Turning over a new leaf with eLearning Indaba
28 Nov 2022
Since the inaugural eLearning Indaba in 2013, hosted by New Leaf Technologies, the event has become internationally recognised, with speakers and attendees joining from all around the world. 2022's free-to-attend four-part series, comprising one hybrid and three online events, took place across the course of the year and was made up of keynote addresses, informational workshops and QnA sessions aimed at Learning & Development as well as HR professionals.
Paul Hanly, founder of New Leaf Technologies, hosts of the eLearning Indaba
Following this year's final eLearning Indaba, we caught up with New Leaf Technologies founder, Paul Hanly, to chat about the organisation's new offerings and the future of the event.
What has the industry reaction and response been like to the events?
We have seen a definite upward trend in both registrations and attendance. Results from post-event surveys indicate an encouraging and positive response. We use these insights to continually steer and redefine value for our audience, by offering attractive topics and content that resonates with the industry at large.
How has New Leaf Tech seen the industry grow over the past couple of years?
The general consensus while conducting research is very moderate with reports indicating anything between 20 to 30% annual growth globally. South Africa seems to be ahead of this adoption. Our own business has attracted a consistent year-on-year growth rate of over 50%, with more and more competitors entering the market, which really highlights the trend across the board.
The company has a few new developments of its own to speak of - tell us a bit about the learnership opportunity launching next year...
Due to the very high enquiry rate and demand from customers, we have formally launched a new learnership division which further seeks to support the industry skills gap by offering an accredited e-learning specialisation, with our first cohort starting in February. We have advanced the functional capability of our learning platform to administer the SETA-based end-to-end requirements including functionality such as moderation and proctoring, making it far simpler to manage the process in one system.
New Leaf Tech also recently added a text-to-speech facility - please tell us more about it and the motivation behind its creation/inclusion...
In keeping with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), New Leaf is extremely conscious of the importance of accessibility, keeping in mind that learners learn in many different ways such as visually, auditorily, kinesthetically etc. A large percentage of the population access platform with ESL (English as a second language), therefore with the introduction of text-to-speech in all 11 official languages will support our learners on their paths to mastery.
What can we expect from New Leaf and the eLearning Indaba next year?
New Leaf will be rebranding the eLearning Indaba, with a vision to change the educational landscape in South Africa for the better. We plan to host a large hybrid event in H1 with the assistance of a wider variety of learning and event partners. The content scope is expected to target all tracks of education from foundational to tertiary and beyond. It will be an exciting relaunch and one we know our audience's expectation will be exceeded due to the phenomenal support of our keynote speakers and event and media partners.
