Learning Light publishes its third definitive research report on the corporate e-learning market
Learning Light has published its third report in four years on the state of the e-learning sector in the UK – and, this year, provides analysis on e-learning in 19 other countries too.
'The UK e-learning market 2010’, a report by Learning Light, an organisation which focuses on promoting the use of e-learning and learning technologies, suggests that in the next 12 months, the UK market will grow by no more that 4.76% on the 2009 figure.
The report reveals that, at most, the UK e-learning industry is currently turning over some £472 million a year. Moreover, it reveals that last year’s predicted UK market growth - of up to 8% - was achieved despite the general economic downturn.
Much enhanced compared with Learning Light’s previous 2007 and 2009 e-learning market reports, the 2010 version includes interviews with over 40 of the UK’s leading e-learning companies, along with a number of other organisations and individuals across Europe.
The report concludes that the UK remains the largest but not the fastest growing European market for e-learning.
Learning Light’s analysis of the market indicates that, while France will enjoy considerable growth (7.64% on a market size of £375m), as will Germany (7.75% on £242m), the e-learning markets in most Scandinavian countries will grow faster, albeit from a lower base. The fastest growing e-learning markets are identified as those in Eastern Europe - notably Slovakia – which will be driven by government and EU funded projects.
One of the report’s co-authors, Gillian Broadhead, commented: “While few of our interviewees failed to see the potential for growth in the corporate e-learning market, many also felt that the present economic downturn and the large reductions in Government expenditure in the UK will dampen demand.”
Her colleague, David Patterson added: “In terms of technology trends, we see considerable innovation and potential disruption to business models driven by open source technologies, mobile and smart devices, e-books, the Cloud and software as a service (SaaS). We retain our fundamental belief that this industry is evolving and will continue to do so, its appetite undiminished in its wish to exploit new technologies, devices and approaches to deliver effective learning.”
“We do, however, remain perplexed,” said Glynn Jung, a learning specialist, head of Learning Leadership and co-author of the report. “Given the widespread acknowledgement that e-learning is now both effective and engaging, it’s curious that we’re not seeing a greater drive toward the adoption of e-learning by corporate leadership.”
This report has informed discussion at the European e-learning Summit, held in Sheffield from 17th to 19th November. The Summit delegates – Europe’s top e-learning strategists, content and systems developers, drawn from the private and public sectors as well as academia - discussed the European and world markets for e-learning, identified industry trends and the key issues in e-learning today.
The Summit was supported by learndirect and by Creativesheffield, which has also helped to sponsor ‘The UK e-learning market 2010’ report.
Copies of Learning Light’s latest report on the e-learning market can be obtained from the Learning Light and E-learning Centre websites, price £499. A brief summary of the report is available for download, free, from http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/
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