Online learning platforms create new global market leaders, red-hot stocks for investors

For "naughty" 9-year-old primary school student Luca Bendini in Rome, home as a classroom was his life's first surreal experience. He and his Italian classmates have Chinese educational technology firms such as NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd to thank for the online courses.

E-platforms such as NetDragon's Edmodo facilitate communication, collaboration, and coaching, and are helping millions of students across the pandemic-stricken world to continue their education in spite of national lockdowns.

Asked if he likes e-learning, an elated Bendini said: "I'm so excited to interact again with my teachers and classmates after weeks. It's almost like being back at school. Online classes are more interesting than the real thing－we can even send emojis and experience virtual reality."

Bendini's mom Maria Fedullo is equally effusive in her appreciation of Edmodo. Stuck at home for weeks due to the pandemic, Fedullo had to deal with the hyperactive Bendini. Edmodo rescued her.

"Dio mio－that's Italian for 'oh my god!'－without these online platforms, I think we parents of school-going kids would have felt compelled to find a vaccine ourselves," said Fedullo.

Some 56 countries and regions have closed schools temporarily due to the pandemic. UNESCO estimated that some 850 million young students across the world would find their academic schedules disrupted due to the impact of COVID-19.

UNESCO's estimate also delineated the extent of business opportunity for educational technology companies in China and elsewhere. The global body recently recommended dozens of online education apps or platforms. Several Chinese platforms such as Edmodo, Alibaba's remote conference platform DingTalk and ByteDance's Feishu not only figured in the list but outshone others.

Xiong Li, CEO of NetDragon Websoft, which also publishes gaming content, said he never expected the company's technologies and products to come to the rescue of students worldwide during a pandemic.

"But it should not surprise anyone that we are able to help many countries to build virtual classrooms quickly, given our years of experience in educational technologies that innovate artificial intelligence and virtual reality," Xiong said.

In Egypt, Edmodo was recently designated as the official online learning platform for the K12 students, or those in the educational system spanning kindergarten to the 12th grade.

The Fuzhou, Fujian province-headquartered NetDragon will roll out its online learning platform to over 22 million students and over 1 million teachers in Egypt.

Tarek Shawki, Egypt's minister of education and technical education, said: "The unprecedented times that we have found ourselves in mean that all governments around the world need to find innovative solutions to ensure the continued education of all learners.

"We find ourselves well positioned to be able to support distance learning and the rapid implementation of Edmodo as the platform, to ensure that teachers, students and parents can collaborate and learn during this period."

Nick Nie, partner of Chinese venture capital firm CCV, said the pandemic has boosted the awareness and market prospects of the educational technology sector worldwide. It is a good time for Chinese edu-tech firms to expand abroad.

"As an increasing number of students worldwide now study at home, distance learning will quickly cover and penetrate many corners of the world during the special period," Nie said.

However, he noted that opportunities always come with challenges. "The first challenge for Chinese edu-tech companies is to develop content that is suitable for the culture of foreign countries.