During COVID-19, eLearning proved to be the most dependable answer to several challenges that arose as a result of the global shutdown. As a result, if done correctly, creating an online learning platform can provide solutions to numerous problems.

 Constructing an eLearning Platform

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school closures in 188 countries necessitated the use of remote learning. No surprise that more people are beginning to perceive eLearning software creation as an enticing business opportunity and a successful solution that can satisfy the nation’s rising educational needs. And education technology will not be a fading fad. Even after the pandemic has passed, accessible, effective and adaptable education will remain. Do you want to know how to create a thriving eLearning platform? Continue reading to discover out.

Why You Should Create An eLearning App: COVID-19 Enters the Picture

There is overwhelming evidence from search engines all over the web that there is an increase in demand for online education. Just as the lockdown began, searches for online learning, eLearning, and Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) increased fourfold in Canada, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

While the global transition to an online learning environment was difficult in many respects, it also revealed tremendous benefits. Among them are:

Study management

Online students learn at their own pace and according to IBM, they can assimilate five times more material than traditional students.

Flexibility

With eLearning, you can effortlessly mix work and education without being restricted to a classroom, locality, or even nation.

Self-paced education

Log in whenever it is convenient for you. Return to prior lectures, steps, or courses to clarify anything you missed.

Time-efficiency

eLearning often requires students to commit 40-60% less time than traditional classroom instruction.

High rates of retention

Keeping a student engaged during a course is never easy. eLearning has enhanced student retention rates by 25 to 60 percent, compared to traditional education retention rates of 8 to 10 percent.

Such advantages of online learning platforms and apps and the growing need for them are certain to pique the interest of budding companies and entrepreneurs. According to Statista, the global eLearning industry will reach 370 billion US dollars by 2026, up from around 101 billion US dollars in 2019.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what it takes to create a successful eLearning platform in only 5 stages.

How to Construct an eLearning Platform?

1. Research Your Niche Thoroughly

Finding an issue worth tackling is a critical step in product development. Without a problem, your platform will not be considered a critical market solution.

So, before proceeding, consider the potential value and benefits your product can provide to its prospective users. To define a company idea, ask yourself the following questions:

• What educational challenges have you faced?
• How will you handle these issues?
• What can be improved in your current niche? /What prospects do you see in other niches?
• Who are your rivals, and what do they lack?

Tutor House, a renowned eLearning platform in the UK, is an excellent example of recognizing educational difficulties and addressing them with a software solution. Its founder, Alex Dyer, a former teacher, realized that the typical strategy of one teacher to thirty students is ineffective due to a lack of close collaboration and personalization.

In his perspective, the only true way for a student to learn is through reciprocal connections with teachers during one-on-one lessons that are expertly suited to their needs. His online platform connects students with qualified tutors to assist them to receive high-quality, tailored education and flourish both academically and personally. In this interview, Alex Dyer discusses his journey.

2. Outline a viable solution

Be more specific now. Gather your facts and turn them into an app idea that is ready to develop. Consider your eLearning platform’s design and functionalities carefully.

What kind of eLearning platform is it?

• MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
• LMS (Learning Management System) 
• Online teaching platform 
• Online training of the employees
• eLearning via video

What are must-have features required to please your potential users? Here are some suggestions:

• Monitoring and reporting
• Assessment 
• Virtual classroom 
• Great UI/UX design 
• Social learning tools 
• Quality instructional materials

Select the technology stack as well. Several critical components of your platform’s development are dependent on it:

• The budget and timetable
• The platform’s capabilities and APIs
• Choosing between a website and a mobile app—distribution via the Play Store (Android apps) or the App Store (iOS apps), or (cross-platform apps)
• Additional maintenance and updates

After you’ve determined the critical criteria for your eLearning platform, you’ll have a better idea of what functionality you need, how much money you’ll need to invest to bring the platform to life, and what capabilities you can add later. Take note of everything and move on to the next phase.

3. Put Your Concept to the Test with Real People

Make your product known by marketing it. Consider how you will attract your first clients, students, and/or teachers. Your product may be good, but if no one knows about it, no one will benefit from it.

Another essential item you obtain from testing your product is feedback from the early users. You’ll learn what works for your customers and what needs improvement. This useful information can help you scale up your eLearning platform, making it stand out and responding to learners’ needs as efficiently as possible. This brings us to the final phase.

4. Selecting the Best Software Development Partner

The software development process consists of gathering requirements, planning, creating wireframes, developing, testing, releasing the product, and maintaining it. Hiring a competent IT agency is the greatest option for dealing with all of these stages quickly.

What makes it so great? They will be able to walk you through the entire process and meet all of your development needs. You have the option of using an outsourcing firm or hiring full-time developers. The first option will be less expensive without sacrificing quality.

But how can you pick a trustworthy tech firm? Follow these three simple guidelines:

1. Look at more specific websites like Clutch or Upwork, or simply do a Google search.
2. The must-do technique is to go over the portfolio cases, tech stack, industries the firm specializes in, and customer feedback.
3. Contact the tech agencies you’re interested in and set up a call to discuss the budget, timeframes, number of developers and so on.

Following the call, you will be able to identify your potential eLearning platform development tech partner. Sign an NDA and start creating your idea right now.

5. Improve Your Situation

When you start with the fundamental functioning of your product, you leave room for new additions and modifications later in the development process, when you’ve learned what your customers need. Successful platform development is a matter of experimenting with various ideas and features that can solve specific problems and significantly improve User Experience.

When you recognize that modifications are needed, don’t be scared to change the roadmap. You must adapt, particularly in these times, with COVID-19 on the loose. Maintain your product’s importance in a competitive market by attempting to meet new wants and constantly improving.

Conclusion

We can better leverage education and technology to bring about winning solutions if we have a better understanding of how to develop a successful eLearning platform. So, examine your niche more closely. What can you do now to fulfill the increasing demands of students and teachers?