Nicos Nicolaou C o v e r s t o r y A r t i c l e s CEO | Unicaf Amit Hasan Asokan Ashok UnfoldLabs: Revolutionary Product Development Company How theLogisticsIndustry is Changing Lives Around thePlanet 10 38 42 Peter Clark Foster Melliar UK: Upskilling Clients with Consultant-Led Courses and eLearning Products Amol Shinde Knowzies: Revolutionizing eLearning Industry with a Dash ofDigital Innovations Chip Reaves. Bigger Brains: Crafting Uniquely Engaging & InteractiveELearning Courses Simon Cooper Interactyx: Transforming Online Learning Platform Rohini Raju How To Increase Learner Engagement 14 18 22 28 32 C O N T E N T S Editors Note In the last two years, the e-learning industry has proliferated as a new paradigm for contemporary educa- tion. As a result of the pandemic, the majority of schools, colleges, universities, and other organizations were forced to halt their on-campus programs and switch entirely to online instruction. The term e-learning refers to learning by using electronic technology to access educational materials and curriculums outside the classroom. E-learning has been introduced to nearly all specialties and levels of education. E-learning has currently been implemented in almost all specializations and educational levels. Over the next few years, it is predicted that e-learning will increase 15-fold to represent 30% of all academic offerings globally. E-learning means no boundaries. It enables each student to manage the pace of their course. Thanks to the flexibility e-learning provide, users can also take the course in an environment more suited to their learn- ing styles. As requirements change, it gives management and staff considerably more freedom to com- plete crucial "just in time" training. E-learning enables businesses to provide employees with more efficient, higher-quality training at a lower cost. When employees are more excited about training, their engagement gets multiplied across departments, and the bottom line gets impacted. Experts drive the e-learning industry in soft skills training, leadership training programs, and executive coaching for individuals, making the learning experience engaging and fun. At Tycoon Success, we take immense pride in curating a list of " The 10 Most Dexterous E-Learning Solution Providers to Watch in 2022 ." On the Cover, we have Nicos Nicolaou , the CEO of Unicaf , a leading online higher education platform headquartered in Europe, with students spread across 158 countries. The state-of-the-art digital platform from Unicaf provides access to the best quality university degree programs and professional courses from several reputable partner institutions spread across U.S., U.K., and Africa. The online platform also facilitates Higher Education studies at an affordable cost. A partner of Liverpool John Moores University, the University of east London, the University of Suffolk, the University of California, Riverside Extension, and multi-campus Unicaf University in Africa; Unicaf is expanding its operations in Africa through an ever-growing network of university campuses and learning centers offering blended and open learning options. At this point, Unicaf has its presence in 12 African Countries and plans to expand to 5 additional countries in the next two years. It offers its high-quality Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degree through its partner universities at a fraction of the cost in Africa. The multi-campus Unicaf University is accredited regionally by the British Accreditation Council, offering various degree programs with a strong focus on professional skills. A Rapidly Growing Industry Let’s read ! The Leading Provider of Tertiary Education U nicaf is a leading online higher education platform headquartered in Europe, with students spread across 158 countries. The state-of-the-art digital platform from Unicaf provides access to the best quality university degree programs and professional courses from several reputable partner institutions spread across U.S., U.K., and Africa. Led by its CEO, Nicos Nicolaou , the online platform also facilitates Higher Education studies at an affordable cost. A partner of Liverpool John Moores University, the University of east London, the University of Suffolk, the University of California, Riverside Extension, and multi-campus Unicaf University in Africa, Unicaf is expanding its operations in Africa through an ever-growing network of university campuses and learning centers offering blended and open learning options. At this point, Unicaf has its presence in 12 African Countries and plans to expand to 5 additional countries in the next two years. It offers its high-quality Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degree through its partner universities at a fraction of the cost in Africa. The multi-campus Unicaf University is accredited by local regulators and by the British Accreditation Council, offering various degree programs with a strong focus on professional skills. Primary Strategies Unicaf and Unicaf University offers a wide range of undergraduate programs online and through blended learning., All the programs offered by the education platform are accredited by the local regulators in each country where it operates. Presently the organization's primary strategy is to continue expanding its presence throughout Africa by obtaining additional university licenses in several new countries and expanding its current portfolio of programs. Unicaf's presence allows its students to have local support and assistance with the application process. Unicaf University also helps its students by providing the opportunity to attend face-to-face tutorials, use the computer labs with high-speed internet, use the digital library, and access the brand's state-of-the-art technology. "At Unicaf, we use the latest technology, and we are perhaps unique in the use of predictive analytics in online learning. The use of A.I. predictive models in learning and student support allows for the individualization of learning and predicting student learning issues before they happen." - says Nicos. The learning platform continues to develop state-of-the-art technologies to enhance the existing technologies it uses in its digital platform, making its operations efficient and scalable. Additionally, its U.K. university partners provide its students with the opportunity of receiving internationally The 10 Most Dexterous E-Learning Solution Providers to Watch in 2022. 10 December 2022 recognised qualifications at a fraction of the cost. At present, Unicaf is holding discussions with several British Universities which are interested in offering their online courses for African students. In addition to new programs, Unicaf is also working with its local teams to identify the needs of the markets where it operates. The learning platform’s primary aim is to offer programs that can help its students with employment opportunities. Advantages of Online Education With the pandemic, most educational institutions have moved to online education. Nicos believe online education comes with several advantages. 11 December 2022 Flexibility and Accessibility: Online education allows students to set schedules that fit their family and other professional commitments. With online education, an individual does not need to give up on jobs or leave home. Not Limited to a Small Geographical Area: With online education, a program offering is not limited to the availability of students within a small geographical area. The modern classes are formed by students from all over the planet. Customized Learning Experience: The best part about online education is it can be customized according to individual needs. Technologies adopted for online learning help with the personal interaction between student and tutor. Affordability: With online education, students can pay one module at a time, which helps to create better budget management. Also, unlike traditional education, online education tends to be affordable. With online education, many students are also offered discounts and scholarships, so the price is affordable. As an online education platform Unicaf has already provided over $100 million in scholarships for its students. Additionally, distance education can eliminate several barriers to higher education in Africa. Using flexible delivery models, students were not needed to visit physical locations at a pre-determined date and time. When Employability is Vital With a mission to positively contribute to the educational, economic, and sustainable development of local communities and regions, Unicaf uses its latest technology and innovative tools to improve and enhance the instructional method's effectiveness and learning experience. The digital platform is a culmination of technology, people, and data. Its state-of-the-art digital platform helps students with various services until they graduate. Nicos explains that 85% of Unicaf's students declare that they were able to find better jobs or get a promotion at their current job. Developed in collaboration with employers to meet their specific needs, Unicaf University programs provide the needed knowledge and skills to help graduates enter the marketplace. Critical to the employment of new graduates is the development of higher education programs of study by engaging employers. A collaboration with employers and industry should target to help students achieve the needed skills relevant to the career of their choice. Presently Unicaf is increasing the employability of its students by offering career advice and work placement opportunities, establishing partnerships with employers, designing programs focusing on professional skills, and involving employers in curriculum design and delivery. 12 December 2022 Foster Melliar UK: Upskilling Clients with Consultant-Led Courses and eLearning Products D uring the early 1990s, Foster-Melliar Learning Solutions was one of the first South African companies that adopted the globally recognised best practice approach to IT Service Management known as ITIL. Thanks to this solid foundation, the organization brought together some of the most skilled and experienced specialists in the country to supplement its ITIL portfolio with a range of best practices, including; With the vision to be the knowledge partner of choice for consulting, learning, and implementing value-added business systems and processes, the organisation introduced its first branch in the U.K in 2022 (Foster-Melliar UK.). With this new branch in the U.K, Foster-Melliar is continuously expanding its portfolio of products and services to meet the ever-changing needs of organizations and individuals throughout the globe, which ensures its readiness for the deployment of new technology in the Beta and early adopter phases of leading cloud and related technologies, offering clients the competitive advantage of ‘first to market’ adoption. As a member of the Foster-Melliar Group, the organisation is a fully accredited consulting, training, and skills development provider. Evolving over 3 decades, the organisation’s clients include corporates, and skills development provider. Evolving over 3 decades, the organisation’s clients include corporates, individuals, school-leavers, graduates, and various government agencies. It is a leading provider of IT solutions, business consulting services, and broad-based skills training courses that enable its clients to value and optimise various business and technology processes for individuals to stay ahead of technological advancements. The organisation’s innovative consultant-led training and coaching capabilities also help its clients maximize their human capital investments and quickly react to the changing markets by developing a framework to evaluate, deploy, manage, and extend the skills of their human intellectual capital skills. Foster-Melliar’s consultants are geared to deliver the programs and apply them to specific work environments. Path Breaking Services Led by its CEO, Peter Clark, Foster-Melliar offers virtual instructor-led training, consulting, and eLearning in a wide range of digital and IT skills. Through the organisation’s affordable e-learning platform, clients can also upskill themselves or their entire workforce at a significantly less cost in a shorter time period with courses like the ITIL Foundation course, People Development courses, Microsoft Azure courses, or Microsoft Apps courses. Foster-Melliar’s Microsoft 365 training is the perfect place to start for clients focused on service and business management skills. Once the Microsoft 365 course is completed, clients can opt for other complex certifications like Microsoft Administrator Expert or Microsoft Security Administrator. Foster-Melliar’s consultants can also help clients upskill in various business applications like Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Supply Chain The 10 Most Dexterous E-Learning Solution Providers to Watch in 2022. www.tycoonsuccess.com 01 Ɣ&2%,7EHVWSUDFWLFHVIRU,7DQGJRYHUQDQFH Ɣ DevOps, best practices combining Software Development and IT operations,shortening development life cycles, and providing continuous delivery with high-quality software. Agile, best practices relevant to Software Development Project Management. Ɣ 14 December 2022 Foster-Melliar will Educate – Mentor – Empower you and make your IT future possible through teaching, learning, and growing. PETER CLARK Foster-Melliar | CEO “ “ www.tycoonsuccess.com 02 15 December 2022 Management, etc. The consultant-led trainers are also proficient in Service Management and Business Management training, helping clients choose the best platform and services that work best for the business. Helping Clients to Improve their Skills “ It is essential to keep your employees certified and up to speed, from the CIO right down to the bottom layers of your organisation, not just in terms of technology, but in terms of how each specific job role maps out within the greater context of what the business does. ”- says Peter. He believes that in order to improve their daily tasks and roles within the company, everyone and every company needs to learn quickly. As technology changes, the process for the tasks at hand becomes outdated. With courses being updated as technology updates, there will be a continuous need for people, employees, and companies to upskill. Providing the opportunity to learn and upskill often increases employees’ motivation for everything. Tackling the Pandemic Due to the pandemic-induced lock-downs and social distancing norms, the corporate classroom training was massively effected. During this time, Foster-Melliar witnessed a sharp decrease in classroom training and an exponential increase in eLearning self-study training on its online learning portal and virtual courses through Microsoft Teams and Zoom. With the resumption of the traditional educational system, Foster-Melliar now expects to meet the learning style of students, improve efficiency and effectiveness of students and courses, improve user accessibility, a sense of belonging to a class or community, and discussions between students just like in the classroom, sharing knowledge, and the same quality of qualifications. Picture of the Future Foster-Melliar U.K aspires to be the knowledge partner of choice for consulting, learning, and implementation of value-added business systems and processes. It intends to upskill and develop people as managers and leaders, which keeps employees productive and accelerates their career development for the better. www.tycoonsuccess.com 03 “ Expanding our eLearning solutions to the world is our next step. The next branch that we are opening is in Australia. ”- asserts Peter. 16 December 2022 Amol Shinde FOUNDER & CEO - Knowzies The 10 Most Dexterous E-Learning Solution Providers to Watch in 2022 18 December 2022 Knowzies Revolutionizing eLearning Industry with a Dash of Digital Innovations W ith the mobile revolution the learning pedagogy and the patterns have changed and eLearning is now a more acceptable method of learning. Anytime Learning (ATL), mobile learning, microlearning, AR/VRare the new methods that are going to impose/impart the best quality learning to the end-users. With advance authoring tools and technology in place, the flexibility in building creative eLearning courses at a lesser cost is a boon for the industry. It is now very easy to create a gamified experiential learning experience with the latest technologies like mobile, AR/VR, highly engaging simulations, etc. Knowzies Technology Solutions is India’s fastest growing Learning Technology Solutions company focused on developing custom eLearning, mLearning and performance support solutions. The Impressionist Leader Amol Shinde, the Founder and CEO of Knowzies is a serial entrepreneur with more than 14 years of experience in the Learning Technology domain. He is deeply passionate about building scalable and trusted technology products that help organizations to transform digitally. His acute vision of making an organization with a difference that has helped to develop a unique culture where everyone is the owner of their task. “I’m also a believer in investing deeply in company culture and people to build an organization that lasts and sharing lessons learned – the wins and the not-so-muches – to help other companies do the same. Our customer-centric approach and never give up attitude makes us the most lovable outsourcing partners for our customer with 99% retention ratio with our happy clients,” asserts Amol. Extraordinary eLearning Solutions Custom eLearning Solutions Knowzies offers design and development services for creating custom learning solutions that help organizations to achieve specific learning outcomes aligned to business goals. Rapid Authoring Tools With an in-depth knowledge of various eLearning authoring tools, Knowzies’ learning designers can assist organizations in building cost-effective, engaging, and interactive media-rich eLearning content. The company helps organizations build impactful eLearning solutions while managing budgetary as well as technological requirements. They build eLearning using: Articulate Storyline; Adobe Captivate; Lectora Inspire and Lectora Online; Camtasia; and Gomo Learning. 19 December 2022 Mobile Learning Solutions Increased use of smart devices by learners and acceptance of BYOD by organizations has made aspirations of creating self-paced, just-in-time, or on-the-go learning achievable in their truest sense. Knowzies specializes in creating learning content that plays seamlessly across a variety of smart devices. Its mobile learning content is designed based on expert-defined principles of instructional design, user-interface-interaction-experience design, and responsive design. The products designed are: Mobile-First Learning Content; Device-Agnostic Learning Content; Mobile Performance Support Solutions (MPSS); Interactive Microlearning Nuggets; Videos Based Learning; Infomercial Style Content. Explainer Video & Animation Knowzies’ instructional designers are expert at writing video scripts and ensuring learner engagement by designing interactive elements such as Traditional animation (2D, Cel, Hand Drawn); 2D Animation (Vector-based); 3D Animation (CGI, Computer Animation); Motion Graphics (Typography, Animated Logos) and Stop Motion (Claymation, Cut-Outs). Microlearning solutions by Knowzies are designed to provide precise information mapped to a specific actionable learning objective. Microlearning Translation & Localisation Solutions Knowzies also offers translation and localization services to meet the learning needs of its global staff. They support the organizations with the translation of the content in multiple languages; location of the content; voice-over recording by local artists; and Camtasia Voice-Over integration. Knowzies also offer Flash to HTML5 conversion services which include Flash-based eLearning courses; Flash activities, games, and Simulations; and Flash Assessments and Quizzes. Knowzies Offshore Development Centre (ODC) has expertise in developing, testing, deploying, and supporting the learning development initiatives of organizations. With Knowzies gamification learning solutions, organizations can surprise, challenge, and engage their learners. Its gamified solutions integrate elements of fun with instructional design. The highly focused custom eLearning development solutions allow the Knowzies to do the rapid development helping clients to reduce their go-to-market time. “For our clients, we help them to get the best eLearning experience in a very quick and cost-effective way without compromising the crux of the content and visual aesthetics,” expresses Amol. Benefits for Clients Obstacles down the Road and the Smart Strategies The company takes pride in its existing client retention rate of almost 95%. However, going forward with increasing operational costs a part of its growth, shrinking margins have emerged as one of the challenges for the team. E-Learning is a very competitive industry and to sustain year on year continuity with the clients, one must need to be ahead of the curve and the solution lies in innovation. eLearning is a field of imagination and creativity and more creative and innovative you are, more the chances of bigger success. 20 December 2022