What Is in Store for Online Learning?
As our society changes, so does the way we think about the educational system and engage with learning. Even before the pandemic, many countries were reevaluating their school systems and tried to simplify the process for both students/pupils and teachers: while the transition to online solutions was pretty smooth for developed Western countries, others were struggling to keep up with modern e-learning technologies or simply did not have enough resources to implement ones. Educational institutions still had to find answers to the evident question: if various kinds of information were widely available on the Internet, why did schools and universities keep holding the educational monopoly?
The E-learning term was born many years ago. But, speaking about the past few years, we witnessed a major increase in the number of people who were taking online classes. That was largely due to technological advancements such as faster Internet, WiFi, 5G, and smartphones that make it easier than ever before to get knowledge from anywhere at any time.
That’s why our expectations about education have been changing: we want more flexibility which can only be achieved with the implementation of new modern instruments of delivering knowledge i.e. online platforms, web and mobile apps, software.
Speaking about numbers, even before the pandemic: in 2019, approx. $18 bln was invested globally in EdTech, and then the online education market was predicted to reach $350 bln by 2025.
But then, a Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives and the way we work, work out, spend spare time, and, of course, study. More than 1 bln students had to stay at home during the global lockdown, and as the restrictions weren’t softened for many months ahead, educational institutions had to adapt to a new reality.
As a result, the market faced unprecedented demand for online learning.
What We Learned from the Pandemic
The spread of the coronavirus has accelerated technological change in classrooms, and it’s likely that online learning will become a more permanent part than before even after the Covid-19 restrictions full removal.
Many benefits of online learning were practically proven in 2020, and it’s only going to get more popular.
Flexibility
With e-learning apps and devices, students can learn at any time anywhere. The portability of such flexible technologies means that they’re not limited to traditional education settings: now academic-level courses are available 24/7 basically in every segment from public health to data science online.
Students are able to study for their schoolwork, take up additional classes like machine learning or successful negotiations, try out different subjects before deciding which one would be their choice for further studying in the university, etc. — there is no limit!
Accessibility
With all the advancements in Internet-related technologies and innovations, it is now easier than ever before to connect and learn from professionals all over the world. You might even find yourself cooking pasta with Jamie Oliver or trying out new PONY makeup techniques. The language barrier is now fading away too as besides subtitles, AI-powered live auto-translation is often provided.
Customized learning experience
Unlike in traditional classrooms, where students are required to learn at the same pace and follow a prescribed curriculum with set time periods for each subject, many online courses allow users to dictate their own learning speed. Students can take individualized modules or lessons, so they are able to pass it over months, not skipping any little detail. Now it’s easy for students not to be overwhelmed when tackling new material, while still getting a thorough subject/module understanding before moving on to something else.
Cost-effectiveness
The Internet is a great tool for making education more accessible for everyone. This means the university fees can be significantly reduced, as there would be no need to rent, clean, and maintain lecture halls and classrooms. As a result, less staff for it would be needed.
Moreover, subscription fees or similar types of payment models for e-learning apps and platforms would let users better control their spending. As the recent statistics say, 55% of college students struggle to find financial support for their education. 51% of college dropouts drop out because of financial difficulties, 79% of the students delay their graduations due to the exact same reason. The wider implementation of e-learning instruments could solve this problem and let students finally complete their program.
AR/VR in Education
As students around the world have been effectively using EdTech innovations to reach their goals, more educational institutions are now considering the implementation of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality solutions as well.
How does VR/AR affect the modern educational system?
The potential impact of the VR & AR technologies implementation is huge when it comes to education in many fields. As the current education system is struggling to keep up with the modern world, such instruments become an integral part of this struggle. They offer new ways for learning that are both effective and accessible.
It’s not just about the learning experience, it is also highly interactive and engaging. This can be used for practical lessons as well as subject matters that may otherwise go over students’ heads or would take too long to teach using traditional methods. For example, in this article, we have already discussed the amazing influence of AR/VR solutions on the studying process in medical schools.
Of course, when it comes to implementing such modern EdTech solutions, many schools and universities may face a lot of challenges. Many educational institutions get financing directly from the government, so it can be hard for some of them to get additional funds for such an initiative and prove its cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the task of creating quality AR/VR content for educational programs is difficult and time-consuming. Educators need to invest time and energy to create engaging lessons. Developers must work hard to make high-quality objects, interesting enough, so students would actually pay attention to them instead of getting bored or distracted by other activities.
It’s not just about the learning experience, it is also highly interactive and engaging. This can be used for practical lessons as well as subject matters that may otherwise go over students’ heads or would take too long to teach using traditional methods. For example, in this article, we have already discussed the amazing influence of AR/VR solutions on the studying process in medical schools.
Of course, when it comes to implementing such modern EdTech solutions, many schools and universities may face a lot of challenges. Many educational institutions get financing directly from the government, so it can be hard for some of them to get additional funds for such an initiative and prove its cost-effectiveness. Furthermore, the task of creating quality AR/VR content for educational programs is difficult and time-consuming. Educators need to invest time and energy to create engaging lessons. Developers must work hard to make high-quality objects, interesting enough, so students would actually pay attention to them instead of getting bored or distracted by other activities.
Virtual Reality Education and Training Statistics
Over 80% of people using AR devices experienced increased learning motivation and 93% said it increased their subject understanding.
26% of businesses are using VR/AR to train employees.
Police officers who received virtual training are 2.7 times more likely to participate in successful missions.
Boeing cut training time by 75% by implementing VR technology.
According to IDC, the combined AR/VR markets were worth $12 billion in 2020 with a massive annual growth rate of 54%, resulting in a projected valuation of $72.8 billion by 2024.
Benefits of AR/VR in the Learning Process
Extended Teaching Possibilities
The struggle is real for teachers trying to describe complicated processes in a simple understandable way. This becomes an even greater problem when it comes to such disciplines as chemistry or biology: there are so many complex processes here that need a clear and simple explanation. AR/VR-based apps can make the process less challenging.
Covering the needs of special people
Students with disabilities can now take part in all learning activities. Virtual reality can help students with impairments to explore things in a virtual world, where they are not stopped by their physical limitations. It gives them an opportunity to learn about things that would be inaccessible in real life.
Fewer Distractions and Increased Engagement
In the modern world, there are many distractions that can take kids’ attention away from the material i.e. smartphones, portable video game consoles, etc. The best way to deal with such distractions is to implement VR technologies, so the educational process could become equally amusing.
Immersive VR education is the best way to get a real sense of what it’s like to be a scientist, an astronaut, a biologist. Students can explore new environments and learn different topics while being actively involved in the process. Quick action changes, gamification implementation, and other solutions keep pupils’ attention and interest.
Top E-Learning Apps and Platforms
In a world where people are constantly on-the-go, e-learning platforms and mobile apps could become a perfect solution for educational needs. Here are a few examples to look up to and try anytime — while you are waiting for your meal at a restaurant or going to work by bus. It is the magic of e-learning!
Udemy
Offering more than 175 000 courses in 75 languages, it is one of the most popular learning apps. Whether it’s marketing and economics, photography, personal development or even music, Udemy’s instructors are also ready to help you with exploring new fields!
Codeacademy
A platform dedicated to coding, its courses are created to be as accessible and simple as possible. A really cool feature the platform offers is its live practice window, which allows users to practice coding while being able to view the material at the same time.
Coursera
A global online learning platform offering thousands of courses, certifications, and degrees from leading educational providers and businesses i.e. University of London, HEC Paris, Meta, IBM, and more. In 2021, it was estimated that about 150 universities offered 4 000+ courses through Coursera.
edX
Collaborating with world-famous universities i.e. Berkeley and MIT, the platform offers more than 3000 courses, primarily on the humanities and natural sciences. Computer science, business, healthcare, and communication are among the most popular courses here.
Yarno
An online learning mobile app is created to train employees remotely. This SAAS features a learning library where the company’s training content can be easily stored. It also includes a quiz feature called Embed for identifying knowledge gaps and reinforcing information.
Kahoot!
An online quiz maker and eLearning mobile app that uses gamification elements to maximize engagement and ensure higher completion rates among learners. Games and quizzes can be shown on a shared screen and answered by a group of participants through any video conferencing software.
Hoopla
This online learning app is specifically designed to motivate sales teams to increase performance through contests, leaderboards, and real-time recognition.
Duolingo
This language learning app effectively teaches users how to order, start a conversation, or ask for directions in more than 80 languages. By completing games, users can enhance both their vocabulary and grammar skills.
PhotoMath
Solve simple arithmetic & calculus equations to complex mathematical equations by scanning printed or handwritten materials using the app. The app provides a step-by-step solution to the question in an animated video with explanations.
Linkedin Learning
The app offers a range of free/paid tutorials and courses on various topics incl. business, tech, creative skills, along with personalized recommendations. After finishing any course, users can add it to their LinkedIn Profile.
SoloLearn
The app is dedicated to coding and offers a wide range of computer programming courses for Python, C++, Java, CSS, SQL, PHP, Swift, and many others. The advantages are the smooth navigation and features like mobile code editor and interactive community.
E-Learning Application Development in 5 Steps
Confirm your idea
Once you have made a decision to invest in an eLearning app, it is vital to make sure your product will be unique and one of a kind. Or, at least, would stand out among competitors. When entering a new market, it’s important to conduct a thorough analysis of available products. Write down the pros and cons of each app similar to yours, find out if customers were satisfied with the service they chose (read reviews and app feedback). Take notes of what is highly demanded in your niche and implement it in your product.
Define your target audience
One more vital step to a successful app launch is a clear understanding of your TA and their needs. The rest of the strategy (marketing, design, etc.) would be based on the TA preferences, so it is crucial to identify your users correctly. Decide if you are going to make a solution for teachers, a platform for online learners, an interactive app for children or even a product for people with special needs. Once again, proper market research is a key to success here.
Work on UI/UX
The design depends on your TA. An app for kids would be bright and colorful, while an educational platform for students would have a strict interface with a muted color scheme. No matter what audience you are going to work with, you should pick an easy-to-use and user-friendly interface.
Choose your monetization model
There are few popular options among EdTech projects: in-app ads while the material remains free; a subscription for a limited period of time or for a specific number of functions; one-time payment for a chosen course or for an app in general; freemium model or additional products sale.
Test your product on real users to make improvements
One more important step is to get feedback from the first real users. You can do it with focus groups during the testing/pre-launch phase. One more option is to keep up with the reviews once you have launched your product and constantly change/improve features to satisfy your current user base and attract new customers as well.
Case study: Scholarcy
Our team has worked on UX/UI Design and development for Scholarcy, an AI-powered article summarizer that helps to find key facts faster in any document.
The task was to give Scholarcy a new design for better user engagement and also to simplify user actions with documents and libraries.
To learn about this case, please click here!
Build your edtech app with us
How to create your own EdTech solution or online learning app? Cooperate with a web and app development company with relevant expertise in this area! The Ein-des-ein team has extensive experience in mobile app development, if you want us to estimate your project, please contact us via this form.
Mini-FAQ
What is an online learning app?
An online learning app is an interactive software that allows learners to get knowledge faster through various interactions. Students can access the app from a web browser or a smartphone with an active internet connection from any location. Such applications allow students to perform interactive activities like taking a quiz, submitting a response, working on a math problem, etc. online. There are various EdTech solutions on the market, each of them is created for different purposes i.e. educational platforms, training solutions, instruments for language learning, and more.
What are the features of online learning apps?
Features may depend on the EdTech app category: for example, if it is an educational platform, it would require Registration/Login, Profile page, My Courses screen, Receive A Certificate button, push notifications, etc.; if it is a video conferencing app for taking online classes, it would require a calendar for booking classes, content sharing option, digital whiteboarding and so on. Language learning instruments can contain audio and video files, vocabulary and grammar tests, a chat with tutors, etc.
How to monetize an e-learning app?
There are various ways to monetize an online learning application, but the most popular projects use the following models:
- subscription (when a user pays for an app subscription for a limited period of time (a month, a year, or even a lifetime) and gets various options depending on the chosen plan i.e. the number of courses available or additional services like private consultations or printable materials);
- pay-per-course (when a user chooses a preferable course with one-time payment);
- freemium (for example, when an app offers courses for free, but requires additional payment to receive a certificate/ to get feedback from professors/ to get access to the course after passing);
- ads model (a user sees ads while using an app);
- goods and services sale (additional courses, seminars, products, etc.).