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There’s been a huge shift in the educational sector in recent years, with an increasing number of students and professionals turning to eLearning as an outlet.
To keep up with the growing demand, schools and companies must consider creating their own software to stay relevant in the constantly changing educational industry.
But how does one navigate educational software development?
Dive into this topic with us, where we’ll discuss different types of educational software, important considerations throughout the process, and how to choose the right education software development company.
Understanding the Educational Software Market
The worldwide education software market is expected to reach 11.6 billion dollars by 2025, meaning now’s the perfect time to create a dynamic and new eLearning app.
The educational landscape is vast, with many different policies, practices, techniques, and norms. This opens an opportunity for companies to create software that aligns with the modern learning environment. While some companies create solutions that allow their users to depend entirely on online learning, others rely on the blended theory, the combination of traditional face-to-face instruction with online resources and activities.
Companies are also finding value in understanding the unique needs of diverse learners. Though generic learning apps work for some, custom eLearning software is a great solution for those who need a more personalized approach.
As we’ll see below, learning apps are not only for traditional students. Many businesses also use software for training their employees or providing valuable and interactive information for their customers.
“Technology has transformed the way students interact with educational material. In my finance classes, introducing simulation software has enabled students to apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios. This hands-on approach not only deepens understanding but also boosts engagement.”
– Dennis Shirshikov, Head of Education at itutor
Different Types of Education Software Development
Educational software development caters to a wide range of educational needs, including:
- Learning Management System (LMS) Development: Software applications that are used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process.
- Courseware Development: Educational material that provides self-paced learning, such as lessons, assessments, and activities.
- Assessment and Testing Tool Development: Tools that are used to measure a student’s academic abilities and skills in a specific subject.
- Educational Game Development and Gamification Tools: Software that turns educational content into fun, interactive games.
- Simulation Tool Development: Learning tools that allow students to apply their knowledge to “real-world” situations.
- Tutorial Software Development: Software that helps instructors create interactive learning tools for students.
- Virtual Classrooms: A video conferencing tool that allows teachers and students to connect from anywhere in the world.
- Language Learning Software Development: Software programs that are designed to help users improve their foreign language skills.
- Special Educational Needs (SEN) Software Development: Custom applications that provide learning aids to students with special education needs.
- Classroom Management Software Development: Software that helps teachers manage and organize various aspects of their classroom.
- Student Information System (SIS) Development: Software that helps educational institutions manage and organize important student data.
- Collaborative Learning Tool Development: Platforms designed to facilitate collaborative learning experiences among students.
- Multimedia Creation and Editing Tool Development: Software designed for creating, editing, and enhancing multimedia content.
- Interactive Whiteboard Software Development: An interactive classroom tool that lets teachers show presentations to the whole classroom.
- Adaptive Learning Software Development using AI and ML: Technology that tailors learning experiences to individual learners’ needs and abilities.
- Parent-Teacher Communication Software Development: Platforms that streamline communication between parents and teachers.
- Library Management Software Development: Software designed to manage all the functions of a library, including collections, resources, and operations.
Developers and clients must work closely throughout custom educational software development to create software that meets the needs of their specific audience. By carefully defining the target audience, must-have features, and navigation of the app, businesses can create educational software that provides personalized learning experiences.
“Since adopting personalized learning software, we’ve observed a notable increase in student retention rates and overall academic performance. For example, course completion rates have risen by 15%, and there has been a marked improvement in assessment scores across subjects. These metrics underscore the positive impact that well-implemented technology can have on education.”
– Dennis Shirshikov, Head of Education at itutor
Considerations for Development and Implementation
Educational software developers must carefully plan every step of the process and take necessary precautions throughout development. But what considerations are at the forefront of the development process? Keep reading to explore this topic in more detail.
Technology Stack
A tech stack is a collection of tools, programming languages, and technologies that support software. Education software developers must build a tech stack with the following in mind:
- Budget. The client’s budget has a direct impact on how a tech stack is built. Developers must find the best available options that comply with both budget constraints and technology requirements.
- Compatibility with Educational Needs: Before choosing a tech stack, developers must consider the educational goals of the software, the target audience, where they will be using it, and what functions are required. This will help them choose the right tools and programming languages to fulfill the needs of the system.
- Scalability and Flexibility: The eLearning system should be created with the ability to expand as the needs of the business grow. This flexibility allows businesses to adapt to the number of users they may have in the future and helps them stay relevant as educational needs evolve.
- User Experience: A huge part of educational software development is creating an app that’s easy to navigate and has intuitive user interfaces. Educational software developers work to ensure that the tech stack aligns with creating an engaging system that attracts and retains users.
- Accessibility and Compliance: eLearning applications must comply with educational and accessibility standards to ensure consistency and quality in education. WCAG, for instance, guarantees that web content is accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities. Developers must keep this in mind during custom education software development.
User-Centric Design
Developers work closely with their clients to create a user-centric design that is developed with the user in mind. The goal of UX design for education is to create an intuitive learning experience that’s engaging, involves users at every stage of the design process, and considers both educators and students.
As mentioned, one of the concerns is also designing software that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. The key standards of WCAG are that the software is perceivable, operable, robust, and understandable for everyone. Some of the strategies that designers use to accomplish this are offering keyboard navigation alternatives, making menus and buttons obvious and consistent, and making interactive features predictable.
Security and Data Privacy
Taking direct security and data privacy measures helps protect personal student information, academic records, financial details, institutional data, and even health records. Some of the ways this information is protected are through regular security updates and training, transparent privacy policies, incident response protocols, role-based data access permissions, data encryption, and secure access control.
Software also must comply with relevant data privacy laws and regulations. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, otherwise known as FERPA, is a law in the United States that protects the privacy of student education records. Another important regulation is GDPR, which is considered the world’s strongest set of data protection rules passed by the European Union.
At Scopic, we prioritize security and data privacy throughout every step of educational software development. Our team follows all required laws and regulations to create a trustworthy atmosphere for learning.
Deployment and Implementation Strategy
Developers should have a software implementation plan in place that plans, manages, and controls the software release through various stages. This plan defines the tasks that must be accomplished by different members of the team, clearly outlining timelines, resource allocation, and rollout phases.
Software development companies should also be prepared to handle potential challenges during implementation. Common problems include user resistance, technical issues, scope creep, resource constraints, project management challenges, and scalability, among others.
A detailed software implementation plan helps manage potential problems through careful planning, risk assessments, and a clear project management strategy.
How to Choose the Right Education Software Development Company
Choosing an experienced software development partner is key to your project’s success. But what qualities should a business look for when choosing a software development company?
Here are some of the most important factors to consider:
- Experience
- Ability to create scalable software
- Reliable end-to-end testing measures
- Communication and customer service skills
- Past reviews
- Efficient security measures
- Time efficiency
Aside from these factors, a huge part of custom educational software development is choosing a company that does just that: creates customized solutions based on the specific needs of your project. A reliable company will take the time to truly understand what you want and need from your eLearning application.
Scopic’s education software development services are perfect for businesses wanting to bring customized solutions to their classroom or employees. Our team will work closely with you to create an intuitive platform that brings your vision to life.
Our Expertise in Educational Software Development
Scopic develops unique education software solutions for both companies and educational institutions. We have a large educational software development portfolio for you to explore. Here are some of our favorite projects:
FindUniquelyU
FindUniquelyU partnered with Scopic to create a global platform that allows students to interact with industry leaders. The goal of this eLearning application is to connect students with instructors in small, interactive workshop groups. To bring their vision to life, Scopic’s team of developers created a learning platform with advanced features, including live workshops with recorded sessions, an events calendar, a campus store, a U-classroom space for U-instructors, and workshop browsing and purchase. This partnership resulted in a successful eLearning app that created a community of creators and students.
Datability Mobile App
The vision behind Datability Mobile App was to streamline the Individualized Education Plan, a program for children with disabilities that identifies learning opportunities specific to them. To use the data from this program more efficiently and create future strategies, the founder of Datability Mobile App contacted Scopic for custom software development. Scopic’s team created an easy-to-use app that makes it simple to access important data, generate student data reports, and improve compliance.
Language Dynamics Group
Language Dynamics Group empowers students by providing innovative assessments that target their language skills. To increase brand awareness and reach a wider audience, they partnered with our marketing team, who successfully ran various marketing campaigns, including email and social media marketing, Google Ads, and Amazon marketing. Our team also managed the theme development of their WordPress site and set up products and payment options on the WooCommerce platform. Through a combination of our expertise in website development, WooCommerce, Mailchimp, and ads, Language Dynamics Group now offers language learning tools to a variety of students.
Final Thoughts
Custom education software development is becoming increasingly important in today’s technology-driven world. Used in both the classroom and in the workplace, eLearning apps tailor to different levels of education and learning strategies.
At Scopic, we understand the importance of developing an app that’s credible, compliant, and engaging. If you’re looking for a software product development company, contact us today.
Education Software Development FAQs
What Are the Key Features of Effective Educational Software?
Key features of educational software development include user-friendly interface, interactive learning, course management, built-in gamification features, analytics, responsive graphics, offline working, alerts and course updates, quick data transfer, and more.
What Are the Challenges in Educational Software Development?
Education technology software development faces multiple challenges that are specific to education. This includes alignment with pedagogy, user engagement, accessibility and inclusivity, integration with existing systems, regulatory compliance, and security. However, an experienced education software developer will know how to address all of these challenges.
Can Educational Software Be Customized for Different Educational Levels?
Yes, educational software can be customized for different levels of education and various target audiences. The key to custom educational software development is working with a company that has experience customizing key features and learning paths to better assist your users.
What Is the Future of Educational Software Development?
The education technology market is on the rise and is expected to continue growing over the coming years, with both students and staff depending on it even more. As technology evolves, we expect that educational software development will also adjust to keep up with trends and education requirements. We predict an increase in artificial intelligence, eLearning networks, and virtual reality.
What Is the Cost of Developing Custom Educational Software?
There are various factors that can affect the cost of education technology software development, with complexity being the biggest determinant. That said, the price can range anywhere between $10,000 and $100,000. For a realistic estimate, contact us at Scopic.
How Long Does It Take to Develop Educational Software?
The time it takes to complete custom education software development depends on the complexity of the project. Projects may take anywhere from 4 to 9 months but may require more time.
About Education Software Development Guide
This guide was authored by Baily Ramsey, and reviewed by Vyacheslav Korchagin, Principal Engineer with experience in leading and delivering complex software and application development projects.
Scopic provides quality and informative content, powered by our deep-rooted expertise in software development. Our team of content writers and experts have great knowledge in the latest software technologies, allowing them to break down even the most complex topics in the field. They also know how to tackle topics from a wide range of industries, capture their essence, and deliver valuable content across all digital platforms.
Note: This blog’s images are sourced from Freepik.
