As the COVID-19 outbreak forces New Zealand schools, homes and businesses to close their doors, and people begin to
self-isolate in their homes, Eurekly, a global online learning platform based in New Zealand, has witnessed a marked increase in session usage on the
platform.
Eurekly was created in New Zealand in 2016, has seen numbers on its platform evolve to 8,500 users in 25 countries
booking 19,324 sessions over the past month, up 12%. These are the strongest monthly signup numbers that the platform
has posted. Student volumes are currently projected to be up 44% on the previous month.
This mirrors overseas activity, as a global surge in online learning is taking place. Up to 180 million Chinese students
are homebound or unable to travel, and schools have been closed for more than 16 million children in Japan. Similarly,
10 million UK schoolchildren across 32,770 schools have experienced school closures as of March 20, and schools across
New York and San Francisco have closed their doors.
International universities are similarly affected, with Stanford University and the University of Washington among many
to move classes online from March 9, and NYU Shanghai among those launching an online learning programme to deliver 293
courses to engage students and encourage interaction. In New Zealand, Massey University is now moving to 90% online
learning, including lecture streaming.
Eurekly founder and CEO Austen Clarke said, “people are attracted to Eurekly for a combination of reasons. First, we
have dedicated and customized live private tutoring options for all our users. Secondly, our platform functions like an
online social network, so the learning community is more engaged with each other, improving learning outcomes.”
Currently, Eurekly users are booking sessions in places all over the world - as far afield as the UK, Egypt, Russia,
Brazil, the Philippines, and of course in the USA, as the reality of COVID-19 takes effect. Just over half of users are
female.
Eurekly is working with schools, learners, families and communities to support remote and distance learning for
students, as the platform is uniquely placed to help people not just learn but maintain human connection.
“At a worrying time for people, we understand the desire for parents and teachers to ensure uninterrupted learning.
Although it may not seem like it right now, self-isolation offers an opportunity to progress learning. Eurekly is a
simple and engaging online learning tool to help families, students and teachers move learning forward while maintaining
all-important human contact, both of which are essential in these difficult times.
“Eurekly helps learners connect seamlessly with tutors anywhere in the world, so you can bring the world of learning
into your home. Eurekly offers a robust alternative for schools, colleges, institutes and universities looking to keep
students progressing during the COVID-19 outbreak.”