Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - E-learning models are expected to boom amid theCOVID-19 outbreak as the Government searches for new education methods,experts said.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has caused significant changes toall sectors, including education and training. To help control the spreadof the virus, thousands of students in Vietnam have been off school formore than three months, so many have turned to online learning platforms. 

Online learning could be a solution to the education conundrumduring the COVID-19 pandemic, said Dr Nguyen Xuan Khanh from OuluUniversity.

Following this trend, online training platforms such as Viettel Study, VNPTe-learning, Topica and Hocmai have seen their number of users skyrocket.

Statistics from Viettel showed that its e-learning platform Viettel Studyhad been launched at nearly 26,000 schools nationwide. More than 120,000courses had been created on the system, attracting10,000 students.  Access to the platform had reached 3.4 millionand page views had hit more than 41 million a day.

To facilitate online learning, Viettel Group has announced free 3G and 4G datafor teachers and students with the Viettel Study social learning network.It has also posted free online learning content on the platform forfree.

Compared to other online learning applications, Viettel Study is the onlyidentifiable learning social network in Vietnam.

On the Viettel Study platform, teachers and students can interact with eachother and access unlimited resources, while teachers can createfree lectures on the system. It has been recognised by the Ministry ofEducation and Training (MoET) and the Ministry of Information andCommunications to promote digital transformation in the education sector.

“Viettel will continue to offer free services for teachers and studentson Viettel Study as well as 3G and 4G data even when the pandemic is over.Viettel Study has co-operated with the MoET to support e-learningat universities,” said Le Dang Dung, acting chairman cum general directorof Viettel Group.
Dungsaid that Viettel had been cooperating with the ministry to build adigital school system since 2014.

“We expect e-learning to become a vital asset,” he added.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many difficulties, but it could alsofacilitate the establishment of new teaching methods and promote marketdevelopment.

Assessing the trend of online learning in the near future, Viettel saidthat COVID-19 would push online learning, especially once the MoETissued an official circular on online teaching and learning.

“This will be an opportunity for users to see the way e-learning systems tocontinue to apply in fostering knowledge after returning to normal schools,” headded.

Viettel will continue to develop products by optimising the user experience,making Viettel Study an all-in-one system.

According to Ken Research, the online education market in Vietnam grew at atwo-digit compound annual growth rate from 2013 to 2018. With the internetpenetration rate reaching 8 percent in 2019, the growth of e-learningservices would reach 23.4 percent from 2019-23.

The Government has taken measures to promote the Internet of Things, Big Data,4G, 5G and Atificial Intelligence. With the robust growth of 4G and 5G, thenumber of smartphone users will also skyrocket, adding to Vietnam’sonline teaching infrastructure.

A representative from FUNiX said more than 40 percent of the world’s populationwas connected to the internet. Most of them are young people with highlearning demand, giving the e-learning market massive potential. Withannual revenue growth of over 40 percent, the market’s scale was estimated atsome 2 billion USD.

Recent figures from Ambient Insight also revealed that with a growth rateof 44.3 percent, the e-learning sector in Vietnam even surpassed Malaysia (39.4percent). Notably, under the new general education programme from theMoET, information technology will be included in all levels of educationin the new general programme from 2020.

This is a great opportunity for domestic and foreign investors to continueinvesting in developing e-learning training models./.