Month: April 2020

The recent use of technology all around the globe coincided with a real demand in Africa for enough facilities to achieve economic growth and overcome many pressing problems across various sectors. Soon after the technological revolution took place, the business of information communications technology (ICT) found its way into most of the African countries and managed to contribute effectively to the regular growth of many industries, particularly in East Africa. Among the myriad positive impacts, the African education systems saw a significant development on the back of the groundbreaking tech innovations, paving the way to the rise of notions like e-learning and self-education.

Registering high internet and mobile phone market penetration rates, Kenya marks an example of the rapid evolution of e-learning across many educational disciplines. The applications of e-learning in Kenya ranged from online training courses and institutional learning materials, all the way to official primary, secondary, and higher education.

The advent of e-learning in Kenya brought forth numerous benefits amid the lack of adequate resources in many urban and rural areas. Many of the Kenyan poor families are now able to access online educational services at much lower rates. Also, educational institutions started to enroll more students and deliver higher standards of education. Simply put, e-learning has improved the quality of educational content and rendered it easily accessible to more learners through digital platforms.

The Official Take on E-Learning in Kenya

We can proudly say that the e-learning market in Kenya is flourishing, not only among individuals but also on the professional and institutional levels.

• The Kenyan government devotes special attention to the educational system and allocates over 5.2% of the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP) to enhance the quality of education. 
• Kenya’s Ministry of ICT has recently partnered with the Ministry of Education to implement the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), funded by the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund (ECDF). 
• Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development has digitized content and made it available on many online and digital platforms.
• Higher education institutions such as Kenyatta University, The University of Nairobi, Makerere University, and Kampala international university have successfully applied ICT policies and incorporated technical learning solutions.

This approach was also adopted by local and global private organizations that create educational materials, including online courses, tutorial videos, schooling apps, and learning games. 

Opportunities Vs. Challenges:

Undoubtedly, there is still an extreme need for e-learning solutions in Kenya as more millenials are accessing the internet and organizations are increasingly offering digital education systems. All in all, the development of e-learning in the African country is surrounded by multiple conveniences as well as some hindering hurdles. The following is a list of the opportunities against challenges within the evolution of e-learning in Kenya.

Opportunities:

• Mobile and internet user penetration rates are rapidly growing.
• Many Kenyans can not access regular schools due to financial constraints and long distances.
• Digital devices are replacing books and paperwork everywhere.
• Lecturers are streaming their sessions using videos and interactive applications.
• Local schools need to conduct online training classes in the evenings and weekends.
• Individuals are looking for self-paced training tailored to their specific needs.

Challenges:

• Kenyans living in rural areas have limited access to adequate internet bandwidth due to the absence of electricity or the fragility of networks.
• Kenyan teachers and educators are lacking the technical knowledge and skills required to provide sufficient e-learning programs.
• Kenya lags behind when it comes to the availability of locally developed interactive content that is compatible with the digital display.
• There are no strict e-learning policies in educational organizations.
• Poverty and financial constraints still stand in the way of many Kenyan families to benefit from the online educational content.

E-Learning Localization For Higher Success

Another relevant and substantial topic is e-learning localization. It is widely evidenced that e-learning practices are much more efficient when they are introduced in the native language of their target market. Kenyans, like many Africans, are more likely to benefit from and interact with the digital educational content that is created in their own language and within their unique culture.

For that reason, when an e-learning application or a digital online course is targeted to be offered in Kenya, localizing it into the Kenyan English or other indegineous African dialects by specialized e-learning translation companies doubles the chance of success. 

E-learning localization is even deemed a supportive factor to the overall evolution of e-learning in Kenya, with some international players tapping into the country’s educational market with their localized products.

The localization of your e-learning services, however, is a bit tricky as small errors or inadequate localization by unprofessional or non-native linguists might ruin the whole thing. Make sure you partner with a reliable native language vendor with extensive in-country experience so you can make the most out of your e-learning localization in Kenya.

Based in the heart of Nairobi, AfroLingo is proud to offer the ultimate e-learning localization services at the highest quality and most competitive prices. Get in touch now and have a team of veteran localization experts at your service. We have been trusted by giant e-learning service providers in Kenya and built a formidable reputation over more than 12 years. What are you waiting for? Partner with us now and make your e-learning solutions thrive in the Kenyan market.

Contact us now and get a free quote!