Delivering knowledge to the masses, digitally
the entrepreneurial journey in this article has its origins in Afghanistan.
The global e-learning market is growing at a blistering pace. Skill sets have to be built with urgency. Jobs in the traditional employment sectors are getting hollowed out in the face of the relentless march of artificial intelligence and robotics. However, for more than a century now, the ineffectiveness of classroom education in bringing about societal change is hugely manifest.
Today, access to quality education is plagued by inequality, driven greatly by wealth and geography, which exacerbates the gaps between the haves and the have-nots in the future. This is why digital learning is so critically important. The last article in this column dealt with the portability of educational qualifications using Blockchain. This time, the focus is on the systems that will support the digital delivery of knowledge.
statistics and other interesting facts
Statistics prove this secular trend towards digital. From a base of between $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion in the middle of this decade, the estimates are that by the early 2020s, the number would reach somewhere between $17.5 billion to about $19 billion, representing a compound aggregate growth rate of about 20 per cent.
The numbers are reinterpreted and derived from the Stratistics MRC report titled ‘Learning Management System — Global Market Outlook (2015-2022)’ as well as the one published by Transparency Market Research ‘Learning Management Systems Market — Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016–2024.’
There are a number of components within learning management systems (LMS). These include administration modules, content warehouses, examination and quiz systems, psychometric testing, games and simulations, career guidance, research and media databases. Hitherto, the trend has been for large players to try to corner the market. Estimates are that five of the big players control about 40 per cent of the global market share.
Better known names in this industry include Automatic Data Processing, Blackboard, Cornerstone OnDemand, Desire2Learn, eCollege, Edmodo, GlobalScholar, IBM Corporation, Instructure, Jenzabar, Mcgraw-Hill Companies, Moodle, Netdimensions Ltd, Oracle, Pearson Plc, Saba Software, SAP AG, Sumtotal Systems, Sungard and Xerox Corporation.
the challenge the company
For many people in the education sector, LMS systems are highly capable and meet their needs. But for those who don’t have high-bandwidth data available 24/7, existing systems can be almost impossible to use. Another challenge is usability. Many of the more well-known platforms are overengineered and difficult to download, access and use. Also, many of the systems have redundant features that are usually better served by competing products. The over-engineering, dependence on smart devices and redundant features lead to expensive platforms, making them unavailable to the segments that need them most — students who are either geographically or economically disadvantaged or both. Ustad Mobile (www.ustadmobile.com) is an In5 based startup in the LMS space headed by Mike Dawson, CEO and cofounder. The app enables learners to access and share content offline. Any two users in close proximity can share content. The phones can communicate to send usage data and quiz scores back, even when some of the phones don’t have their own Internet connection. The startup venture focuses its work primarily on low and middle-income countries. To do this, Ustad Mobile has essentially deconstructed the norm in LMS platforms by building capabilities that would work on the most basic mobile phone devices available. Faced with the challenge of creating an LMS platform to teach basic numeracy and literacy skills in the remote mountains of Afghanistan, Dawson put his coding skills to good use. He did away with the need for Internet connectivity — 59 per cent of the world’s population has no access to the Net. He then built an app that would work on smartphones and the Java-based operating systems of “candy-bar” phones.
Says Dawson: “All this is possible. People don’t realise that ‘Candy-bar’ phones have the computing power of computers from the mid-90s.” In most parts of the emerging world, the rural and lower-income segments of the population depend on “non-smart candy-bar” phones. Their advantages are tremendous battery life, hardy form factors, low cost and ubiquitous availability. A lot of Dawson’s thinking is reflected in a book featured in this column earlier — Lean Startup by Eric Ries.
Building on this experience, Dawson, Varun Singh and Benita Rowe came together to form Ustad Mobile and based it out of In5 in Dubai. Dawson mentions: “We are ideally situated in the UAE which helps us reach the large emerging markets in Africa and South Asia.”
Mike’s experience is in running an IT company in Afghanistan for eight years, handling education and development ICT projects such as the ‘One Laptop Per Child’ programme sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the USAID. Varun has previously worked for Tata Consulting Solutions and handles the server side of the app. Benita taught for several years before transitioning into international development, designing and implementing education, youth and workforce development projects for international government agencies and bilateral donors.
The company has recently been awarded a grant from Expo Live (part of Expo 2020) to support the initiative over the next year.