eLearning Trends: 2026 Current Data, Analysis & Insights

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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With the ubiquity of computers and easy access to the internet, eLearning has become quite a popular teaching method in the education sector. In fact, it was considered as the next important revolution in learning, particularly at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The annual growth rate of the U.S. e-learning market, which includes significant college student adoption, reached 14.1% CAGR from 2024 onward (Technavio, 2024). Moreover, the global e-learning market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.9% from 2024 to 2030 (Grand View Research, 2024).

While elearning used to simply be an option for students, especially those who cannot travel to their target schools, the pandemic essentially mandated elearning as a sensible and safe option to perpetuate education during a lockdown or quarantine period. While it can be quickly adopted by most urbanized areas, a great majority of the world may find it more difficult to transition to elearning for two major reasons: unavailability/inadequate network and unpreparedness of school faculty to deal with the sudden shift.

With these in mind, this article aims to show the emerging elearning trends in the education sector. From the available technologies to the new methods of teaching, we will discuss how today’s teachers and students can leverage these trends to keep up with the changing times. Other key points that will be discussed include the factors to consider before rolling out elearning initiatives to ensure seamless implementation.

The Current State of Elearning for 2026

Global EdTech venture capital funding reached $10.6 billion in 2024. (HolonIQ, 2024). With the coronavirus outbreak exposing the vulnerability of physical classrooms, as well as the recent technological improvements that make elearning feasible, global e-learning market is projected to reach approximately $551.5 billion by 2025 (Grand View Research, 2024). In fact, plenty of schools have been leveraging different types of LMS for classes.

MOOC platforms accommodated over 300 million learners, offered over 25,000 courses, and launched over 2,000 online degrees by the end of 2025 (Class Central, 2026; edX, 2026). With the popularity of MOOCs in shaping what is elearning today, they are likely to shape how technology-augmented learning and education will be in the future.

The Coronavirus Pandemic Disruption 

While the progress of elearning was steadily climbing, Coronavirus cases around the world put a majority of industries to a halt, including the education sector. As the number of local cases rose, education institutions all over the world began shutting down schools and asking students to stay home. In 2024, an estimated 251 million children and youth worldwide remain out of school despite decades of progress, with chronic underinvestment as a primary barrier (UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report, 2024).​

While most developed countries simply asked students to continue via online learning, a sizable majority were left behind with fewer options. In the United States, for example, recent NCES data shows that approximately 12% of K-12 students (about 6 million children ages 3-18) still lack home internet access or adequate devices for reliable online learning as of 2024 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). Worldwide, UNESCO's 2024 monitoring reveals over 700 million students remain without household internet, 900 million lack suitable computers, and 60 million live in mobile coverage dead zones—persistent digital divides despite pandemic recovery efforts (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2024).

With no end to the pandemic currently in sight, elearning remains the obvious solution to the need for an educational continuance while conforming to social distancing measures. However, since even K-12 school children all over the world are now being asked to start distance learning, questions remain on the capability of students to access elearning, and at the same time, if teachers and institutions have the means and training to implement the program.

eLearning Trends for 2026

1. Freeing Up the Broadband Spectrum

Global internet users increased by 1.8% between January 2023 and January 2024, reaching 5.35 billion (Data Reportal, 2024). In the US, AT&T reported in late March that Wi-Fi calling almost doubled at 88%, while Verizon said that between March 12 and March 19, total web traffic was up 22%. Specifically, streaming video services increased 12%, while virtual private network usage jumped 30%, and online gaming skyrocketed 75% (Business Insider, (2020).

As demand increases, governments are scrambling to free up bandwidth to accommodate more connections. Education is one of the primary beneficiaries of increased network availability. Countries such as the U.S., Ireland, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Brazil, and South Africa allowed the release of extra radio spectrum and relaxation of restrictions to provide additional capacity to ensure uninterrupted network services. In addition, Tunisia has made its international mobile telecommunications spectrum tech-neutral (3G, 4G, or others) on a temporary basis (UNESCO, 2020).

The Global System Mobile Association (GSMA) has taken the lead in advocating for affordable and fair access to the underutilized spectrum for mobile data to meet the increased demand, with more and more governments expected to follow suit.

Increase in Internet Services Usage in the US

Source: cnet.com

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2. The Return to Accessible Mass Media

While freeing the spectrum helps improve connectivity, it does not help improve the situation of students without the means of access due to a lack of devices. Technology investments in elearning may take longer due to scarce resources, especially for poorer countries. A short-term solution may be to free up airtime for educational radio and television programs, which offer a ready medium to reach technology-challenged areas.

Since March, Austria has resorted to hosting special education programs in its public TV and radio stations, which include learning shows for pre- and primary schoolers every weekday morning from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM, followed by a three-hour show for students aged 10+. On the other hand, in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Education (MOE) uses both TV and social media to transmit lessons for all school grades. The country’s National Center for E-Learning deputized 127 supervisors and teachers to deliver daily lessons in 112 educational subjects through 19 TV channels that broadcast nationally. Similarly, Mongolia’s Education Ministry has been broadcasting lessons on TV for every class and subject since February and has made all these lessons available online. Meanwhile, Libya negotiated with private television stations to broadcast compulsory lessons for its middle and secondary school students (World Bank. 2020).

3. The Ubiquity of Mobile Learning

As of January 2020, mobile internet accounted for 59% of total web traffic worldwide in 2024, led by Asia at 66% and Africa at 63% (Statista, 2024; DataReportal, 2025). Because of their convenience, ease of use, and affordability, mobile devices have become the default for more people compared to desktops and laptops, especially in Asia. As such, Mlearning, a mobile subset of elearning, is gaining widespread acceptance. 

As mentioned earlier, the lack of home internet connection among almost half of the global student population brings additional incentive for governments to utilize mobile learning. 

4. The Increase of Free Online Learning Centers 

With stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting many countries, both students and employees discovered unexpected free time. Those with reliable internet connections often filled this time with free online course enrollments. For example, platforms like Coursera and edX reported enrollment surges exceeding 40% for free courses during peak pandemic periods, while Google expanded access to its Digital Garage training for digital and leadership skills (Coursera, 2024 retrospective; Google Career Certificates, 2025).There are also plenty of courses under STEM being offered online by colleges and universities.

Lastly, Elearning resource site ClassCentral, with its regularly updated free course list, shares more than 30 free courses dedicated to coronavirus (Ma, 2020).

5. Microlearning Is Now Mainstream

Schools have found microlearning suitable for the new generation of schoolchildren that have shorter attention spans. Providing information at a rate that matches their ability to focus helps them absorb knowledge more efficiently. In fact, recent studies confirm microlearning improves learning retention by 17–20% compared to traditional methods, boosts engagement by 50%, reduces content development costs by 50%, and cuts production time by up to 300% (Mitra, 2024; Valamis, 2025).

Even the coronavirus pandemic got its share of microlearning. Single page posters teaching the proper way to handwash, showing the different effectivity rates of safety masks, and videos on how the virus gets transmitted are some of the more popular items circulating in social media.

The Benefits of Microlearning vs Traditional Classroom Learning

Source: Shift E-learning

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6. Increased resources for teaching professionals

With online classes becoming part of the new normal, the focus should also be given to the instructors tasked with continuing education amid stay-at-home orders. The sudden onset of the virus left little time for instructors, who are equipped to conduct classes in a single-room setting, to pivot to an online mode of teaching. Thankfully, teachers are getting a windfall of free training resources. For instance, there is a growing number of english learning websites that teachers can easily access. Meanwhile, Google and Microsoft have long made their collaboration software free for educational purposes, so tools should not be a problem when creating online lesson plans and sharing them.

In addition, solution providers have generously handed free teaching resources and education services related to online learning. As of June, there are at least 315 free education resources and teacher services for K-12 leaders offered on the web with subjects such as those dealing with the coronavirus, Black Lives Matter, and SEL and SPED solutions, among others. That said, we can perhaps expect more free content geared for teachers as long as the outbreak keeps schools closed.

7. Video Games as Learning Tools

For over a decade since the term was coined, Gamification has become an effective tool that generates engagement and improves test scores among students. The positive effects of gamification have been documented extensively, and they all point to one thing: it helps learning by catering to a person’s competitive nature. In a survey featured on TalentLMS, 89% of employees reported they would spend more time on gamified software, 89% said it would make them more productive at work, and 88% felt happier using it—highlighting gamification's power to boost engagement through elements like points, badges, leaderboards, and rewards (TalentLMS, n.d.).

While gamification usually hides the lesson within the game, one recent innovation happened this year where the lesson is the game itself. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools across Canada and eliminated all field trips, a Montreal-based History teacher came upon a novel solution. He required his students to play the popular video game Assassin’s Creed, but with an additional objective: submit reports based on the historical background of the game. Game developer Ubisoft included a discovery mode in Assassin’s Creed for its Odyssey release, which features a guided tour of the setting with the usual gameplay removed. Quizzes were also incorporated.

Other games such as Roblox or Minecraft are also popular teaching aids in diverse subjects such as climate change, basic engineering, and cellular biology. On the flip side, gamification is a popular tool for bringing video game qualities to learning.

How Gamification Improves Learning Among Students

Source: bravon.io

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How can eLearning address accessibility challenges for students with disabilities?

While eLearning has grown in popularity, it is essential to consider accessibility to ensure that students with disabilities can benefit equally from online education. Here are some strategies and tools to enhance accessibility for students with various needs:

• Use Accessible Content Formats: Ensure that educational content is available in multiple formats, such as text, audio, and video with captions. This helps students with hearing or visual impairments access the material in a way that suits their needs. Transcripts for video content and audio descriptions for visual elements can be helpful.
• Incorporate Screen Reader Compatibility: Design eLearning platforms to be compatible with screen readers, which are essential for students who are visually impaired. This includes using text descriptions for images (alt text), keyboard navigation, and accessible document formats (e.g., PDF or DOC).
• Offer Text-to-Speech and Speech-to-Text Tools: These tools can support students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia or those who have difficulties with reading and writing. Text-to-speech software allows learners to hear the content read aloud, while speech-to-text tools can help with note-taking and written assignments.
• Provide Adjustable Font Sizes and Color Contrasts: Allowing students to adjust text size and screen color contrast can aid those with visual impairments or dyslexia in reading the content more comfortably. Dark mode or high-contrast settings are particularly beneficial.
• Utilize Closed Captioning and Subtitles: For students who are deaf or hard of hearing, closed captioning or subtitles on videos ensure that they can access spoken content. Live transcription services during synchronous online classes can also improve accessibility.
• Enable Keyboard Navigation and Shortcuts: Some students may find it challenging to use a mouse or touchscreen. Ensuring that all functionalities can be accessed via keyboard shortcuts or commands makes navigation easier for students with physical disabilities.
• Offer Extended Time for Quizzes and Assignments: Students with disabilities may require additional time to complete tasks. Providing flexible deadlines and extra time for quizzes can accommodate their needs without compromising the learning objectives.
• Provide Accessible Learning Management Systems (LMS): The LMS should support accessibility features, such as integration with assistive technologies, customizable layouts, and adherence to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

How can eLearning support advanced academic research and degree programs?

eLearning environments now offer robust platforms that facilitate collaborative research, interdisciplinary projects, and dynamic academic networking. Digital tools enable remote access to extensive databases, virtual libraries, and real-time scholarly discussions that support advanced studies. Moreover, innovative online programs now feature flexible formats that cater to rigorous academic standards while reducing time and logistical constraints. These developments have even paved the way for alternative doctoral pathways, such as a doctoral degree without dissertation, which prioritize applied research and digital dissemination over traditional dissertation models.

Can cost-effective eLearning options ensure high-quality education?

The viability of eLearning hinges on balancing economic accessibility with rigorous academic standards. Institutions are increasingly adopting scalable models that reduce overhead costs while maintaining quality instruction. Innovative partnerships and resource-sharing strategies are fostering environments where students can access competitive programs without financial strain. An emerging trend involves leveraging technology advancements to minimize expenses on course delivery and materials, which in turn broadens access to higher education. For example, many institutions now spotlight affordable online bachelor degree programs as a pathway to combine cost efficiency with robust academic credentials.

How can eLearning support lifelong learning for older adults?

eLearning initiatives are increasingly addressing the unique requirements of older adult learners by providing flexible and intuitive educational platforms that accommodate different levels of digital proficiency. Enhanced course designs—featuring simplified interfaces and tailored support—enable mature learners to confidently engage with digital content, thereby fostering continuous personal and professional growth. By incorporating blended learning approaches that combine theoretical insights with practical applications, these platforms empower older adults to remain competitive as the job market and technological landscape evolve. Furthermore, strategic partnerships with established educational providers have resulted in programs like online degree programs for older adults, ensuring that seniors have access to accredited and value-driven learning opportunities.

How can eLearning safeguard data privacy and cybersecurity?

eLearning platforms handle significant amounts of sensitive information, necessitating rigorous cybersecurity practices. Institutions must adopt multi-layered security strategies—such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, and continuous threat monitoring—to defend against breaches. Compliance with data protection regulations is essential for maintaining trust and upholding institutional credibility. Proactive measures include regular vulnerability assessments, secure server infrastructures, and training for both educators and learners to recognize and mitigate cyber risks. Integration of advanced cybersecurity education, as offered by the best online masters degree, further emphasizes the critical role of digital safety in the evolving landscape of online education.

How can eLearning drive career advancement through professional certifications?

eLearning has emerged as an efficient medium for acquiring specialized skills that align with dynamic labor market demands. Online platforms provide access to industry-recognized credentials aimed at bridging the gap between academic learning and professional requirements. By integrating targeted skill modules and practical training, eLearning initiatives empower learners to demonstrate job-ready competencies and enhance career progression. Enrollment in certificate programs that pay well is one such pathway that validates expertise and increases marketability, thereby fostering robust career advancement in competitive sectors.

How can eLearning expand vocational and technical education opportunities?

eLearning offers innovative pathways to bridge the gap between traditional classroom training and modern vocational requirements. Tailored digital simulations and interactive modules can deliver practical insights that closely mimic real-world trade scenarios, enhancing hands-on competence without geographical constraints. Furthermore, these platforms facilitate industry-specific training programs, enabling learners to acquire certificate-based skills that directly translate into employment opportunities. For individuals aiming to explore vocational paths, an in-depth trade school careers list and salaries provides a comprehensive overview of potential outcomes and earning prospects.

How can eLearning offer personalized learning pathways for diverse learners?

Adaptive learning technologies enable institutions to deliver tailored educational experiences without replicating standardized curricula. Advanced analytics and machine learning assess each learner’s progress, allowing platforms to adjust content, pacing, and supplementary materials in real time. This customization minimizes learning gaps and fosters greater engagement.

Furthermore, integrating flexible learning paths can help students acquire both technical and soft skills that align with industry demands. Leveraging initiatives like online degrees that are worth it further enhances workforce readiness by providing streamlined access to programs designed for rapid career advancement.

Elearning for All is Still Years Away

As early as a few decades ago, elearning was seen as the next wave in education, and the coronavirus outbreak further accelerated the demand for distance learning tools. Fortunately, the advances in technology have caught up with the requirements for elearning, so it is now a feasible mode of education. Developments in gamification, mobile learning, learning modules, and collaboration tools have made elearning a positive experience for those who can avail of it.

However, coverage is an entirely different story, as network coverage for the entire world is still far from being accomplished. While it is theoretically possible to connect anywhere in the world, the costs associated with doing so, especially in remote areas with little economic value, are something most countries are not yet willing to undertake. Until then, the dream of providing elearning opportunities to everybody will remain a dream.

Key Insights

• Rapid Growth of eLearning:
  • eLearning has seen significant growth, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data shows the U.S. e-learning market growing at a 14.1% CAGR from 2024–2029, driven by hybrid higher education demand (Technavio, 2024).
  • The global eLearning market reached $458.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a 19.2% CAGR through 2032 (Research and Markets, 2025).
• Challenges in eLearning Adoption:
  • The primary obstacles to widespread eLearning adoption are inadequate network infrastructure and the unpreparedness of school faculty to transition to online teaching.
• Emerging Trends in eLearning:
  • Increased bandwidth availability: Governments worldwide are freeing up radio spectrum to enhance internet connectivity.
  • Utilization of mass media: Countries are using radio and television to broadcast educational content in areas with limited internet access.
  • Mobile learning: With mobile internet accounting for 52% of total web traffic globally, mobile learning is becoming more prevalent.
  • Free online learning centers: There is a significant rise in free online courses and resources from organizations like Google and the Linux Foundation.
  • Microlearning: Short, focused learning sessions are becoming mainstream, showing higher engagement and retention rates compared to traditional methods.
  • Support for teachers: Numerous free resources and training materials are available to help teachers adapt to online education.
  • Gamification: Video games and game-like elements are increasingly being used as effective teaching tools.
• Global Accessibility Issues:
  • Despite technological advancements, a significant portion of the global student population lacks internet access and necessary devices, limiting the reach of eLearning.

References:

• Bay View Analytics. (2024). Digital learning pulse survey: 2023 results. https://bayviewanalytics.com/pulse/

• Coursera. (2024). COVID-19 impact report: Retrospective on online learning surges. https://about.coursera.org/press/covid-19-impact-report-2024

• DataReportal. (2024, January 31). Digital 2024: Global overview report. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-global-overview-report

• DataReportal. (2025). Digital 2025: Global overview report. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-global-overview-report

• Google Career Certificates. (2025). Digital Garage annual access report 2024. https://grow.google/certificates/digital-garage-report-2025

• Grand View Research. (2024). E-learning market size, share & trends analysis report by product (content, tools), by technology (learning management system, mobile e-learning), by provider (service, content), by user, by region, and segment forecasts, 2024–2030. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/e-learning-market

• HolonIQ. (2024). Global EdTech funding 2023. https://www.holoniq.com/notes/global-edtech-funding-2023

• National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Digital divide in U.S. K–12 education: 2024 update. https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ntps/

• Research and Markets. (2025). E-learning market – Global industry analysis 2025–2032. https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/elearning-market-global-2025

• Shah, D. (2024). MOOCs in 2023: A year of consolidation, stability, and AI. Class Central. https://www.classcentral.com/report/moocs-in-2023/

• Statista. (2024). Mobile internet usage share worldwide. https://www.statista.com/statistics/277125/share-of-website-traffic-coming-from-mobile-devices/

• TalentLMS. (n.d.). Learners love a gamified LMS. https://www.talentlms.com/features/gamification-lms

• Technavio. (2024, December 18). U.S. e-learning market analysis, size, and forecast, 2025–2029. https://www.technavio.com/report/e-learning-market-in-us-industry-analysis

• UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2024). World education statistics 2024: Technology access gaps. https://uis.unesco.org/en/world-education-statistics-2024

• Valamis. (2025). The 2025 microlearning benchmarks report. https://www.valamis.com/reports/microlearning-2025

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