The most successful and widely shared TEDx Talk of all time is Ken Robinson’s ‘Do schools Kill creativity?’ That says a lot about how much the education system around the world needs overhauling. No wonder thus that universities, institutions, schools and colleges worldwide have stopped fighting against social networking and have adopted it as an essential means of learning. Social network is how we talk and to a great extent learn.

Following are the ways educational institutions can leverage the power of social networking to channelize creative learning:

Learning management systems
Universities and colleges are widely using Moodle, Blackboard and MyBig Campus – some of the most popular learning management systems. These platforms have helped institutions distribute learning material such as lecture notes, reference books, curriculum etc. These portals allow students to upload assignments, chat with their professors etc, share notes, get notified etc. Edmodo, on the other hand, allows a class to connect and collaborate, have an access to homework and grades or school notices. There’s much scope for startups and edupreneurs to create newer and more convenient social network platforms for learners. The Learning Management market was $ 4 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $ 7 billion 2018.

Connecting educators
There are exclusive communities like Educators PLN, Academia.edu, Classroom 2.0, English Companion etc of teachers, academicians, research scholars, administrators etc. These are thriving communities that are widely exchanging information, resources and helping each other out.

Education marketplaces
In 2013 it was predicted that education worldwide is a $5-6 trillion marketplace. Today it has probably already crossed that mark. YouTube is proof that there’s a huge market for education eCommerce that’s hungry for educational content. But no educational marketplace is complete without a social network flavor. There are several education marketplaces such as Udemy or Enroll that are proving that networking is an integral part of online marketplaces and learning.

Homeschooling
Parents in most West countries are now worried for the safety of their children in schools. More and more parents today are opting for homeschooling also because they think traditional education system is failing. As a result, they are constantly looking for educational social networks and marketplaces to find learning content and connect with other parents. The mobile learning market is reaching $12.2 billion by 2017.
If you wish to contribute to the eductech industry in any way, give us a shout.