How Communication APIs Meet the Increasing Demand for Remote Upskilling and Education in the Post-Pandemic World

As the pandemic wanes, more and more students are returning to in-person lessons. But does this mean that remote education and upskilling courses are becoming obsolete? Far from it. Remote education still offers many advantages, such as addressing new consumer habits, accessibility, and inclusivity, which makes it the perfect tool for filling gaps for lifelong education providers and seekers.

To meet the needs of today’s remote learners, organisations that provide adult education services need the right technology that enables access, inclusion, and easy communication between students and teachers. And communication APIs providing video, chat apps and app-to-app calling solutions might just be the answer.

Upskilling and reskilling will be the norm for the next five years, or longer

As employees adapt to working from home (or anywhere in the world), more and more individuals are searching for the best ways to learn from home. According to PwC, nearly eight in 10 workers express a desire to upskill, and there’s little wonder as to why.

There is much discussion today around the “4th Industrial Revolution” and turbulent economic conditions that threaten the livelihoods of many. According to the World Economic Forum, 85 million jobs that exist today will likely be displaced by 97 million new ones come 2025. To prevent themselves from getting left behind, 50% of workers will likely have to reskill within the next five years.

Southeast Asian governments are well aware of this threat, and they have invested heavily in adult education to cushion the impact of digitalisation. Malaysia’s 2022 digital economy blueprint allocated 1 billion MYR (US$222 million) to reskilling programmes. Across the Straits of Johor, Singapore has doubled down on promotion of its SkillsFuture subsidised programmes, leading to over 660,000 sign ups in 2021, the highest since its inception in 2015. With governments in the region pouring generous amounts of investment money into upskilling initiatives, the digital education market is well primed to attain its projected CAGR of 33.28% by 2026.

For educational institutions themselves, this means that they can expect swathes of adult learners to come knocking on their doors (if they haven’t begun doing so already). Schools that manage to attract and secure the most students will be ones that can scale their services using communications technology to facilitate the schedules and learning styles of a wider pool of students.

How digital education makes upskilling more accessible

In Southeast Asia, the average work week stands at 43 hours a week, with numbers going as high as 46 and 47 in Malaysia and Brunei respectively. So while some educators swear by in-person learning, digital education offers flexibility and accessibility that incentivises students by removing the time and physical demands of travelling to a physical classroom.

Digital education can also support infrastructural weakness in rural regions that prevent willing students from attending upskilling programmes. WHO’s World Report on Disability estimates 16% of Southeast Asia’s population to be disabled, with some estimates suggesting that as many as 100 million people out of ASEAN’s 620 million could be disabled after accounting for other, less visible ailments. What’s more, Southeast Asia’s rural population sits around 64.66% according to the World Bank.

These populations are ones that are most vulnerable to redundancy by automation, and remote learning could be the missing puzzle piece connecting labourers with the upskilling tools that they need to find new jobs. By providing digital avenues for learning, institutions can accommodate the schedules and learning styles of students all over their nation, and even beyond.

Communication APIs help lifelong learning institutions digitalise their services

While there are many reasons to keep remote learning available, those who were forced to take or teach online classes during the pandemic can attest to how clunky the experience can be. Teachers and students may be wondering: Is there a way to make the online learning experience smoother? And the answer is a resounding YES! Indeed, there is technology out there that can help eliminate issues of connectivity, communication, and privacy—and 8x8 Communication APIs hold the key by providing a range of embeddable solutions.

Video: Eliminate rushed logins before class begins

Online lessons run on tight schedules. Those five minutes that students spend finding their passwords or creating new ones just to login can add up over the course of a day and throw schedules off the rails. 8x8’s video meeting platform, Jitsi as a Service (JaaS), makes remote learning that much smoother by allowing students to pop into class immediately via clickable links.

These links can be embedded on websites and learning management systems, and they can be shared easily via SMS or chat app messages. With a video interface that is intuitive and compatible with any device, students will be able to join classes even while they are on the go and do not have their laptops with them. Complete with mouse and keyboard control, as well as media sharing capabilities, teachers can also guide students through their course material as easily if they were in the classroom.

Chat apps: Reach out to students on their favourite chat platform from a single interface

If students can’t remember passwords for their Zoom accounts, they’re definitely not going to remember how to log on to their learning platform to check their messages. Being on chat apps circumvents the problem of password fatigue completely by allowing teachers to address questions outside of class via the platforms that students are already logged onto.

8x8 Converse lets teachers chat with students on a variety of chat apps, including WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, Facebook Messenger, Zalo, WeChat, and Viber—all from a single interface. This means that no matter how international a student base is, and what chat apps they prefer to use, teachers will always be able to conveniently communicate with them about changes in schedule, exam dates, and course promotions. The internal interface also allows teachers to create customisable profiles for each student, giving them a bird’s eye view of the conversations they’ve had with their students.

App-to-app calling: Protect personal contact details of teachers and students

Educational organisations can avoid losing prospective students, and prevent miscommunication between current students, with app-to-app calling that embeds a call button for students and teachers to contact each other directly onto their platform.

This way, learning can be improved through real-time conversation, all without having either party disclose their personal contact details. Calls conducted on 8x8’s IP network are protected by call masking that safeguards all users’ personal phone numbers while allowing them to still be contacted. In this way, students can get access to personalised learning with their safety guaranteed.

Still concerned about whether your school can handle online learning? 8x8 Communication APIs simplify mass online communication by replacing convoluted processes with just a few clicks. Find out more about 8x8 Communication APIs or watch our APIs in action by getting instant access to our demo videos.