Education today looks nothing like it used to look at the turn of the century. E-books are replacing hardcovers and lectures are happening online instead of in classrooms. Smartphones have become the crux of learning. And the education market has become a platform for technovations (tech innovations!).

Big shots in the tech world like Samsung, and Dell, to name a few are taking significant interest and investing in the smart and eLearning industry.

Amidst all that’s happening in the education technology sphere, what’s gaining the most eyeballs is the prediction that the education app market is set to grow by $46 billion between 2020 and 2024.

From Gamification to foreign language learning and the increased emphasis on digital education, education apps are set to rule the roost.

Want to hop on to the bandwagon with your own educational app?
Use this Educational App Development 101 Guide right here and gear up for success!

Before we begin, let’s take a look at the…

Educational App Market

The pandemic has given a major boost to the dynamic online learning industry. And just like the pandemic, the education sector boom doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

While global EdTech investments stood at $18.66 billion in 2019, right before the pandemic, experts claim the market is projected to be valued at $38 billion by the end of 2021. Further estimates suggest that the industry will hit the $350 billion mark by 2025.

In the first quarter of 2020, the download numbers for various educational apps combined (on various app stores) increased 30% as compared to the figures for Q1, 2019.

All that shows that the educational app market is inching towards a boom. And now is the best time to milk the market with your own custom educational app.

eLearning in the corporate sector

Even without the pandemic, 40% of Fortune 500 companies were using learning management systems that included a system of websites, apps, and more for training because it has proven to be beneficial for efficiency enhancement.

Types of Educational Apps

Before you enter the market with a turnkey solution, it is important to identify the market segment that you’ll be targeting.

There are two basic segments in the education app market – Educators and learners. However, when it comes to building an educational app, there are several subtypes that you can choose from. The types and subtypes of apps that you can develop include:

  • Apps for Kids (YouTube Kids)
  • Apps that offer tutoring services (Khan Academy)
  • Apps for college and university students (eDX)
  • Language learning applications (Duolingo)
  • Specialized course apps (Coursera)
  • Lifelong learning apps (Udemy)
  • Apps with Gamification (Kahoot)
  • Progress tracking apps (Additio)
  • Apps for storing learning materials online (Schoology)
  • Exam preparation apps (GradeUp)
  • Corporate eLearning platforms
    • SITA University, SITA – The SITA eLearning solution is also available to SITA’s corporate clients who can use it to train their staff.
    • SAP’s solution – SAP Learning Hub
    • TCS eLearning solution – TCS iON

Based on your target group (TG) and your business goals, you can get a specialized app developed. Have an idea that’s different from the existing solutions in the market? Don’t curb your ideas, let the creativity flow, and let innovation take you ahead.

Must-Have Features In Your App

Based on what type of app you are getting developed, the list of features in the MVP and the final product would vary. However, there are some educational app features that have become market standards and you simply cannot do without them.

Some of those features are mentioned right here –

Sing Up and Login

If you want the contents of your app to be available to all your users in a secure manner, it is important to have a safe sign-up and login option. You can add the option to log in using email or phone and a password. You can also include OTP-based login for higher security. And yes, don’t forget to add the ‘Forget Password’ option that lets users reclaim their accounts if needed.

Search functionality

Unless your application has advanced search functionality that lets users search for courses, subjects, and study materials, your app will be a recipe for disaster.

User profile

Having user profiles in your educational/corporate eLearning app is important for both users and you. On the app dashboard ensure that users get the option to enter the name, age, and other details. These details will also help you better understand your audience.

Payments

Whether you are offering a platform where educators can sell courses or learners can pay for a service, a secure payment gateway is a must. Also, remember to add multiple payment options to meet the diverse needs of various users.

Menu and Navigation

The key to success and a great user experience with any app is the menu and navigation. An organized dashboard with sorted menu items and quick navigation will help users interact better and more comfortable with your app.

Push notifications

Once your app gets downloaded, you don’t want it to sit idle on your audience’s phone, right? To ensure continued engagement make sure you use push notifications. Remember to not go overboard with too frequent notifications though.

Multiple modes of distributing learning resources

Do you wish to offer just a text-based solution? Or do you also want audio and video lectures, live online classes, downloadable eBooks, or other eLearning resources too? Based on what would best suit your audience, you need to add various content formats to your app.

Progress and performance tracking

A good educational application is one that lets users check their progress and track performance. In the case of apps for students, there should be a way for teachers and parents to track student progress. For corporate learning apps, companies and employees should both be able to see the individual’s performance.

Awards and Certifications for Learners

To encourage users to use your application and learn more, leader boards, awards, and certifications should be available. Other than just letting users learn, your app should also help users get certificates and awards based on what they learned.

Monetizing Your Educational App

The end goal of your educational app is to make money from it, right? Here are the most common ways in which you can monetize your app –

  • Freemium model – In this simple model, you offer some services on your app for free. For higher-end services, users have to pick plans and make payments.
  • Subscription model – In the subscription-based model, users choose between different monthly, biannually, quarterly, or annual subscription packages.
  • Donation model – If you want your app to be free for the users, you can put up a donation button on the app to get funding from generous users.
  • Ad-based funding – Another way to ensure your app remains free for end-users is to sell out ad spaces on your app to third-party businesses.
  • Partnerships – You can also look for partnerships through your app and get other clients or partners to use your app for their educational needs in return for a fee, membership, or subscription.

Educational App Development – How much does it cost?

The cost of educational app development depends on what features you want in your app, how detailed is the design of the app, and how many experts will be working on your application. Also, the application architecture with regards to whether you need a mobile, web or hybrid solution would affect the final cost of your application.

Our cost-effective pricing and experience help us pass on the competitive advantage to our clients. Your app development won’t cost you a fortune, you’ll get the best of the best features, and with our Agile development methodology, we ensure robust testing and a quick time to market as well.

Get Your Educational App Developed Today

With that, I hope you have all the details you need to kick-start your educational app development journey.

Need a reliable development partner? You can place your trust in us.

We have previously developed multiple solutions for the education sector including:

Also, SynergyTop has been awarded the title for the Best Mobile App Development Company for 2021 in San Diego and India. Trusting us means that you will be placing your trust in the best of the best.

We are ready to develop similar EdTech solutions for your business too. Write to us with your queries and project details at contact@synergytop.com to get the conversation started!