A surprising number of education apps are developed each year. In fact, they are some of the most popular apps in the market. The education app industry benefited significantly in 2020 when schools were forced to go virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents, teachers, and students used education apps—as well as their web versions—as the primary form of communication. Even in 2021, these apps are still highly popular.
Some of the most widely used education apps are:
- Google Classroom
- Udemy
- Coursera
Google Classroom
Released in 2014 by Google, Google Classroom is an app that works for iOS and Android systems. It helps teachers create tests and assignments for students to complete. Grading is a feature of it as well. Some internal tools include other software made by Google (i.e., Docs, Sheets, Drive, Gmail, Calendar, and more).
Udemy
This app is generally used by older students where recorded classes can be sold to students; however, there are classes for elementary schoolers. There are many different categories of classes to choose from, and it isn’t part of a program-like system.
Coursera
There’s an easy search-based structure to Coursera alongside classes taught by highly respected members of the educational community. It includes tools like virtual textbooks, quizzes, and projects. Once classes are completed, students receive certificates of accomplishment.
Suggestions for Developing Education Apps
- They should be web apps—have access to mobile versions (iOS and/or Android) and a browser version.
- Should be able to handle large amounts of data and function smoothly
- Maintain solid security of user data
- Allow teachers and students to upload videos or otherwise large files
The Development Process Step-by-Step
Much like any other web app development project, the general structure and tools needed will remain the same. However, this step-by-step guide contains the recommended development tools based on the functionality of popular education apps.
- Create a development plan.
- Establish a good team of experienced developers.
- Find a good Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS) provider.
- Purchase SAP Litmos API.
- Download and install Express.js for the web version.
- Develop and activate the app on AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
- Create the UI for the mobile version.
- Build an Android version with Android Studio and Kotlin.
- Build an iOS version using Xcode and Swift.
- Release the app to the app stores.
- Find a good PM tool.
Development is Complete
It’s a complicated and elaborate process to develop an education app. There are many elements and tools needed to construct it. Most importantly, it has to function smoothly as well as be useful to the user. All apps will run into problems, so knowing how to fix them should be the job of at least one person on the development team. Developers must also keep in mind how many education apps are made, what their most useful features are, and find ways to entice users to want to use the app instead of another.