How do I build an e-learning app?

Software developers know well how daunting the task of creating e-learning software can be. They all hope to build six-figure, engaging, and informative learning solutions. An elearning business must create e-learning application and courses for mass-market needs. However, the process of getting there often feels complex. After all, e-learning mobile app development is a one-way process where developers work without knowing learners and their needs. That’s where agile software development services can help.

With agile application development, e-learning software solutions are built by taking into account the design principles, planning sessions, and collaboration between the development side and the business side. This process is also easy and incurs less cost.

Creating Custom E-Learning Software

It all starts with the development of a learning management system (LMS). I have one option to show you here. This is a web-based learning management system built on .Net, MVC5, and Decoupled Architecture. This is a learning management system (LMS) designed for the administration and delivery of informational and educational content to people who are preparing for their exams. What makes our app unique is that it works well and support features:Create media options via PDFs, videos, classroom sessions, and SCORM.

• Create tests, quizzes, and exams by using adjustable grading criteria and randomization for preventing cheating.
• Improve learner’s interaction by creating discussion forums and then exchange ideas, knowledge, and opinions in the forums.
• The tool assigns specific tasks, goals, and courses to each of its users
• Tracks the growth of participants via insightful reports.
• Content flexibility in the form of creating your content by integrating cutting-edge courses taught by our domain experts.
• Track training progress through live sessions.
• Custom dashboards that allow users to view important info at a glance.
• Authenticated access to prevent unauthorized access and cheating.
• Create a responsive interface that works across all devices automatically.

What Can Be Included In The Development Plan?

E-learning software is created after the eLearning course plan is done. At this stage, the developer can start programming and must work together closely with the client. The developer will most likely need to clarify some questions from the clients to do their job well.

Here are some questions they might ask:

• Do you have any examples from your organization or working space that can be included in the e-learning solution?
• Are there any specific requirements basis on the scenario the learner want to choose?
• What should happen if a user wants the complete course?

The e-learning software development process might take longer since one developer is doing the job. As such, it’s always a better idea to hire an e-learning development team. Depending on the project needs, you might ask the team if they specialize in building complex e-learning software and apps or not.

Either Way, The Circle Of The E-Learning Software Development Includes The Following:

• Requirements analysis of the project: Preparing a detailed plan for tech specifications takes a lot of time. The development team setup basic requirements so the developers know what they need to build.
• Planning, Design, Organize and draw the outcome for your e-learning software.
• Implementation stage when the programming work is done.
• Testing is important and needed to make sure everything works well with the software.
• The product goes live, this is the time to listen to the feedback and add new features to the product.

Our software development teams use agile development methodologies which means these steps are done over 2-3 week cycles. The client often participates in meetings with the development team and conduct demo sessions to review the current work.

You will need a solid e-learning development team for your product. Creating it from scratch will take a few weeks and cost accordingly.

Technologies Used For E-Learning Application Development

• Cloud Computing: Cloud computing is nothing but a group of computing resources located at various places in the world. Cloud computing guarantees e-learners access to data on any gadgets from anywhere in the world.
• Internet of Things (IoT): IoT is a useful technology that creates a global network among educators and learners. The technology helps e-learners to interact with their educators worldwide.
• Artificial Intelligence: The technology helps in personalized learning which is one of the most important areas of education. AI helps learners to find the best course material based on their interests, and your way of learning.
• Augmented/Virtual Reality: The visual content catches the student’s attention so quickly. It also ensures the engagement and interaction of the students and what they are learning.

Is Your Business Equipped With The E-Learning Software Or LMS?

If you are working in the realm of e-learning, having an e-learning software or LMS can be a great solution to all your issues. You should take advantage of the e-learning software features and functionality. You can review other users that have had the same LMS software for creating successful online courses and online classes.

Overall, it was a great experience for our development team to work on the LMS software solution. At each step of the project, we have ensured that our development team and client were on the same page by using agile methodologies. This helped us to stay well-organized throughout the process. On the other hand, before start working on the LMS project, you should know what modules, tools, platforms, technologies can be added to your e-learning software.

For example, there are e-learning platforms that you can use for the development of LMS or e-learning software. These platforms are also divided into three categories: open source, proprietary, and partly free. Here are the options that you can select.

• Open edX: It is a free open-source learning management platform built on Python and the xBlock ideology. It enables online instructors to create self-paced courses using a single platform.
• Blackboard: It is a proprietary LMS platform that spans teaching and e-learning ensuring that the learner experience is the best both online and in the classroom.

Most of the LMS and e-learning software simply replicate traditional educational techniques. Modern LMS provides means to restructure the entire e-learning solutions and help meet the needs of the changing education environment.

As the eLearning sphere is expected to grow to $325 billion by the year 2025, according to Forbes, and more and more people become active smartphone users, it becomes clear that eLearning apps are the future of this sphere. The spreading popularity of such apps as Coursera, Duolingo, Kindle, Khan Academy, and others proves it.

Source: Google

Taking this into account, many eLearning professionals plan to build their eLearning apps and are looking for more information on how to do it successfully. And it’s not surprising that app development is not an easy endeavor. It requires sufficient technical knowledge and experience, finding and hiring a great team, and retaining offshore technical support services after the launch. For this reason, we have written this explanatory answer which will provide you with the key tips you must know to build a successful app.

So here they are:

• Know your audience
• Define your mission
• Choose the learning format
• Devise a marketing strategy
• Create a technical specification
• Select your developer
• Test the app after the launch

Of course, there are many more things you have to take care of. But these are the 7 key steps which no one can do without. So, let’s review each of them in detail.

• Know Your Audience

The very first thing you have to do is to clearly define your target audience. Who are they? It can’t be everyone. You must have a clear and detailed understanding of your target user. Who is he or she, what are their needs and goals? Why is he or she going to use your app? These and many more are the questions you have to answer before you move forward. Once you have a deep understanding of your future users, everything else becomes easier.

• Define Your Mission

Why are you doing this? What is your goal, what is your mission? You must clearly define your mission whether it is helping kids learn math, or help someone learn a foreign language. Every eLearning application has a goal, and yours is no exception. Only once you know the goal of your app, you can create a technical specification for it with all requirements and functionality.

• Choose The Learning Format

There are different learning formats such as text, video, audio, games, and many more. Your app can have just one format or combine a few. Which option is the best depends on your audience and your goals. For example, gamification is the best learning format for kids, while the audio format may be perfect for busy people. So pick yours, and stick with it.

• Devise A Marketing Strategy

In most cases, you will have to put effort to promote your app and make it popular. This requires devising a well thought-out marketing strategy. If you are not skilled enough in marketing, then it’s a good idea to hire a marketing expert or agency specializing in app marketing.

In many cases, you will want to use paid advertising to get downloads, use social media (especially Instagram) and even PR promotions. The key thing we must mention is that your strategy must be focused on your target audience to be effective.

• Create A Technical Specification

Any app development project requires the so-called technical specification before development begins. This is a detailed technical document which describes the requirements and functionality of the app to be developed in the deepest detail possible, from A to Z. If you can’t write this document yourself, then you should hire someone who can or have your chosen app development company help you do it.

• Select Your Developer

This is perhaps the most crucial step of this process. Whether you’ll find a reliable development partner will ultimately break your app project or make it successful. So how do you find one?

First, make sure the developer has a proven track record and has a vast experience in app development. Secondly, make sure the team has a fluent command of English and is located in the time zone and region which is convenient for you if you are not working with a local development company.

Finally, ensure that they have clear and transparent cooperation terms which you are comfortable with. Once you sign an agreement, don’t start to think that all hard work is over. You now have to keep track of the development process until the release. And even then there is one more step you have to take…

• Test The App After The Launch

Once your app is released, it is necessary to conduct extensive testing by real users. Have them test the app and provide their feedback. This will allow you to identify any errors as well as things which should be improved.

Final Thoughts

As the eLearning industry is growing and so does the number of smartphone users, anyone can draw a logical conclusion that eLearning mobile apps are the new trend. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, then you have to clearly define your target audience and mission, select the most appropriate learning format, create an effective promotion strategy and a detailed technical spec.

Then you have to select the best development team, sign a contract with them, have them build the app, and then test the app after the first release. All of these steps will help you to build and launch a successful eLearning mobile application.

The E-learning app is a mandatory app in today's time when Covid-19 pandemic has hit the world drastically affecting its economic growth, which has also made it difficult to sustain a normal life. 

As more and more people are becoming active smartphone users for imparting knowledge, it's clear evidence that e-learning apps are the future of current generation’s education. 

The E-learning sphere is expected to grow to $ 325 billion by the end of the year 2025.

71% of Millennials say they connect more with mobile learning than L&D activities delivered via desktop or formal methods. 

Building an e-learning app is a very smart thing to do as it has a bright scope in the near future. Though, app development is not an easy task. It surely requires a well planned idea with a good technical knowledge and experience. 

Listing some of the essential points to keep in mind while building an e-learning app: 

Research Work 

The first and foremost thing after you have an app building idea is the research work. It shall help you know your target audience, their needs, their behavior and will also help you learn about your competitors in the market. Then you will have a well planned chart of do's and don'ts in the business. 

Reaching your target audience 

Your audience can't be everywhere and everyone, but it could be anywhere and anyone. That's the point, you have to grasp. Reaching and understanding your target audience with their expected needs is very crucial. You have to then analyse all the platforms and strategies through which you can reach them. The right platform Choosing a right platform for your app is a must. Android, iOS and Windows are the trending mobile platforms. Choose the one or more so as to meet your business objective and reach out to your target audience. 

Adopting new trends in the market 

As digital media is the new trend and every sector is doing remarkably well with this one. Education and e-learning is not an exception. Following all the new trends would not only engage more users but will also make them feel more comfortable. 

● Voice Interface 

Text lectures are a bit boring and repetitive where you can use voice commands to your teachers and vice-versa. It can simplify the task and is more effective as what we say and what we hear is three times more effective than what we read and write. 

● Video Lectures 

Integrating videos in an e-learning app is a very smart way to drive in and attract more users. Videos will account for 80% of internet traffic by 2021. It sure will, as it is very effective to retain what you have learnt and can be seen anywhere and anytime. 

● AR & VR 

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are one of the best futuristic approaches. VR headsets completely take over your vision to give you the impression that you're somewhere else and AR technology blurs the line between the real and virtual world which helps users to grasp lessons quickly. 

● Brainstorming Games 

Combining gaming with learning is the best combination ever. You would never feel tired or bored when you are actually enjoying while learning new stuff. Offering your kids with brainstorming activities, memory training games, thought-provoking puzzles will help them learn better and enhance their ability to retain more. 

● Cloud Storage 

Cloud storage integration with your app will help users to access books, notes and communicate effectively. 

Summing Up 

These are the basic steps you need to keep in mind while building an e-learning app. You can also hire an app development company which can help you from the very first stage till the last one and will make sure it is well made, well planned and well advertised. While selecting, choose the one which has experienced developers in their company who know all the latest trends and technologies and have the required expertise.

Learning apps are extremely popular these days. Most people don’t have time to attend offline classes but they still want to study a new skill or improve existing. Mobile apps allow users to integrate a learning process into their daily routine so mastering craft becomes quite entertaining and not tiresome at all. 

Here are some useful tips that will help you enter this profitable niche.

01. Make users’ achievements visible 

The main idea behind learning apps is that they allow people to make significant progress in their skills while devoting a little time to studying. Users will quickly lose their interest if they see no results. That’s why all achievements should be fast and visible.

02. Increase engagement with gamification 

Yes, users want to learn new information. But they also want to have fun. If the learning process is boring, an app will have rather low chances to win a broad audience. So to become popular, a language learning application should contain a game element.

03. Consider the needs of different users 

A learning app tailored only to the needs of a narrow audience will never get millions of users. So when developing a product concept, you should think not only about levels of knowledge of different people. A variety of interests and goals also must be considered.

04. Don’t forget about networking capabilities 

Learning new skills is hard work, so people often need support from teachers and practitioners. An internal social network or a forum will give users a feeling that they’re not left alone with their challenges and achievements.

If you’ve decided to create a learning app, try not to delay the execution of your idea for too long. While this market isn’t yet overstuffed with hundreds of similar products, you can easily reach out to the target audience. At Exoft, we can help you build e-learning apps from scratch beginning from idea validation to testing and support.

If you are looking for a company to build an e-learning app then I would suggest you contact FATbit Technologies as one of the reputed names in Software and App Development. The company has turnkey solutions for the education and eLearning industry like Yo!Coach and Paperweight. Since its inception, it has helped hundreds of business owners to start eLearning and online tutoring websites and apps. Leveraging its years of experience, the company always makes sure that each deliverable is unique and world-class.

Virtual classroom software has been designed to digitally transform the education sector by replacing a traditional or physical classroom with a virtual one. With Quytech’s e-learning app, online classroom solutions, both teachers as well as students can collaborate and interact in a life-like classroom environment.

This all-new technology enables universities, schools, colleges, and other educational institutes to conduct webinars & guest lectures, prepare assignments, evaluate student’s performance, and record sessions for the pupils enrolled in various courses.

Accessible via internet-enabled desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, virtual classroom solutions have made education approachable and feasible for tutors and learners. Quytech’s virtual classroom software can be easily integrated with Zoom API/SDK Integration, Cloud Telephony API integration, and matching algorithm.

We have built up e-learning app for our client "Saarthi Pedagogy" using Ionic Framework, Angular Framework, HTML5, CSS, Sass, NodeJS, MongoDB. When we started working on we have been using Amazon AWS service for the host but now we are using DigitalOcean too. 

We are doing amazing work with our client. Hope this is helpful for you.

Yes You can able to build up E-learning app using Android Studio, Xcode, React Native, Flutter. 

Also best option for mobile application called Ionic, Xamarin 

I would suggested to consult Webskitters, they really did a great job for me in building our app.