DoviLearn: eLearning In Africa, Is There Hope?

DoviLearn: eLearning In Africa, is There Hope?
Summary: The internet bubble may have burst with the eCommerce rush since 2005 in Africa. Unlike many other techies and startups, we decided to trail the path of training, leveraging on online technologies. Sensing the high need and importance of corporate training, through my Startup, Dovichi Services, we deployed a state of the art eLearning portal in Nigeria to bridge this gap: DoviLearn.

DoviLearn And eLearning In Africa 

Whether eLearning or otherwise, one thing is certain; learning can never be over emphasized, and it is priceless. How successful you intend to become, how far you intend to grow, still evolves on your willingness to learn new things.

Unfortunately, this trend which is almost becoming a lifestyle in the western world still remains a newbie in most parts of Africa. Even with the hike in internet penetration, technology advancements, and other forms of globalization, the growth of eLearning in Africa remains relatively low.

Tracing some of the factors which may have affected this, one could easily sight the lack of digitization of educational/training materials, internet cost and availability, technical know-how, government involvement, sensitization, and awareness, among others. These menaces have no doubt affected the growth of eLearning in many African countries lately; eLearning obviously has faced some set back in Africa, which has contributed to its slow growth and acceptance.

Countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia, and Kenya among others have been on an active play in the efforts to digitalize learning; obviously Nigeria is not left out in the efforts, though may been in quite a relatively slow growth.

eLearning has its advantages compared to other forms of learning, and there are many reasons why eLearning should stay in Africa. Not only eLearning enables for wider coverage through easily transferable digital contents, and the internet ubiquity, but also has numerous advantages which in overall help improve the way we live, the way we do businesses, and grow ourselves too. To take a closer look at some of eLearning’s benefits, they include:

  1. eLearning can help in cost effectiveness.
    Through digitalized training contents, more people can have access to these training contents, of which in overall can make them more affordable as compared to other forms of learning materials and training contents.
  2. eLearning can reduce or totally remove expenses incurred as a result of cost on transportation to training centers and classrooms. 
    A barrier which eLearning has bridged through the ubiquity of eLearning technologies and devices.
  3. eLearning can also help in time effectiveness.
    In most cases, through eLearning, students may enjoy the luxury of time to plan and determine the best training time for them, and learn at their own pace.
  4. Through eLearning, instructors or students can instantly measure their progress activity while learning.
    Many standard Learning Management Systems (LMSs) support tracking of student activities, and report their progress while they study. This obviously would put students’ activity and willingness to perform well *on check.

The internet of a thing has enabled for various forms of learning. Of course distance eLearning has been on rapid growth in the recent time in Africa, but the kind of distance eLearning innovations put into play may have been on slow growth. I decided to take some further steps in our adventure of eLearning technologies, by bringing a twist to eLearning, through the combination of eLearning portal, eLearning social community, eLearning library, news update, and other amazing features that could help facilitate the learning process.

“We just want to digitalize learning” - Okeke Vincent Chidozie

Understanding that the success of any eLearning technology is not only based on its sophistication, but also on how it fits to people and organization’s learning culture, DoviLearn also tries to reflect this principle by enabling students create their own learning groups and learn as desired. Obviously, the potentials, opportunities, and discoveries in eLearning technologies are yet untapped!

With increased competition for jobs, professional skill upgrade, and other continuous learning programs most likely will put many early eLearning adaptors in more prospective advantages in their career upgrades. Within the last two years, I have focused on innovation for DoviLearn. The idea is to first create value for the brand and to enable eLearning to stay; eLearning is important to us as a business.

With DoviLearn, we plan to revolutionize eLearning in Africa. eLearning has come to stay, and this is the right time. We will continue to grow our portal, contribute in every way possible to foster eLearning technologies, and also contribute to bodies and agencies to grow their eLearning portals and libraries. Learning should be digitalized, and this is what DoviLearn stands for.