If you had to pinpoint the single biggest thing Covid-19 has changed for most people, it's likely how we interact. And that, of course, includes how we learn. In so many countries over the past several years schools have been forced to close and children from first grade to high schoolers, and college students as well, have had to adjust to online classes. It wasn't an easy learning curve, to say the least. The elementary school teacher trying to corral 25 kids over Zoom was pulling out their hair for months, and even university professors who were totally tech-savvy had their hands full trying to give lectures and conduct exams over Google Meet or Skype or what have you. But after much trial and error (and many tears and screams), most of us have gotten the hang of virtual studying, working, or attending conferences. And most of us have discovered it's not all bad. Pretty much everyone discovered you can get stuff done faster and more efficiently online... if you do it correctly.
Naturally, the pandemic also fueled what was an already booming online tutoring market. But the prices for one on one or even small groups of online personalized learning are still quite high. You can watch tutorial videos and of course, you can scour the internet for information of all sorts and go the autodidactic route. But there's a third option now with a new tutoring app that has broken the mold by offering a unique business model. Instead of paying for a subscription or paying per class, instead, you pay by the minute. However, the uniqueness of the business model doesn't stop with the payment structure but extends to the very idea of how we learn online. Do we necessarily need entire classes when there are already numerous free resources? Just go take a look at what's available from the Khan Academy and you'll wonder why people still pay for college. This app, sometimes called a skill app, is designed for short question and answer sessions with experts to help people figure out something they're having a hard time understanding, or even just answer a simple question about something to do with your industry.
A non-student example comes from a user named Michael. After starting a podcast, Michael had trouble with sound quality, and - not being a lazy person - he searched online for answers and spent many hours reading up on the particulars of sound engineering, watching YouTube tutorial videos on podcasting, and reading answers from forums, etc. He learned a lot from all of that research, but still, there was just something not quite right about the end-quality sound he was producing. So, Michael hopped up on Skillr, one of the more highly rated new skill app alternatives, and within minutes found a sound technician expert who's been in the business for several decades. Now here's where the concept gets really cool: By holding up his phone during the video call with the expert, Michael was able to 'show' the problem rather than just describe it. The expert took one look at the room and immediately identified a couple of acoustic problems and then helped him adjust his compression settings using the free software audacity. The entire video call took under 10 minutes and Michael, who the app would call a 'seeker,' paid around US$10 for vital information that allowed him to get his business off the ground.
The app's possible uses for students, companies, and individuals of all stripes are enormous, from quick answers to social media marketing. A business, might - for example - choose to turn to an app expert from time to time for marketing tips rather than hire a new employee. A college student could run a final paper past an app expert before turning it in the next day...etc., etc., etc. There are so many things that many of us say we'll "get around to," but put off because it requires a learning curve. Imagine all the "get to" things that could get done if we used a skill app shortcut. That software you wanted to set up so you could cast movies from your computer to the TV... hop on the app and have somebody walk you through it for five bucks - rather than delaying doing it for another year because you know it's going to take you an hour and likely be frustrating.
Finally, there's a good chance you are an expert in some field, and if you register on the app, you can start taking video calls to both help others and earn some extra income. Retired people could be looking at entire new careers as 'expert' app advisors as they put their decades of experience - and their flexible time schedules - to more than good use. It's perhaps only a tad hyperbolic to say this skill app model could change the world.
