News from the Edutech & Publishing World

January 2021

Surprise ending for publishers: In 2020, Business was good

With the entire world stuck at home and outdoor entertainment activities being off-limits, people moved to digital reading during the pandemic. The rise of digital books has been commendable and the year 2020 ended on a high for publishers. Read More

Opportunities for Publishers in 2021

The previous year has destabilized the foundations of many publishing business models and laid the foundation for the emergence of digital trends in the publishing industry. Publishers can leverage new digital strategies to gain momentum in 2021. Read More

As Audiobooks Boom, Publishers Get Inventive

The U.S. publishing industry’s sales from downloaded audiobooks rose 17.3% in the January-to-October period last year, according to industry figures. Digital publishers are experimenting with a new format for audiobooks. Read More

December 2020

Podcasting is on the rise.

The Global Podcasting Market size is expected to reach $41.8 billion by 2026. As the podcasting market continues to expand across the globe, here are eight ideas and implications that publishers cannot ignore. Read More

Students seek diversity & inclusion in colleges.

Naviance, a search tool of Hobsons’ college, shows what students are looking for in a college. They seek campuses identified as LGBTQ inclusive, colleges with a high international student population, and colleges where at least 50% of students are female. Read More

Emotion Artificial Intelligence is redefining online education.

Online education removes the human element in learning that is cultivated through in-person communication. However, emotion AI can help teachers get a clear insight into the emotional state of their students as they progress through the curriculum. Read More

What Higher Ed technology leaders should expect in 2021.

Technology played a huge role in tackling the disruption in education caused by the pandemic. It is safe to say that it will continue to do so in 2021. This article talks about what educators and higher edtech leaders should expect in the next year. Read More

November 2020

Pandemic has led to a new-age EdTech experience for students.

The education dynamics have seen a dramatic change. The world of EdTech and eLearning has emerged as a transforming force in education. Learning from home was never appreciated and utilized as it’s been now as students experience technology-led learning. Read More

Colleges strive to create positive social experiences.

Institutions work to increase enrollment and drive student retention with virtual tours, socially distanced activities, and data-driven decision-making. Colleges are leveraging technology to deliver on the promise of a rich and fulfilling learning experience. Read More

Will edtech empower or erase the need for higher education?

Following the pandemic outburst, college enrollments have seen an alarming deep that has put the university business models under unrelenting pressure. As universities struggle, edtech is being positioned as a solution for their largest problem – remote learning. Read More

Multi-dimensional publishing is vital in the digital age.

Digital publishing strategies have grown to include online book launches, publicity campaigns, and social media campaigns that connect the author directly to readers. Focusing on multi-dimensional publishing is the key to remaining relevant today. Read More

October 2020

Virtual events will become normal even in the post-COVID era.

According to a recent Condé Nast survey, 90% of respondents said that even once live events are back, they would still be interested in the virtual offerings. Read More.

Blended Learning – the normality post-pandemic.

As students return to colleges with social distancing norms in place, educators will have to reassess their teaching strategies. Adapting to blended learning will be the way forward. Read More.

Avoid common mistakes in Mobile Publishing.

With mobile users representing over 51% of the worldwide readership in 2020, device-based optimization has never been so important. It is important for publishers to avoid common mistakes in mobile publishing. Read More.

Benefits of publishing an eLearning event.

An eLearning event is one of the most effective eLearning marketing tools at your disposal. It helps to raise awareness about your upcoming eLearning event and promotes your products and services. Read More.

September 2020

Courses on digital skills, remote working top picks on LinkedIn.

Online learning has witnessed a demand surge following the COVID-19 pandemic and courses on digital skills and remote working have emerged as the top picks, according to global professional network LinkedIn. Read More

5 eLearning trends that dominated in 2020 and 5 predictions for 2021.

The pandemic outburst led to an explosive growth of the eLearning industry. Some trends dominated the industry in 2020 and a few trends are set to redefine industry standards in 2021. Read More

Why remote learning is here to stay.

Sam Liang, CEO and founder of Otter.ai, talks about what are the best ways to deliver an impactful and quality remote learning experience and why remote learning will become the future norm. Read More

The impact of digital education on identifying talent.

During the COVID pandemic, education institutes have adapted to online learning, but what exactly is the impact of digital education on the traditional classroom? Read More

June 2020

50% surge in online learning due to COVID-19.

Educational institutes are turning to virtual learning practices to prevent students from falling up to a year behind in key subjects. Read more

Virtual learning platforms are facilitating innovation in schools.

With technological advancements, learning platforms are becoming more dynamic in their functionality and delivering learning content to students across multiple subjects. Read more

Medical education market to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% by 2027.

The medical education market is estimated to grow citing the popularity of online training. Medical experts, professors, and researchers are relying on online lectures, e-books, audio files, digital games, and simulations to help students acquire a practical dimension on healthcare. Read more

COVID-19 is accelerating the digital blending of working and learning.

Just as COVID-19 has blurred the work and home lives of many, it is further blurring the boundaries between learning and working. It seems certain that more professional learning will happen outside of traditional institutions and campuses – especially if colleges fail to adapt. Read more

More than one-third of students to continue learning online even after schools reopen.

Leading online learning platform, Brainly surveyed with Indian students with the premise of Unlock 1.0. The report shared interesting and encouraging insights into the future of online learning in a post-COVID world. Read more

January 2020

Bett Awards shine a light on the best of edtech 2020

The Bett Show 2020, brought together more than 800 leading companies, 103 pioneering edtech startups and over 34,000 visitors. Read more

University of Arizona to develop socially intelligent AI agent

Researchers from the University of Arizona (UA) have been granted US$7.5m to build an artificial intelligence agent that is fluent in social cues and human interactions. Read more

UK edtech market forecast to be worth £3.4bn by 2021

The UK edtech sector is on track to reach £3.4bn by 2021, according to The Telegraph. The growth reflects a surge of recent investments in emerging technologies such as virtual reality, coding and augmented reality, to name just a few. Read more

December 2019

Mark Your Calendars: 70+ US K-12 Education Events to See in 2020

Whether you’re looking for pitches or professional development, networking or hobnobbing, there’s something for you in this calendar.Here are nearly 80 K-12 events happening in 2020. Read more

Online Degrees Slowdown: A Review of MOOC Stats and Trends in 2019

Last year, MOOC providers announced about 30 new online degrees. In 2019, only 11 online degrees were announced. The total number of MOOC-based degrees has now grown to 50. Read more

Technology will create super-teachers, not replace them

Priya Lakhani OBE, founder CEO of CENTURY Tech, says schools can use AI to automate and improve less human-dependent tasks, so teachers can get back to what’s important – teaching. Read more

November 2019

A Textbook Publisher in a ‘Sea of Calm’? How Houghton Mifflin Is Navigating the Digital Transition

This decade has not been kind to traditional textbook publishers, as many publishers struggled to adapt their businesses from print to digital. Yet despite it all, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a stalwart in the K-12 publishing industry, says it’s been in a “sea of calm”. Read more

More publishers fail as e-books rise

UK e-book revenues climbed 11 per cent to £563m in 2014, while sales of physical books fell 5 per cent to £2.7bn. Read more

Report: Higher ed’s regulatory ‘triad’ needs an overhaul

The three bodies that together oversee higher education in the U.S. are in need of an extreme overhaul, argues a new report from New America. Read more

October 2019

Do protections for people with disabilities apply online? Domino’s asks high court.

Domino’s sells millions pizzas daily, and offers at 15 ways to order pizzas. But Guillermo Robles, who is blind, said neither their website nor its app allowed him to order his pizza of choice. Read more

Pearson acquires ed tech company Lumerit Education in $29m deal

The acquisition of the San Antonio, Texas-based company is Pearson’s first in three years after selling various assets to become “a leaner, more efficient and more digital” company, including selling its US K12 public schools courseware business to Nexus in February. Read more

Higher Ed Has Now Split Into Dual Economies: Online and Traditional

Before the invasion of the internet, the university comprised a secure, single identity; now—with about a third of college students online—the American college is bifurcated. A deeper look reveals strikingly different economies and cultures, student populations, status of faculty members, curriculum, infrastructure and even tuition. Read more