fix and not a solution. Going forward, we must provide affordable internet access to everyone and ensure every student has a tablet or computer as part of their personal educational tool kit.

Even if students have access to the internet and computers, many dont know how to use these online tools and the dilemma is further compounded when learning shifts to platforms that deliver classes in real-time:Maneuvering video, audio or simply using a programs chat feature can cause panic among the internet-illiterate.

Many kids, parents and even teachers have been learning on the fly. Training how to use online tools must become an integral part of school preparation.

Teaching online is different than in-classroom instruction. Using course administrative systems is different than simply assigning reading from a textbook and collecting hard copy assignments. It requires unique skills knowing how to write on a blackboard or whiteboard or showing a digital presentation is no longer sufficient.

K-12 teachers need to complete formal training including courses and fieldwork, while teachers at a college or university, do not. Training in developing pedagogy and in the use of online tools should be required of all faculty.

We can become adept at using online tools, if the basic infrastructure rules remain consistent, but in my 50-year experience as an educator developing this knowledge and familiarity has been difficult because it is constantly changing.

When I began delivering online synchronous lectures 10 years ago, it was via Adobe Connect.Just as I became familiar with this feature, my college switched to Ciscos WebEx, then Blackboards Collaborate.

Today, faculty and academic meetings might be held using a number of different programs Zoom, GoToMeeting, Web Meeting, Google Hangout, WebEx, etc. They all possess similar features, but they are different.

Its like learning to drive on the right side of the road in the United States, but during a visit to Great Britain, you must quickly adapt to driving on the left.

The underlying infrastructure of these platforms must be streamlined and resources, in terms of staff and materials, provided to support and assist faculty in effectively using these technologies.

As the use of online education increases, its imperative we assess its impact on student learning. The current belief is that online education is not as effective as the traditional classroom.

But how do we know, given we are only just beginning to develop measurement assessment tools for educational outcomes, not just test taking ability?

Our growing tech economy requires an educated workforce with essential skills, such as critical thinking, and we need to develop measures that test student ability to apply their knowledge to solving real world problems.

The whole economy is increasingly moving toward online infrastructure so solving the digital divide is critical as we navigate the next century together. To meet this need will require us to address these five challenges by recognizing they cannot be solved in isolation, but as a single system. Solving the digital divide is just the first step towardimproved online learning outcomes at all educational levels.

Stan Altman is President, Science and Arts Engagement New York, Inc; Professor, Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Baruch College; and Visiting Professor, The City College of New York. He is a member of the Digital Infrastructure committee and The Shreveport Economic Recovery Task Force.

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Stan Altman: 5 challenges that must be met for effective online education after COVID-19 - Shreveport Times

KEARNEY The coronavirus pandemic created unprecedented challenges for K-12 educators.

When schools across the country closed their doors to slow the spread of COVID-19, teachers who rely on in-person classes and face-to-face interactions to connect with students were suddenly thrust into the world of online learning whether they were ready or not.

The rapid transition to remote education was met with fear and uncertainty in many classrooms, but Angie Palmer had a different reaction.

She was prepared to take up the challenge.

I had no anxiety, no worries about making this adjustment, Palmer said. I was ready to go, and that was a great feeling.

A business teacher at Broken Bow Public Schools, Palmer is enrolled in the University of Nebraska at Kearneys masters program in instructional technology.

The knowledge shes gained through that program became an invaluable resource when the central Nebraska school district announced it was moving to online learning for the final seven weeks of the academic year.

With just two weeks to plan for the change, Palmer found herself a step ahead of most colleagues.

UNKs instructional technology program introduced her to a number of remote-teaching tools many of which were offered free of charge during the pandemic and she already had the training to succeed in an online environment.

I didnt feel like I had to spend extra hours learning how to do things first, and then apply them to my online classroom, said Palmer, who teaches accounting, entrepreneurship, IT applications and personal finance at the high school level.

She used Flipgrid and Padlet to create and share videos and other instructional materials, posted assignments in Google Classroom and met with students via Zoom. It was a big adjustment with some stressful moments, but Palmer is confident her students wont miss a beat this fall.

Overall, I think its been a great learning moment for the kids, she said. Those who are juniors and seniors, they really discovered how ready they are for college life, where you need that self-discipline, time management and structure.

The coronavirus pandemic was also an eye-opening experience for educators, who quickly recognized the value of utilizing technology in the classroom.

Martonia Gaskill, director of UNKs instructional technology program, has seen an uptick in applications over the past two months, including people who want to start graduate classes as soon as this summer.

We offer courses that prepare teachers to create web-based learning environments and motivate 21st-century learners using a variety of tools and top online technologies. Educators at all levels are looking for these skills right now, Gaskill said.

The UNK program shows teachers how to effectively harness the power of technology and trains specialists who become technology leaders in schools and businesses. Concentrations are offered in instructional technology, information technology, leadership in instructional technology and school librarian.

Our IT students enroll because theyve embraced the potential of technology and our program will prepare them to become innovators and leaders in K-12 schools, Gaskill said, noting that a masters degree in instructional technology often leads to career advancement opportunities and salary increases.

I believe our IT program is going to be even more popular in the next few years, Gaskill added.

More than 100 people are currently enrolled in the program, which is delivered entirely online to accommodate working professionals.

Palmer, who earned her bachelors degree and teaching endorsement from UNK, plans to finish the program this fall.

No matter what her classroom looks like then, shell continue utilizing modern technology to prepare her students for life after high school.

This program has been really beneficial because it opened up a whole new world I didnt even know really existed, Palmer said.

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University of Nebraska at Kearney program prepares teachers for online education - Grand Island Independent

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The online education market size in India is expected to grow by USD 14.33 billion during 2020-2024. The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact can be expected to be significant in the first quarter but gradually lessen in subsequent quarters with a limited impact on the full-year economic growth, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. Request a free sample report

High Internet penetration has led to the creation of an extensive customer base for companies operating in the e-learning market. As the traditional education system in India is insufficient in providing services to all the segments of the education and skill development market, learners are looking for alternative education sources, leading to the growth of the online education market in India. The country offers significant opportunities for players offering products or services based on digital platforms. For example, Bangalore-based BYJUS, an Ed-tech company, launched its mobile app in 2015. This app has been downloaded by more than 6 million users across India. Hence, with the combined incremental penetration of the Internet and smartphones in the Indian economy, the user base for e-learning is expected to increase, thereby driving market growth.

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43422

As per Technavio, the government initiatives toward digitization in education will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2020-2024.

Online Education Market In India: Government Initiatives toward Digitization in Education

Digital initiatives taken by the government of India is one of the factors fueling the growth of online education. Initiatives such as ePathshala, which hosts educational web resources for teachers, students, parents, researchers, and educators, have helped the rural population to get familiarized with online education. For higher education segments, the Indian government has come up with virtual labs and virtual classes to provide remote access to labs in various disciplines of science and engineering with participating institutes such as ITs, IIITs, and NITs. The virtual labs cater to students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as to research scholars. Such government initiatives have created a surge in demand for online education from users and institutions in rural and urban areas.

Factors such as the emergence of cloud computing, and the growing popularity of big data and learning analytics will have a significant impact on the growth of the online education market value in India during the forecast period, says a senior analyst at Technavio.

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Online Education Market In India: Segmentation Analysis

This market research report segments the online education market in India by product (content and services).

The content segment led the online education market share in India in 2019, followed by services respectively. During the forecast period, the content segment is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to factors such as the ease of accessibility of content, and the availability of customized content.

Technavios sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report

Some of the key topics covered in the report include:

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Research Report with COVID-19 Forecasts - Online Education Market In India 2020-2024 | Increased Penetration of Internet and Smartphones to Boost...

Melody Serra (top row, center), a former kindergarten teacher, teaches a class to young children over Zoom. Credit: Emily Kaplan for The Hechinger Report

BROOKLYN, N.Y. Before I became a journalist, my life was structured according to school bells: I woke up at 6 a.m., drove to school, and spent my days in my second grade classroom, attending to the needs of 7- and 8-year-olds.

After becoming a freelance journalist, my daily life looked much different: I woke up when I wanted, except when I was traveling on assignment. I talked to dozens of people per day, or to no one at all. I stopped thinking about methods for keeping track of pencils and havent thought about spelling rules in years.

Until the coronavirus happened.

55.1 million number of public and private school students stuck at home during the pandemic

We've got the latest and deepest takes.

Now, I find myself dusting off old strategies and using out-of-shape teaching muscles. And while the in-person nature of my situation may be unique Im quarantining with the family who lives upstairs, spending time with the children while their parents work Ive discovered that Im part of a group of former teachers returning to education during the pandemic to help educate the 55.1 million public and private school students stuck at home.

Motivated by a desire to contribute, former educators around the country are returning to the classroom, virtually. Many are volunteers who are eager to help bored kids and overwhelmed parents, while others are using teaching to pay the bills while their professional lives are uncertain.

Related: Teachers need lots of training to do online learning well. Coronavirus gave many just days.

Melody Serra is a 33-year-old former kindergarten teacher living in San Francisco. After making a career switch, she now teaches software engineering to low-income college students, some of whom have children.

When schools began to close in the Bay Area, Serra said several of the parents in her classes were anxious about how they would get their work done with children at home. I realized that this was something that everyone was worried about, she said.

Some parents are asking us just to read to their children because they dont have time to do that anymore.

Serra decided to put together a virtual class for her students children and opened them to any child who might want to join. Now, she offers a free hour-long class over Zoom, a video conferencing program, three times a week.

Every class covers a broad theme, such as outer space, octopuses, or Antarctica. Her students range in age from 4 to 10, and while most are located in the Bay Area, she said shes had children drop in from as far away as the United Kingdom.

On the other side of the country, the coronavirus has put medical student Melissa Robinson, 24, on hold, waiting to finish her third year at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell on Long Island. Finding herself with more time on her hands since clinical rotations have been suspended, Robinson organized a group of her classmates into a tutoring corps that provides online help to students in four high-poverty neighborhoods near campus.

Some parents are asking us just to read to their children because they dont have time to do that anymore, she said.

And while Serra and the Hofstra medical students provide instruction for free, some educators are taking paid virtual teaching jobs with existing online education outlets.

Andrew Geant, the co-founder and CEO of Wyzant, a website that connects tutors to students, said his company has seen tutoring applications increase by 75 percent since stay-at-home orders began to take effect in March. The new applicants represent a 40 percent increase in applications from licensed teachers.

[Licensed teachers] know the standards, they know the techniques, and they know where kids will need to be when school does reopen.

Brian Galvin is the Chief Academic Officer of Varsity Tutors, a company whose focus, pre-coronavirus, was helping students prepare for standardized tests. In recent weeks, the company has focused on developing a program called Virtual School Day, which offers 100 live classes and guarantees at least 30 hours of video instruction for every grade level, every week. From his home in Ventura, California, Galvin told me that many of the people the company has hired to create this curriculum are former teachers or teachers at independent schools that have not shifted to online instruction.

Galvin says hes been impressed by their expertise.

They know the standards, they know the techniques, and they know where kids will need to be when school does reopen, he said.

Related: Coronavirus is making it easier to become a teacher in a state with severe shortage of educators

At least here in New York City, no one knows quite when that will be and the kids Im spending my days with arent holding their breath. The third grader in my charge said that though she wishes she were back with her friends, shes become accustomed to staying at home.

It feels normal but abnormal. Like, now it feels normal but it isnt normal.

This story about volunteer teachers was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn't mean it's free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.

Join us today.

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Volunteer teachers and others step up to online education - The Hechinger Report

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Pittsburgh CLO plans online theater education classes - TribLIVE

The Lafayette Online Academy is planning a move into a larger standalone space as the virtual learning program continues to grow and online learning is increasingly in the spotlight as parents and children navigate uncertain educational terrain amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On May 13, the Lafayette Parish School Board granted authority to the Lafayette Parish School System to renegotiate a lease with Mendoza Real Estate for a property at the intersection of Ambassador Caffery Parkway and Ridge Road. The property, formerly home to POSH Preowned, has been vacant for months, said Kyle Bordelon, LPSS facilities and planning director.

The site is under contract until October, but LPSS is looking to terminate the lease early to move the online academy into the space. The current building includes an open concept main space with small offices along one wall, bathrooms and a break room or meeting space. It was originally a gas station, but the building was renovated when POSH moved into the space about five years ago, Bordelon said.

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The building would require few changes; the main needs include the addition of between 30 and 40 computers with accompanying computer tables and other office furniture, he said.

The Lafayette Online Academy would then relocate from Southside High School to the site in the 3300 block of Ambassador Caffery Parkway, a high traffic area thatll offer the program greater visibility. Located on a bus route, its also accessible for students who need to visit the facility, Lafayette Online Academy Principal Jared Coutee said.

The exact timeline for the move is still being decided, he said.

The online academy launched four years ago as an alternative to a traditional classroom environment. Before its founding, the school system utilized online learning for credit recovery and high school summer school learning, he said.

Last year, the program served about 200 students in grades K-12 and the online academy graduated about 40 students. Each year since its launch, the program has attracted new students, the principal said. Enrollment is offered year-round.

The whole goal is to make things as flexible as possible for students and familiesits a very flexible set up and rather than a student molding themselves around a program, we design something for them, Coutee said. We want to meet the needs of modern families.

Students follow a tailored online curriculum and complete coursework through the platform Edgenuity. Benchmarks are set but students can access the program 24 hours a day and set their own pace. Built-in tools include read aloud options in multiple languages, transcripts of teacher lessons and accommodations like extended time, Coutee said.

The flexibility of a virtual classroom is backed up with full school support by two certified LPSS teachers and a school counselor. The teachers work primarily with sixth- through 12th-grade students and can work through difficult lessons, review test materials, offer tutoring, proctor in-person exams and generally provide all classroom-type support services at their main office, he said.

The kindergarten through fifth-grade students are largely managed through a partnership with Fuel Education, a digital education services company, the principal said.

The teachers also tightly track student progress and performance data in real time, Coutee said. Edgenuity allows the teachers to monitor a students progression through lessons, quizzes and tests to ensure theyre meeting benchmarks. If they slow too much, or fail an element too many times, the teachers will be alerted for intervention.

The students struggle may be tied to how theyre approaching the course, the arrangement of their work schedule or their note taking skills. The LPSS teachers review their work, meet with the student and diagnose those problems, he said.

[Edgenuity] is really innovative and advanced but its simple to use. You can utilize the greatest courseware but its important to have great teachers behind that, and I think we have both at Lafayette Online Academy, Coutee said.

Theres not a clear picture of how the novel coronavirus pandemic will impact enrollment in the online academy, but Coutee said he anticipates there could be increased interest in a non-traditional learning environment as concerns persist about students returning to campuses in the fall and what school will look like.

Coutee said he and his staff are prepared for increased enrollment should that happen. Scaling the program is quick and flexible; the main requirement would be hiring additional teachers if needed and ensuring theres adequate numbers of computer stations at their main office to serve students, he said.

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Lafayette Online Academy moving to Ambassador Caffery as online education enters spotlight - The Advocate

Like most community college professors, I find the end of finals week as much of a relief for me as it is for the students. I love teaching, but the last few weeks of the semester are tough this year, especially with remote learning, mandated and courses shifted online.

However, this year when I submitted my final grades for the semester, all I felt was an overwhelming sadness. I hope my students can come back next year.

Teaching community college was a nearly impossible task before COVID-19. And even with a Ph.D. in political science, most days I wish I also had formal training in social work, counseling, and pedagogy as well.

My students dont meet the profile of the imagined typical college student. In many of the discussions surrounding whether or not students can return to campus in the fall, these students needs are at risk of being left out of the discussion altogether.

In the fall of 2019, around 18.2 million students were enrolled in an institution of higher education, with 5.3 million attending public two-year colleges. Community colleges disproportionally serve students of color.

In 2017, 44 percent of Hispanic undergraduates and 35 percent of Black undergraduates were enrolled in community colleges, as opposed to 31 percent of white undergraduates.

Two-year schools are vital to the economic health of rural communities. Two-thirds of all public two-year colleges serve rural areas accounting for the enrollment of 3.4 million students.

These community college students face unique economic challenges. Thirty-seven percent of community college students have a family income of less than $20,000. Approximately 50 percent of community college students are housing insecure, 39 percent work full-time jobs while in school, and 29 percent are parents.

While it may seem as if community college students with commitments to work and childcare might flourish in an online environment, the COVID-19 crisis and online education have created additional barriers to student success.

If plans for reopening in colleges in the fall do not take these students unique challenges into account, they may fail to return to school altogether.

Initial financial aid data bears out these concerns. As of April 15, there were almost 250,000 fewer returning FAFSA applicants than last year from the lowest income bracket, which is families making $25,000. This data suggests that roughly a quarter of a million fewer low-income students will return to college in the fall as compared to last year.

In addition, applications for Pell Grants for returning students whose family income is less than $25,000 fell by 25 percent from March 15 to April 15 relative to 2019 numbers, suggesting that many students made the decision not to return after courses moved online in the spring.

The question of if and how colleges can safely open in the fall is certainly important. But it is just as important that colleges and state governments ask, How can we make college accessible in a post-COVID world?

The first part of the equation is to discover how community colleges can retain low-income students in the fall. One way would be to offer different course modalities schools that would encourage low-income students to participate.

When classes moved online in the spring, many of my colleagues at four-year universities were encouraged to move classes onto zoom. However, our administrators reminded us that students had not originally signed up for online education and may not have computer or internet access necessary to take an online class. In rural Texas, where I teach, 1/3 of households do not have high-speed internet access.

As a result, I focused on making the remainder of my class very low tech. If students could not access a computer or the online platform, they could snap a picture of a handwritten homework assignment and text it to me.

For the fall semester, however, we are moving our classes to a hyper-flex format. Hyflex teaching is getting a lot of buzz in higher ed because it can accommodate social distancing requirements in the classroom, allow professors to check-in with students face-to-face, and be moved fully online quickly.

But hyflex requires teachers and students to have access to a lot of technology, so likely it will leave rural and low-income students behind.

Rather than focusing on the best way to simulate the face-to-face experience, community collegesand even some four-year schools need to ask how they can meet students where they are.

Arizona State University is planning on offering two types of online classes in the fall. Students who have high-speed internet and regular work schedules (or no work schedules) can take synchronous classes online. However, students with complicated work schedules or spottier internet connections can sign up for asynchronous class and complete work on their own schedules.

Perhaps there are other ways community colleges could consider tailoring classes to the needs of low-income students. Many colleges expanded pass/fail options in the spring as education moved online. Colleges and state regulators alike should consider being more lenient next year as well.

One option would be for community colleges to offer paired-down, low-tech versions of a limited number of their general education classes on a pass/fail basis.

Ultimately, COVID-19 has highlighted the existing failure in our social safety net. Community college students juggling full-time jobs, childcare and school were already asked to do the impossible. It is unacceptable that in the year 2020 so many students dont have reliable internet access.

In-office hours I often find myself working through issues that are not directly related to class with my students. The most heartbreaking conversations revolve around situations I cant really do very much about. I can help a student study more efficiently or manage their time more effectively, but all the daily planners in the world are not going to fix the fact that my students are often juggling working full-time, childcare, and school.

What policymakers, educators, school administrators and funders need to address is how to keep students from the lowest income brackets in school in the fall.Because not doing so will fail them fully.

Katie Scofield has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Indiana University, with a focus on comparative constitutional law. She teaches Federal and Texas Government at Blinn College.

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All In this together? Don't forget the community college students | TheHill - The Hill

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) announced today the launch of K12 Learning Solutions, a new suite of online and blended education services, curriculum, training, and support tailored to meet schools and districts online learning goals and ensure student, teacher, and parent success.

With K12 On-Demand, K12 Blended, and Full-Time Online school models, as well as K12 Training Options for teachers, parents, and administrators, K12 Learning Solutions delivers robust online and blended learning options for seamless education delivery and long-term academic success.

K12 Learning Solutions provides access to an online education delivery platform; engaging curriculum covering core subjects, career readiness education, and hundreds of electives; and administrator, teacher, and parent training to succeed in the online environment.

Online education is no longer a distant concept for Americas schools; its very much our present reality, said Scott Durand, K12s Senior Vice President and General Manager of K12 Learning Solutions. K12 Learning Solutions empowers schools and districts to offer the best of both an online and in-person learning experience and gives school leaders the flexibility to quickly respond to changing needs.

In a survey conducted by Morning Consult, 85% of parents said U.S. public schools should be prepared and equipped to shift to an online learning environment by next fall. And in the wake of pandemic-related school building closures, the majority of parents (82%) think more resources and training for teachers in online instruction would improve learning at home.

K12 has more than 20 years of experience delivering online education to students across the country and has worked with more than 2,000 schools and districts across all 50 states to help tailor local solutions for personalized online and blended learning.

Communities need to make education work in the current reality of the pandemic, but online learning can be more than an emergency response, said Durand. K12 has developed specialized expertise over two decades in the design, implementation, and operational support of blended and online learning programs, and we look forward to partnering with districts to modernize and prepare their students for the world today and tomorrow.

K12 Learning Solutions partners with districts to understand their goals, assess online learning readiness, and develop a plan to deliver online education that meets their unique objectives.

With K12 On-Demand, school districts will be prepared to switch to an online learning model in an emergency. Designed to be accessible when needed for unexpected school closures, K12 On-Demand will equip district staff to make the seamless temporary switch to online instruction, so students can continue learning with minimal disruption during weather events, natural disasters, and public health crises.

With K12s Blended Option, districts will set up a personalized, future-ready learning experience for students with online courses that complement their in-person offerings throughout the year not just in an emergency. Schools can offer an expanded menu of core courses and electives taught by K12 teachers or their own staff, including content from K12s Destinations Career Academy portfolio of career-focused education programming. Students will benefit from project based learning and virtual experiences that prepare them for the increasingly digital workforce.

K12 Learning Solutions also offers districts the option to build a Full-Time Online school, to better support more members of their community as they meet a range of learning needs.

K12 Training options offer teacher, parent, and administrator development programs to help districts succeed with online education delivery. K12 provides instructional resources, tools, and platforms to implement proven practices in online instruction, ensuring success and confidence in everyones online learning experience.

To learn more about K12 Learning Solutions, visit k12.com/learning-solutions.

About K12

K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) helps students of all ages reach their full potential through inspired teaching and personalized learning. The company provides innovative, high-quality online and blended education solutions, curriculum, and programs to students, schools and enterprises in primary, secondary and post-secondary settings. K12 is a premier provider of career readiness education services and a leader in skills training, technology staffing and talent development. The company provides programs which combine traditional high school academics with career technical education through its Destinations Career Academies. Adult learning is delivered through K12s subsidiary, Galvanize, a leader in developing capabilities for individuals and corporations in technical fields such as software engineering and data science. K12 has delivered millions of courses over the past decade and serves students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The company is a proud sponsor of the Future of School, a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap between the pace of technology in daily life and the pace of change in education. More information can be found at K12.com, destinationsacademy.com, jobshadowweek.com, and galvanize.com.

Link:
Schools in the Driver's Seat: K12 Learning Solutions to Provide Tailored Online Education Services - Business Wire

The education group posted FY 2019 revenue of $208 million, a year-over-year increase of nearly 1.7%

() said it expectsto significantly scale revenues in 2020driven by a rapid shift toonline learningas the transformed companyreportedfinancial and business results for full-year 2019 and for the first quarter of 2020.

The company became a new entity on March 30, 2020, following a merger between EdtechX Holdings, the world's first special purpose acquisition company focused on investing in the education services and education technology industry, and Chinese omnichannel education group Meten.

For full-year 2019, the group posted revenue of 1.44 billion renminbi (US$208 million), a year-over-year increase of 1.7% compared to 1.42 billion renminbi in 2018. During the fourth quarter of 2019, the firm clocked up revenue of 352.9 million renminbi (US$50.7 million) compared to 359.6 million renminbi a year earlier.

In thefirst quarter ended March 31, 2020,the company clocked up revenue of 181.6 million renminbi (US$25.6 million),compared to 314.8 million renminbi it posted a year earlier as the coronavirus pandemic forced a temporary closure of its learning centers in early February. The company noted that despite the challenges posed by the pandemic the "resilient performance" in the first quarter was supported by "accelerated growth in online English language training."

The firm reported a net loss for full-year2019 of 225.1 million renminbi (US$32.3 million) compared to a profit of 53.4 million renminbi in 2018. The net loss during the fourth quarter2019 came in at 165.5 million renminbi (US$23.8 million), up from 8.4 million renminbi in fourth quarter 2018.

In a statement, Alan Peng, chief executive officer of Meten EdtechX told shareholders that the firms 2019 financial performance was significantly impacted by one-off investments, including a curriculum upgrade, restructuring and integration of the ABC Junior business, and the one-off accrued expense from accepting students from WEBi, a major competitor that wound down its business during 2019.

TheShenzhen-based company took quick action to adjust its model in light of the pandemic.In response to the closures, the company quickly shifted to an online learning model, with approximately 19,000 students, or 52% of its offline student base, taking up online courses with the company - excluding those enrolled on the Likeshuo platform. An additional 1,400 offline students enrolled onto the Likeshuo online platform during the first quarter of 2020, it said.

Thanks to our established online ELT business, a large portion of our offline students took the opportunity to enroll in our online classes, which led to a higher number of hours delivered online versus the same quarter of the previous year, Peng noted, adding that the increase in online revenues only partially offset the impact of the learning center closures.

Looking ahead, we believe that events of 2020 will accelerate the trend of growing acceptance of online education which can effectively be combined with face-to-face lessons for an optimal learning experience, he added. At Meten EdtechX, we are well placed to benefit from this trend and remain fully committed to our medium-term growth strategy.

The company ended 1Q 2020 with 152.2 million renminbi (US$21.5 million) in cash and equivalents. It recently completed a private placement of US$36 million to boost the expansion of Metens offering of English language teaching, its online platform Likeshuo and to fund future acquisitions.

Contact Angela at [emailprotected]

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Meten EdtechX Education expects to significantly scale revenue in 2020 on shift to online learning as it posts 1Q numbers - Proactive Investors USA...

NEW YORK, May 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Increased internet penetration around the world is driving the demand for digital education market

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The global digital education market size is forecasted to grow from USD 8.4 billion in 2020 to USD 33.2 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 31.4% during the forecast period. Major factors expected to drive the growth of the digital education market include increased internet penetration around the world, reduced infrastructure cost and increased scalability using online learning, and growing demand for microlearning. However, lack of face-to-face interaction and direct monitoring might hinder the growth of this market. Technological advancements such as virtual classrooms represent significant opportunity in near future for the companies that are currently offering online learning services

Based on end user, the individual learners and academic institutions segment to grow at a higher rate during the forecast period This segment includes self-motivated individual applicants for the online courses and educational institutes and universities that are availing the online education services for their students.As there are many individuals scattered over the globe that want to learn different subjects, demand for the online courses from individual learners is very high.

Flexibility of time and place and comparatively low cost are the two key attraction points for the individual learners that attract them toward the online courses.Universities can greatly improve their effectiveness of their courses by availing online education to their students.

Though large number of universities and educational institutions still run the traditional educational models, many of them are adapting to this change.

Based on learning type, the self-paced online education segment to hold a larger chunk of the digital education market share during the forecast period Self-paced online education courses do not follow a set schedule; hence, all the learning resources are readily available which gives end users an opportunity to absorb and retain information at a higher rate than in a classroom setting.Self-paced online courses do not require instructor and student to be available at the same time during the entire course.

Instructor can record video or provide content that students can learn from without involvement of the instructor. Unlike self-paced digital education courses, instructor-led digital education courses follow a particular set of schedules with a specified time for the availability of learning resources for a time-bound and effective learning.

Among regions, Asia Pacific to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period Demand for online learning in APAC is growing at faster pace as governments of countries in this region are taking steps to improve the digital infrastructure and purchasing power of the students in this region is growing rapidly.The region includes countries such as China, Japan, and India.

The market size in APAC is expected to grow at the highest rate than any other region considered for the study. The expected growth can be attributed to the high economic growth witnessed by the major countries in this region. Moreover, the rapid modernization and increased penetration of Fourth Generation (4G) have accelerated the adoption of online surfers, ultimately leading to the growth of the digital education market in APAC.Increased connectivity is directly impacting the growth and adoption of the digital education market in the region.

Moreover, organizations in APAC are rapidly adopting various strategies, including partnerships, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, and product launches and upgradations to cater to APAC-based learners, and this is expected to boost the growth of the market size in APAC.

In-depth interviews were conducted with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), marketing directors, innovation and technology directors, and executives from various key organizations operating in the digital education market.

The breakup of the profiles of the primary participants is given below: By Company Type: Tier 1 20%, Tier 2 35%, and Tier 3 45% By Designation: C-Level 40%, Directors 20%, Managers15%, and Others -25% By Region: North America 35%, Europe 30%, APAC 20%, and RoW 15%

The following key digital education vendors are profiled in the report: Coursera (US) edX (US) Pluralsight (US) Edureka (India) Alison (Ireland) Udacity (US) Udemy (US) Miradax (Spain) Jigsaw Academy (India) iversity (Germany) Intellipaat (India) Edmodo (US) FutureLearn (UK) LinkedIn (US) NovoEd (US) XuetangX (China) Federica EU (Italy) Linkstreet Learning (India) Khan Academy (US) Kadenze (Spain)

Research Coverage The digital education market is segmented by learning type (self-paced online education and instructor led online education), end user, course type, and region. A detailed analysis of the key industry players has been undertaken to provide insights into their business overview; services; key strategies; new services and product launches; partnerships, agreements, and collaborations; business expansions; and competitive landscape associated with the digital education market.

Reasons to Buy the Report

The report would help the market leaders and new entrants in the following ways: It comprehensively segments the digital education market and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and its subsegments across different regions. It would help stakeholders understand the pulse of the market and provide information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. It would help stakeholders understand their competitors better and gain more insights to enhance their position in the market. The competitive landscape section includes competitor ecosystem, new product developments, partnerships, and expansions.

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The global digital education market size is forecasted to grow from USD 8.4 billion in 2020 to USD 33.2 billion by 2025, at a Compound Annual Growth...