ZOLA GLOBAL LEARNING CENTRE

Zola: An intrinsic online edu platform creating an impact…

Online education platforms have swiftly become popular in the current scenario for a variety of reasons. Be it providing greater accessibility, flexibility, affordability, variety, or innovation to students around the world, they have managed to garner worldwide attention and applause. Such an edu platform is ZOLA which is an intensively diverse and creative community offering youths opportunities to learn and grow comprehensively.

The outstanding brain behind the incorporation of ZOLA, Zainab Rumana, wanted to introduce new-age learning principles to the global student community. To explore the length and breadth of her immensely successful edu platform, we arranged a tetea-tete with Zainab and the COO of Zola- Moizuddin Mohammed who spearheads the departments of HR, Finance, sales and marketing.

They shared some incredible insights into the industry and food for thought that our global aficionado would find worth pondering over. Trimming the fat, let’s dive into the excerpts of the exclusive conversation held with the duo.

The genesis

ZOLA is a portal that engages the world’s finest teachers and tutors in various curricula from around the world, to aid students in tapping into their unexplored potential. Through online learning, ZOLA eliminates the limitations of location and time for students to access quality education. The platform has perfected the art of engaging students virtually, producing remarkable results.

ZOLA provides a comprehensive range of subjects and skills that students may not have had access to traditionally, challenging them to go beyond the basics. With over 18 years of experience in education, the team at ZOLA is passionate about making high-quality education available to everyone at an affordable cost.

The ZOLA Scholarship Programme is a testament to this belief, providing opportunities for individuals facing financial difficulties to achieve their goals. Whether through academic progress or skill-building, ZOLA strives to prepare children and adults to thrive in their lives.

The business philosophy

The edtech platform interacts with students from all over the world, providing them with the opportunity to explore and cultivate their interests, gain access to knowledge, acquire the necessary skills and attitudes to succeed, foster healthy relationships, and become innovative global citizens. ZOLA follows a holistic approach, offering a well-balanced combination of all the fundamental aspects required for a child’s comprehensive growth and development.

Creating an impact in the edtech industry

The founder of ZOLA shared her overall evaluation of the industry trends and the impact her platform has been able to ignite so far. She has witnessed the significant evolution of online tutoring in recent years. Initially, it was used as a Q&A service where students posted their queries online and tutors answered them in due course. However, online platforms now allow for real-time sessions with expert tutors specializing in specific topics to provide the tuition.

Technology is rapidly evolving, resulting in constant advancements in virtual teaching. This was particularly evident during the pandemic when remote learning became necessary for both students and teachers alike. Online tutoring now allows for live streaming of audio and video, provides access to more expert tutors, offers more opportunities for collaboration, and is more accessible than ever before.

The private tutoring industry is growing, with the global private tutoring market predicted to explode to 177,621 million by 2026, at a CAGR of around 7.1% between 2018 and 2026, according to a Zion market research group report. The pandemic has exposed the deep digital divide in many pockets of society worldwide, but it has also highlighted that online learning, when the right technology is available, is hands-down the best option for students.

Research from the World Economic Forum has shown that online learning is powerful for students, increasing retention by 25-60% compared to 8-10% in the classroom and reducing learning time by 40-60% by allowing students to learn at their own pace. The EdTech sector is booming, with language apps, video conferencing tools, collaboration tools, and virtual tutoring all on the rise. The ease and flexibility that online tutoring brings have led to an increase in its demand.

The USPs

ZOLA has made an indelible mark on the learning community with its shared interface between tutors and online students. The platform leverages high-quality video conferencing to provide a superior teaching experience. ZOLA’s tutors are highly qualified subject specialists with experience teaching specific curricula.

ZOLA provides more than just academic tutoring; it also offers skill development sessions and counselling for emotional support which is the need of the hour. Additionally, ZOLA facilitates adult supervised social activities such as Minecraft and Roblox sessions, providing a well-rounded learning experience for students.

ZOLA is dedicated to unlocking every child’s potential and providing a 360-degree development platform. Its passionate educators offer personalized learning plans that promote both academic and life skills, emphasizing values and persistence. ZOLA’s online platform and learning app enable students to connect with educators from around the world and access the best learning resources.

With ZOLA, students can access quality education without geographical or time-related restrictions. ZOLA incorporates a comprehensive approach to facilitate learning and provides a perfect mix of academic, skill development, socializing, and emotional support. The platform is built upon the expertise of technology, design, and academia, making quality education accessible and affordable for all.

The ZOLA Scholarship Program aims to support deserving students who may face financial challenges in accessing education. The selected students will receive excellent tutoring services, and their stories will be featured on the ZOLA website.

R&D process implementations

ZOLA is a distinguished institution that provides exceptional education, support and inclusivity. The team members are committed to consistently enhancing and adapting the offerings to meet the evolving needs and demands of the global student community. They recognize that Research and Development (R&D) plays a vital role in the success of any education enterprise.

The platform is dedicated to continuously improving the interface, app, and processes to ensure that the students have a positive and enriching learning experience. Furthermore, they heavily invest in teacher training to equip the tutors with the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver effective lessons and provide unparalleled service to the students.

Through their unwavering commitment to R&D and teacher training, they are able to stay ahead of the competition and deliver superior service to their valued customers. This enables them to establish trust and cultivate enduring relationships with the students, ultimately contributing to the growth and success of ZOLA.

Technology shaping the future

Both the leaders constantly keep an eye on the evolution and growth of the industry. It’s an exciting time for the online tutoring business, as the future looks very promising with the advancement of new technologies. Here are their valuable insights on how technology will shape online education in the coming years:

• The demand for online education will continue to grow as more and more students prefer to learn online. The flexibility and convenience of online learning are too attractive to ignore.
• AI will play a big role in online education, providing personalized learning experiences for each student. With the help of AI, tutors can better understand each student’s unique learning needs and preferences and tailor their teaching methods accordingly.
• Learning management systems will become more sophisticated, making it easier for tutors to manage their classes and track student progress. This will not only save time but also help tutors to provide more effective feedback to their students.
• Augmented reality will provide an immersive and experiential learning experience for students. This technology will allow students to interact with learning materials in a way that was previously not possible, making learning more engaging and effective.
• Gamification will make learning more fun and engaging for students of all ages. The use of game elements and mechanics in education can help to increase student motivation and interest, leading to better learning outcomes.
• Blockchain technology will ensure the security and privacy of student data. With the increasing importance of data privacy, blockchain technology can provide a secure and transparent way to store and share student data, giving both tutors and students peace of mind.

As the online tutoring business continues to evolve and grow, it’s essential to stay on top of the latest technological advancements and trends. By doing so, they can provide the students with the best possible learning experiences and ensure the success of their business.

The future outlook shared by the entrepreneur

Within three months of inception, the venture has made headlines and drawn the attention of the global business community. Recently, it has collaborated with IDP for IELTS Training and participated in UAE’s educational institutions show and bagged a lot of appreciation and praise, especially from Sheikh Saeed al Qassimi.

Zainab has been interviewed and got featured on the Sharjah Private education authority. Attaining marvels and scaling the graph of success, the dynamo has envisioned a future roadmap that would spur revolutionary changes in the edtech space.

“To increase our students worldwide, we have introduced strong marketing strategy, referral program where both the existing and new students will benefit using our platform. We are excited about our mission of providing quality tutoring services to students from all over the world. We believe that with our expertise in the field, we can expand our reach of this goal.

Our goal is to bring together professionals and students from across the globe for an enriching learning experience. We are confident that our marketing efforts combined with our quality tutoring services, testimonials, and recommendations from our current students will speak for themselves,” claims Zainab.

Zainab and Moizuddin concluded the interaction by sharing, “As we look to the future, our plans for ZOLA Tutoring are focused on four key areas: Our technology to automate processes and scale up our online presence, building valuable partnerships, and continuing to deliver quality education. We will also be focused on tech optimization, automating processes to make our tutoring services more efficient and accessible.

And finally, we will be scaling up our online presence by collaborating with other education-related businesses. By focusing on these key areas, we are confident that we can continue to grow ZOLA Tutoring into a leading provider of quality education.”

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ZOLA GLOBAL LEARNING CENTRE