Olive Group launches virtual learning app in Microsoft Teams

VLE application is purpose-built and customisable to the users’ needs
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Brendan Kavanagh CEO Olive Group + Prof Kevin Marshall, Microsoft

17 November 2021

Olive Group has launched a new Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) app in Microsoft Teams as part of a joint initiative with Microsoft Ireland. Launched from within the Microsoft Teams application, Olive VLE is an intuitive software platform that delivers a wide range of interactive digital content, enabling a more user-centric learning experience for up to 250 million global Microsoft Teams users. The app has a market potential of €5 million for Olive Group.

The Olive VLE application was designed and developed by Olive Group’s growing team of e-learning experts in collaboration with head of education for Microsoft Ireland, Kevin Marshall. The application addresses the issue with online education which has been stagnant for many years. Learner engagement has been restricted by legacy disconnected systems with poor experience. Olive VLE is a purpose-built learning experience that is easily deployed and customisable to the users’ needs.

The Olive VLE integration in Microsoft Teams takes the level of interactivity and engagement during online Teams sessions to the next level, delivering seamless student-tutor interaction, with easy-to-use interactive tools. The live virtual classrooms are enhanced with breakout rooms for group work and discussions, creating an outstanding and immersive environment for learners. Olive VLE allows the impact of learning to be demonstrated through robust assessments, delivered securely and efficiently, ensuring the learning cycle is complete.

Users can take advantage of the hundreds of ready-to-go digital-learning courses available or bespoke content creation in the Olive VLE to continue their digital evolution. Within the app, Olive Group has created a unique game-changer feature in content creation for e-learning and marketing sectors.

The AI Content Creation Automation Tool – available as an add-on feature – is an intuitive AI based content authoring tool, which creates video-based courses and videos in a fast, efficient fashion by utilising the power of AI technology. The AI engine then selects the appropriate professionally designed templates from the repository and inserts all the visual assets to create a high-quality video in a matter of minutes not months.

In an on-demand world, short of time, the Olive content provides an outstanding addition to enhance the quality of education, whilst saving creators time. The application will help educational institutions, freelance tutors, open college networks  and Corporates pivot from traditional delivery formats with a wealth of high-end, interactive digital content to enhance the learner journey.

Founded and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Olive Group produces low-cost, high-end online training courses to help more people access affordable education and to help businesses onboard, train and upskill staff. Since its establishment in 2006, the company has trained more than two million people across the world and created digital learning content in 27 languages. Employing 600 people across 12 countries, Olive Group produces world-class digital content using the latest technological innovations to engage learners and save businesses 85% of the costs associated with the delivery of classroom-based training courses. Olive Group is an accredited Microsoft ISV (Independent Software Vendors) partner.

Last year, the Irish-founded EdTech company headquartered in Dublin signed a strategic five-year partnership with the UK’s National Open College Network (NOCN Group) to deploy Olive VLE across the NOCN portfolio – extending the reach of virtual learning services to over 2000 training providers and colleges globally including the UK and international markets. Olive Group has also signed deals to deploy its native VLE for a number of Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) members.

Brendan Kavanagh, CEO, Olive Group said: “We’re very excited to extend the reach of Olive VLE to up to 145 million Microsoft Teams users across the world. Collaborating with Microsoft Ireland has allowed us to deploy a purpose-built learning experience that will resonate with digital natives – the swipers, scrollers, and touch screen aficionados of the world. These users are accustomed to consuming content as part of a seamless user experience via platforms such as Spotify, Netflix and Tiktok. Until now, an educational counterpart has been lacking. We are targeting savvy online learners who want the collaborative energy of the classroom, in a virtual setting, as well as an enhanced learning experiences that are accessible 24/7.”

“We’re delighted to partner with Olive Group – a company that is on the cutting edge of EdTech,” said Prof Kevin Marshall, head of education for Microsoft Ireland. “The team has a firm appreciation of what digital natives are looking for from a learning and engagement perspective. Catering to evolving user demands requires big picture thinking, and Olive Group has a proven track record of delivering eLearning solutions that are easily deployable, customisable, and user-friendly. Olive VLE delivers high-quality digital content that is learner-centric and outcome driven, while also facilitating more dynamic student-tutor engagement and more efficient digital assessments.”

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