Asia Pacific E-Learning Market Forecast to 2028

The APAC e-learning market is expected to grow from US$ 55.81 billion in 2022 to US$ 113.39 billion by 2028; it is estimated to register at a CAGR of 12.5% during 2022–2028.

A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for administering, documenting, tracking, reporting, automating, and delivering educational, training, or learning and development programs. The LMS concept has emerged from e-learning, and it manages all types of content—including video, course, and documentation. LMS used in the education sector have functionalities similar to those used in the corporate sector, but with features such as rubrics, education LMS facilitate teaching and tutoring by teachers and instructors, along with providing users with access to a discussion board. LMS platforms were initially designed to be hosted locally (on-site), and organizations buy a license to a software version, followed by installing it on their servers and network. Many LMS are now being offered as software-as-a-service (SaaS), with vendors providing hosting that allows the communication of learning objectives and organizes learning timelines.

In June 2021, Huawei held the Asia-Pacific Higher Education Innovation Forum through live streaming. The theme of the forum was "Embracing the New Era of Intelligent Education." It focused on topics such as smart campus, online education, and smart classroom, and discussed the development trend of education ICT, and challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of e-learning platforms in APAC. Moreover, the education sector in the region is being shaped by several digital technologies, namely, AR; personalized hybrid learning; gamification; AI; and IoT and mobile learning; micro-learning; social learning; and corporate massive open online course (MOOC), which are the emerging trends propelling the APAC e-learning market growth.

The instructor-led e-learning segment dominated the APAC e-learning market with a larger share in 2021. Instructor-led learning is a learning process where one person (teacher) takes a lead role by providing guidance to learners. In addition, instructor-led training is traditionally used by employers to arrange the training of their employees. The use of e-learning can simplify various aspects of instructor-led training in organizations. It is comparatively expensive to conduct instructor-led training sessions in physical classrooms or workshops, and the number of learners that get access to this type of education at a time remains limited, thereby driving the APAC e-learning market growth. Several corporate organizations follow the instructor-led training process to train their employees, whereby experienced employees usually take the role of an instructor, while less skilled employees take the role of a learner. However, the self-paced segment is expected to maintain its dominance in the APAC e-learning market during the forecast period. Growing preference for the continuous process of learning and scaling up of new employee career opportunities are among the factors driving corporations to adopt self-paced e-learning platforms. Furthermore, with self-paced learning, participants can take the time they need and set their own schedules, rather than working within a structure set by an instructor.

The APAC e-learning market, by delivery mode, is segmented into online, LMS, mobile, and others. Based on learning mode, the market is bifurcated into self-paced and instructor-led. Based on end user, the market is divided into academic (K-12 and higher institutions) and corporate. By country, the APAC e-learning market is segmented into Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and the Rest of APAC.

Governments in these countries are taking initiatives for integrating e-learning solutions into their education systems. In addition, continuous developments in internet infrastructure are creating a conducive environment for the launch of e-learning courses. In June 2021, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) launched an e-learning course to help reduce the impact of plastic pollution. The course entitled Cities and Marine Plastic Pollution is available as an open-source knowledge product that is accessible to anyone who wants to learn more about taking measures to ensure clear waters for future generations, becoming major factors boosting the APAC e-learning market growth. Thus, the growing number of universities and schools, an increase in the launch of e-learning courses, surging adoption and reach of smartphones, and a rising number of collaborations between regional universities and foreign institutes (to deliver online courses) are among the major factors contributing to the APAC e-learning market growth during the forecast period.

Due to the rapid acceptance of remote working models during the COVID-19 pandemic, since 2020, corporate organizations began using digital methods for the training and induction of their employees. The demand for new skills and competencies has increased among corporate and education sectors, resulting in candidates and employees seeking innovative ways to continue learning and promote knowledge-sharing. Governments and several associations in APAC are increasingly introducing e-learning platforms and schemes for balancing the education sector. For instance, in April 2020, the APAC Accreditation Cooperation developed an e-learning platform to broaden access to training by allowing delegates to learn from their desks. In addition, the platform offers free online courses, particularly for assessors and staff of accreditation bodies, thereby accelerated the APAC e-learning market growth.

The APAC e-learning market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources. To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the APAC e-learning market. Also, primary interviews were conducted with industry participants and commentators to validate data and gain more analytical insights into the APAC e-learning market. The participants of this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers—along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders—specializing in the market. A few of the major players operating in the APAC e-learning market are Antoree Pte. Ltd; GEM Learning; Cornerstone; Kydon Holdings Pte Ltd.; Gnowbe Group Ltd.; Adobe Inc.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; D2L Corporation; Oracle Corporation; and MARSHALL CAVENDISH EDUCATION PTE. LTD.