The current state of the educational system is characterized by active changes on the way to international cooperation in the field of higher education. From this point of view, the activation of scientific research on effective management at the level of a higher educational institution is an important task today. The development of the latest information technologies in education inevitably leads to the emergence of new forms of learning. Along with full-time and extramural forms, electronic education is increasingly being used.
The lack of standards and a unified approach to the creation of e-learning systems affect not only the market for such software products but also the quality of distance education. One of the ways to solve the problem of the quality of education is to create separate pedagogical software tools for each subject. However, this process is very costly both in terms of material and human resources.
Therefore, the issue of developing software that would meet the requirements for the organization of the educational process based on the e-learning methodology is relevant today. Quality learning software development services are in high demand. This trend is likely to continue in the future.
Learn interesting facts about e-learning and educational software development from this article. The material provided will help you determine how you can benefit from partnering with educational software development companies.
What Is E-Learning and What Are Its Advantages?
E-learning is a process of effective, interesting, interactive, and most importantly, convenient learning on the Internet. It is becoming popular among an increasing number of users (consumers of educational services) precisely because of its practicality and a variety of the following advantages:
- First of all, e-learning is accessible to everyone at any time and in any place. All the consumer needs is a device (a laptop, computer, tablet, or smartphone) and an Internet connection. Studying is possible in any convenient city. It can be at home, in transport, on the street, etc.;
- There are many different courses and lessons on different topics. That is why it is possible to choose any field and direction of study and create a convenient flexible schedule of classes;
- One of the most important advantages of e-learning is relevance. The value of Internet materials is that they are constantly updated. Technologies do not stand still and people always want to be aware of the latest inventions and know how to work with them. You can regularly find something new, learn new techniques, read fresh scientific literature, and be the first to learn hot facts. That is, you can keep up with the times.
What Is the Importance of Elearning Software Development for an E-Learning System?
E-learning software development is an opportunity to study remotely and gain knowledge online. Such a solution may be relevant for universities, schools, organizations of additional education, etc. E-learning applications make it possible to automate the learning process and reduce the burden on teachers. In addition, educational software development helps to generate interest in the subject, activates cognitive activity, as well as contributes to increasing the level of educational achievements of students and the development of independent work skills.
The main advantages of using eLearning software development services include the following:
- Innovative technology;
- The possibility of using portable devices for educational purposes;
- The ability to use technology as an additional learning tool;
- Adaptation to learning in the information space;
- The possibility of simultaneous interaction both with one person and with a group of persons, etc.
Educational software, created by professional e-learning software companies, usually meets the following didactic principles:
- Activity and independence (the ability to complete training independently at a convenient time, to take the initiative in the process of group training with other subjects);
- Individual approach (the possibility of choosing the content of the study taking into account the interests of students, choosing the level of difficulty of the tasks);
- Purposefulness and systematicity (setting positively formulated short-term goals, reviewing goals after their achievement);
- Accessibility (free access to educational information and programs using mobile technologies).
An important factor of a unique and attractive software solution for users is its functionality:
- Intuitive graphical interface;
- Availability of hints on interaction with functionality;
- Displaying statistics (personal user profile);
- Automatic saving of progress;
- Search for specific material;
- Work with various types of multimedia materials;
- Sending feedback and comments;
- Inviting friends to the application through social networks and the ability to chat with them.
Features and Price of Educational Software Development
Educational applications are created based on several studies. The experts of the educational software development company study the market of current offers, user reviews, needs, and wishes of the target audience. The result of the conducted research is the preparation of a report with data on competitors, consumers, and market conditions. It allows the creation of unique, convenient, and multifunctional software solutions that fully meet the requirements of the customer.
In general, there are several stages in educational software development:
- Idea development. Marketing idea analysis takes place before application development. This makes it possible to take into account the real needs and wishes of the user audience when implementing the project;
- Project evaluation and preparation of a commercial offer. Developers, designers, and testers collaborate at this stage. Specialists determine the key positions of the project and a commercial offer for software development. After its approval, implementation begins;
- Creation of an app prototype. The interface is one of the most important components of an educational app. When it is built correctly, users are happy to use the software and easily solve their problems. Therefore, a mandatory step is the creation of a prototype and its presentation to the customer for approval;
- Design development. The main work at this stage is performed by UI / UX designers. The design of screens and graphic elements is drawn. The principles of Google and Apple are usually followed;
- Development of technical specifications. At this stage, the details of the project are discussed. The backlog is being processed. After the approval of the project, the specialists begin to work out the high-level architecture. The data storage model is specified in detail. The correctness of the work and the scheme for constructing the software part depend on it;
- Software development and testing. At this stage, programmers form a complete list of backlog tasks and divide them into separate stages. After each stage, a part of the application is shown to the customer for approval. The finished software part is subjected to thorough testing. After the software is checked for all sorts of errors, it is prepared for delivery to the customer;
- Technical support of the software solution. If necessary, the specialists of the professional e-learning software development company provide technical support for the application, collect feedback, and make updates.
Pay attention that the cost of software development depends on various factors. The main thing is the functional content of the program, its type, and the need for constant technical support. To find out the preliminary cost of educational software development, discuss the details of creation with specialists. They will provide you with support and answer all your questions in detail.