More professionals opting for online learning in the Middle East

Rosetta Stone to provide regional customers with online language-learning solution TOTALe PRO

Dubai, UAE – E-learning and online education in the Middle East is becoming increasingly popular among professionals aiming to have better employment opportunities. Within this segment, online language learning has been found to greatly benefit organisations with multinational operations giving them access to a scalable solution that can impact their competitive advantage.

Rosetta Stone, a global leader in online language-learning solutions for businesses, educational institutions and individuals, has been working with organisations and educational institutions for 20 years and has seen a growing demand for online language learning in the region.

The Middle East e-learning revenues reached $378 million in 2011 and are projected to reach $560 million in 2016 with an annual growth rate of 8%, according to the Ambient Insight's Middle East Market for Self-paced e-Learning Report. As cited from a survey in 2012 conducted by Bayt.com, 49.6 per cent pursued an online education programme, while 39.3% considered pursuing a post graduate degree programme online.

“Education in the Middle East continues to be an important aspect of government expenditure and the exploration of different ways to provide quality education has been at the forefront of such policy decisions,” said Donavan Whyte, Vice President, EMEA Enterprise & Education at Rosetta Stone. “Technology has provided a great shift in education opening up a world of opportunities for institutions, teachers and students alike by making learning hugely scalable.”

Some of the primary driving forces behind the increase in demand are the extensive conversion of text into digital format, accompanied by the substantial usage of tablets and smart learning tools across the education sector in the region.

The core fundamental advantage of an effective e-learning solution like Rosetta Stone is the opportunity of having a personalised learning experience. Everyone has an individual learning style and technology is able to adapt to those different needs. Online learning can create a stimulating and engaging experience which drives learning outcomes and results.

Technology provides the unprecedented ability to allow for an active and self-paced learning process which is effective and sustainable because it engages the long-term memory. Traditional teaching might not allow interactivity on the same level and therefore, knowledge consumption happens passively.

The leading e-learning solutions provide users the opportunity to learn under real-world and real-time conditions which, in the case of language learning, is critical. Only in this way can learners acquire real-life communication skills that are impactful for businesses and employees alike.

“Language learning in that context takes on greater significance as governments, corporates and higher education institutions realise the power of having multilingual employees that bridges business with economies thus enhancing the workplace and ultimately the bottom-line,” Donavan Whyte furthered.

The Rosetta Stone TOTALe® PRO solution offers scalable, online language learning that can be incorporated into existing language classrooms or used as an individual learning programme. With the advent of innovative technology, the culture of online education in the Middle East is continuously on the rise as it provides businesses scalable and cost-effective learning solutions and educational institutions with highly impactful tools that help increase results for teachers and students.