In recent years we have seen the closure of many schools and colleges around the world as the COVID-19 pandemic escalates. The entire education system was switched to online learning during this period. Both professors and students use e-learning platforms for their studies and courses. So you want to learn how to create an e-learning platform that digitally connects teachers and students.
These virtual learning platforms are no longer only available for online courses. Businesses are now using online courses to train their employees. According to some surveys and reports, it is found that the online teaching business will be valued at $300 billion. Here come the questions like: How to build an e-learning platform? What are the benefits of creating an e-learning platform and what are the steps to follow to build a virtual learning platform?
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Before answering these questions, let’s see what an e-learning platform is is. To put it simply, e-learning is a digital teaching method using electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. With this method, students do not have to physically present themselves in class. You can attend classes from anywhere. And they can learn the course at their own pace. Today there are different types of learning systems including MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), video streaming platforms and discussion forums to name a few. Now let’s look at the steps that need to be implemented to create an e-learning platform.
Creating an e-learning platform: steps to implement
Building an E -Learning platform is a lengthy process with multiple steps. And if you are a person who is not knowledgeable about programming or technology then it will be complicated for you to create an online education platform. So, to create an educational platform, you need to follow the steps below:
Find your ideaTo create a virtual learning platform, you first need to come up with a concept, address a problem, and benefit people. You can refer to various reports and analysis to find out your idea. According to multiple reports, the global eLearning market is expected to reach $300 billion by 2025. So, to succeed in this virtual learning industry, you need to make a product that is both effective and affordable. You can also discuss with others about their problems in virtual learning and find a solution to their problems. This way you will better understand your target audience and how they will react to your concept.
Research your nicheOnce you have found a solution to a specific problem, you gotta find your niche. Analyzing your idea will give you an understanding of your niche. You can focus on popular categories like Business & Entrepreneurship, Health & Fitness, Personal Growth, Arts & Crafts, and Computers & Technology. You can pull in your learners’ demographics (age, gender, and other sales-related details). Getting an idea of your target users by age, gender, and educational background will give you an advantage during platform development.
This will help you understand your target audience’s age and gender so you can Develop some quality according to them to catch their attention and increase your business. You can also consider their main goals and learning preferences. You can validate your idea and easily find your niche by doing all these things.
Choose a business modelBefore deciding on the development approach, you must first decide on one decide business model. This business model determines how your learning platform generates revenue. Below are some of the most popular business models.
- Subscription-based – In this business model, users purchase a monthly or yearly subscription that gives them unlimited access to site content or courses.
- Affiliate Model – This business model allows you to provide built-in affiliate links along with the courses. Which people can share to promote the courses. Besides, they can also earn a commission when someone joins the platform through their links.
- Paid Certificates – This business model also allows you to issue certificates to the users after completing the courses. It is observed that users pay for a platform verified certificate.
- Corporate partnership – This business model allows you to work with companies to develop customized courses and charge for them accordingly.
- Paid Courses – This business model allows you to offer paid courses. And when the students buy a course, the money goes to the instructor and the website owner.
These are some of the best and most used business models. That will help you generate your income and make your business a profitable online business.
Choose the development approachDeveloping a leading virtual learning platform requires planning, framework, technology and maintenance. Two types of methods for developing these platforms are available in the market. The first is Custom Software and the second is Ready-Made. Let’s talk about it in detail:
- Custom Software Development
Custom Software Development is the best option if you want to deliver special properties for a large number of people. Although this method takes longer to edit or modify, you can implement any functionality you want and easily scale it.
- Finished Development
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The second option is Ready-Made Development, Moodle, Joomla and Canvas are some examples of open source or ready-made software with basic student management tools and many free plugins. However, implementing a specific function or importing custom themes into these methods can be difficult. If you want your website to stand out from the crowd, you need to choose the best technology, unique design, and interesting attributes. This catches the user’s attention and makes our website look different from others. Simplicity is key in UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience). The eLearning website should be easy to navigate and use. Additionally, since mobile devices have become such an integral part of our lives, the tutorial should be responsive to work properly on different devices.
Add interesting featuresThe core of practical eLearning -Platform consists of several qualities. Students, faculty and the admin panel can be divided into three categories. Creating an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) with only the most important properties is a fantastic way to validate the usefulness of your idea with real users.
Some basic characteristics of the three categories are:
- Student Profile Features
Search and Filter – These basic options allow you to search for specific keywords and courses by subject in categories sorted by price and experience level.
Suggestions – This feature helps to show suitable courses based on the user’s interest or the history of the courses the student is already enrolled in.
Easy Payment Options – Student profiles should be linked to a payment gateway for easy and secure purchases. Apart from that, each profile should contain basic information about the person, their purchase history and profile settings.
- Teacher Profile Features
Teacher Dashboard – A basic feature for teachers, to track uploaded courses, number of participants, student retention and a discussion forum where the teacher can discuss with other students. Course Creation and Update – Instructors should be able to change and edit their courses at any time.
- Admin Profile Features
Some basic properties, the admin must-haves are adding, editing, removing courses, reporting statistics and managing notifications. Consider sending subscribers push and email notifications about new courses, recommendations, events, etc. This is some basic and important information for an administrator of the course.
Test your idea on users After all these points, you need to make your brand known to people by marketing it . It’s difficult to get your first customer, but you can get your first customer, student, and/or teacher with the right plan and execution. Another important aspect of testing your product is getting feedback from early users. You’ll learn what works best for your customers and where you can make improvements. This useful information can help you grow your platform, make it stand out, and effectively address the needs of your learners. This brings us to the last step.
Interact with your usersYou can talk to your users about their experiences with your products. You can also provide tutorials or guides to teach them how to use the program and help them solve their problems in time. This will strengthen your relationship with your customers and your customers will also promote your brand and share their positive reviews with others.
Use feedbacks to improve your productIf you provide feedback received from your users, you can use them to improve your product. This will help you keep your product updated to meet the needs of your users. Implementing the points per user will slightly differentiate your product from the market compared to others.
Advantages of creating an e-learning platform
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Currently, after the Covid, The Search engines across the web reported a gradual surge in search terms such as “digital school,” “educational platform,” and “MOOCs” around the world.The evolution of the teaching system from a traditional to a digital learning environment is having a major impact on student learning. The online learning environment has many advantages; Here are some of them:
- Flexibility: You can easily combine work and study with eLearning and are not limited to one classroom, one city or even your nation. If classes were online, students could attend classes from anywhere.
- Learn at your own pace: This is one of the amazing things about virtual learning platforms: you can learn things at your pace. You can enroll in your desired courses whenever it suits you best. To clarify anything you missed, return to a previous lecture or course.
- Research Control: Students in digital courses learn at their own pace and can speak out loud IBM acquires five times more material than students in traditional courses.
- Time Efficiency: According to Brandon Hall, online instruction requires a student to spend 40-60 percent less time than a traditional classroom .
- Retention rates are high: It is never easy for a teacher to keep students engaged during a course. eLearning, on the other hand, has increased student retention rates by 25% to 60%, compared to the 8% to 10% retention rates in traditional classrooms, according to the Research Institute of America.
These are some advantages of virtual teaching platforms and apps and the growing need for them that are guaranteed to attract the interest of budding entrepreneurs and companies. Now let’s discuss some frequently asked questions that will come to mind when creating a virtual learning system. How – How long does it take to build an e-learning platform? What does web-based learning need? Why should you build your online teaching apps with us?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to create an e-learning platform?
According to some research, the minimum time required for intermediate interactivity courses is around 180 hours of programming if you work every hour. So, based on these calculations, a 20-minute course would take about 60 hours to produce. If you work a 40-hour week, you put in about a week and a half of work. But to relieve all this pain, you can choose our services. AppMaster offers services like Mobile Apps Builder, Web Apps Designer, Data Models Designer and more.
What does an e-learning platform need?
Some basic properties are a must for virtual learning. Some of them are:
- A user-friendly and intuitive smart user interface
- Use of a responsive design
- A wide range of teaching resources
- Using different teaching tools in tandem
What kind of e-learning platforms can you build?
On AppMater we can build mobile apps, web -Build apps, data model designer and business process editor. We can also integrate any of your custom brands into your desired web or mobile based curriculum. You can explore all of these aspects and pricing of our services on AppMaster Pricing.
Why build your online learning apps with us?
If you Are you looking for how to build a virtual learning platform, then AppMater is a ready-to-use option. Because we provide you with amazing tools, web and mobile apps, ready to use. We have a team of very talented developers who will help you turn your idea into reality. If you have any doubts or want to communicate with us, you can contact us.
Conclusion
Due to the increased demand for online learning, the market for virtual learning platforms has been steadily growing. Numerous app development options are available to meet the needs of your business strategy. Some MVP virtual learning app development tools are cheaper, more time-to-market, and faster to develop.
Other custom e-learning apps offer advanced app features, tech stacks, and more functionality, but they cost more. The type of e-learning application you create depends on what app development is best for your users. The more user-friendly your virtual learning app is, the more opportunities you have to monetize its property. Equally important is your programming team’s ability to create successful virtual learning applications.
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