How will Covid19 Impact the Future of the Educational Sector?

 Amidst the wake of the global crisis on account of the Covid19 pandemic in 2020, the educational sector was massively impacted. With educational institutions shut for an indefinite period, uncertainty loomed large amongst the learners as well as educators. However, eLearning app development came to the rescue by providing smart solutions that ushered in myriad remote learning methodologies. The year 2020, has witnessed the emergence of innovative eLearning solutions to satisfy the challenging requirement of the educational sector. These smart learning technologies have transformed the learning methodology altogether. Digital learning is the new normal!

The on-going trend of learning via digital learning tools has proved particularly beneficial to corporate professionals with busy-schedules but has negatively impacted a certain chunk of learners. As per industry experts, this trend is here to stay in the years to come. Now, the most intriguing question that is lingering in the minds of the stakeholders of this sector is; “How will this remote learning trend impact the future of learning?”

This article explores the impact of the Covid19 pandemic on future learning and teaching!

But before we delve deeper, let’s have a look at how the new eLearning trend has impacted the learners and educators.

Covid19-induced challenges

• Underprivileged students without internet access have been hit hard by the new online educational trends. It became almost impossible for them to continue their education.
•  Many parents cannot afford online teaching as they have suffered wage cuts or job loss during the pandemic.
• This sudden change in the teaching-learning methodology has created confusion amongst educators due to lack of experience and absence of effective ways for interaction.

How will Covid19 impact the Future of Learning?

Open-source eLearning solutions

Governments across the globe are trying to devise open-source eLearning solutions to provide education to all students regardless of their technical barriers. Mobile-friendly solutions and highly accessible online portals for teacher-student interaction are intended so that even the marginalized and impoverished students can continue their education.

Blended Learning Methodologies

Many of you must be wondering; “What changes will be made to classroom structure or attendance during and after the COVID-19 pandemic?” It is believed that post Covid19, a strategy of blended learning will be incorporated in the education industry. Blended learning refers to a combination of eLearning tools and the face-to-face learning method to reap the benefits of both worlds. Online mode of homework submission and lighter school bags are the expected outcomes of this approach. Moreover, blended learning would zero down the existing limitations in the traditional educational system and would act as a promising alternative if such crisis situations arise in the coming years.

Personalized Learning powered by AI

Artificial Intelligence has gifted digital learning with innovative strategies that are way more interesting and engaging as compared to the traditional ones. The reason is AI enables the creation of personalized learning experiences that are tailored to suit specific needs. This kind of learning is a boon in the realm of higher education; wherein the one-size-fits-all technique fails to succeed. Adoption of a personalized learning approach will help colleges and universities to resolve common issues like high dropout rates, lack of tools to engage students, etc. This approach will also enable the educators to track every student’s learning outcome, thereby making way for more effective teaching techniques.

Redefined role of educators

The trend of online education has brought about a change in the role of educators as well. Now teachers, who were considered to be “knowledge-givers” are gradually becoming “facilitators” in the realm of pedagogy. Teachers these days are expected to assist the students to utilize the online learning tools effectively so that they become experts in self-learning.

The year 2020 has witnessed that most teachers were not well equipped and prepared for the sudden shift to online teaching. So, the educators must be provided with the necessary training so that they are well versed with technology and can switch between offline and online teaching modes as per the need.

Convenient methodologies to ease out teacher’s tasks

eLearning solutions powered by smart technologies will ease out assessment-related tasks like evaluation, designing question papers, preparing grade sheets, and many more. This will save time and teachers would be able to concentrate on tasks like improvement in teaching quality, self-skill enhancement and designing more innovative course material.

Rising Demand for skill-based short-duration courses

The Covid19 crisis has ushered in uncertainty in the job market as well. Therefore, to maintain agility and stay up-to-date with the latest skills like AI, data analytics, machine learning, deep learning, etc. professionals as well as fresher’s are opting for industry-ready courses to scale up their skills and hence remain resourceful for a long period. Quality online learning programs and online training sessions are being preferred the most. As a result the user intent query-Investments in edtech products is on the rise.

Final Words

Adopting digital learning design paths for learning and development is the new-age necessity. Therefore, if you are yet to digitalize your educational facility, you should consider doing so. Hire a Mobile App Development Company to create an outstanding eLearning solution. The blog “Key considerations for architecting an impeccable mobile eLearning app” would provide useful insights and guide you.

For eLearning app development advice and assistance reach out to Biz4Solutions, a highly experienced eLearning app development company that excels in developing futuristic eLearning apps as per your specific need.

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The Prime Benefits of Mobile applications in Education!

The advent of smartphone operated mobile applications turned out to be a super-convenient option for the users and proved immensely profitable for enterprises across diverse domains. The educational sector is no exception. Digital educational methodologies have revolutionized the teaching-learning approach altogether. Consequently, eLearning apps and other digital learning tools started gaining popularity during the last decade and its rate of adoption has been on the rise since then. Several educational institutions have employed ERP (Enterprise Resource planning) apps in the education field to streamline their workflow. Students too, these days rely more on digital resources and online courses owing to their convenience quotient. The educators also prefer the digital world to reach out to more learners and enhance the quality of education imparted. The year 2020 has witnessed how e-learning came as a huge sigh of relief for the entire teaching-learning community when Governments all over the world announced the closure of educational institutions owing to the Covid19 outbreak.

eLearning app development has gifted smart solutions that will help learners to expand their horizons of knowledge at affordable prices. So, smartphone apps, which were considered as distractive elements for students, have indeed become a blessing in disguise!

In this write-up, I have penned down the prime benefits of using smartphone apps in the educational sector. Read along to explore their potential!

How does the use of Mobile apps benefit the Educational Sector?

Flexibility in learning

ELearning solutions have successfully made education free from the confines of the classroom and made it accessible to all regardless of their location, age, or time constraints. Hence, learners residing in remote areas, grown-ups, and busy professionals can also quench their thirst for knowledge and obtain degrees via online courses.

Novel learning methodologies

Digital learning has introduced some innovative learning methodologies that are far more engaging and interesting than the traditional ones. The introduction of puzzles, fun games, challenging tasks, etc. tease the learner’s imagination and stimulate their thought processing leading to productive outcomes.

A video-oriented tutorial is another effective learning methodology. Video lessons arouse the learner’s interest in the topic. Moreover, visualizing and listening helps them to retain the information for much longer periods as compared to reading or attending lectures. Visuals are specifically helpful for those students who have low concentration levels or are reluctant to open a book.

Key to a treasure house of resources

Online study material like eBooks, informative videos, etc. provides the necessary information and explanation that a student is looking for instantly. This helps students solve their queries and complete their assignments without having to depend on any private tutor or external resources like reference books.

The endless online resources are also beneficial for those enthusiastic learners who cannot afford the luxury of attending full-fledged courses in educational institutions.

Skill enhancement and tracking of progress

ELearning solutions work wonders in skill enhancement of the students via interactive online sessions and continuous evaluation. Moreover, the learners and their guardians can track the academic progress and hence has better control over their child’s learning.

Improved Communication between educators and learners

The digital approach has helped to conquer an age-old limitation prevalent in the educational sector -effective communication between the educators and the learners. The reasons are as follows:

• Students get easy online access to study material and assignments that were missed due to absence.
• Online communication channels ensure better interaction between parents/students and the educators/school authorities.
• Crucial information displayed through official websites, institution apps, digital calendar, etc. keep the parent informed about the upcoming campus events, important announcements or schedule changes without having to visit the campus or make phone calls to the reception.

Portability

One of the greatest benefits of leveraging digital education is that mobile apps can accommodate numerous books and provide access to the World Wide Web. So wherever you travel, all you need is an internet connection to access whichever book you want to read on your smart devices.

Automation of tasks

An educational institute can employ a mobile app like ERP for education to automate tasks such as recording students’ attendance, maintaining students’ information, fee collection, providing assignment instructions, preparing progress reports, etc. Automation of these time-consuming activities reduces the educators’ workload and enables them to devote more time to students. Please refer to the article “Educational ERP solution” to gain more insights onto the functioning of these ERP apps.

An environment-friendly option

The eLearning approach eliminates the need for unnecessary paperwork. Therefore, if institutions digitalize their workspace and a major chunk of teachers and students switch to digital study material instead of real books, the demand for paper will reduce drastically. This means that a lesser number of trees would be cut to meet the growing requirements of the paper manufacturing industries. So, isn’t eLearning an environment friendly-option?

Wrap-up:

Adopting the eLearning approach not only provides a competitive edge to the educational organization but also benefits the learners. The good news is that eLearning app developers are devising smarter mobile apps that will provide more facilities to the stakeholders of the educational sector. So, if you have still not digitalized your educational facility, it’s high time you should consult a Mobile App Development Company to build you a school/college management app.

Planning to hire eLearning app development services for your educational institution? Contact Biz4Solutions, a highly experienced eLearning app development company that develops impeccable eLearning apps. Let us know your project requirement at sales.enquiry@biz4solutions.com

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Key considerations for architecting an impeccable mobile eLearning app

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COVID-19 Crisis and Education: Digital Learning is the New Approach!

UNESCO Institute for Statistics recently published a report indicating how the COVID-19 crisis and the resultant lockdown have influenced the education sector. Schools in about 188 countries are closed to prevent the spread of this virus, affecting more than 1.5 billion students along with 63 million school teachers across the globe. Even colleges and other higher education organizations are closed. Countless examinations have been canceled.

But as they say that change is always difficult but very crucial for survival. Likewise, the education sector has changed drastically and adopted numerous eLearning solutionsto keep going.

The COVID-19 world has forced global experimentation on remote teaching methodologies. The current education practices, processes, and models are being revamped using modern-day technology. Digital learning has become the need of the hour and gaining global importance due to the pandemic situation world-wide. Educational Classes are being conducted remotely with the use of electronic devices and the internet. Here are some key benefits of eLearning.

• It is extremely time and money-efficient, as it cuts down the need to travel and attend classroom training. 
• Students can go back to re-learn things at their own pace and even develop multiple skills.
• It increases the retention of the information thereby more effective
• The chances of distraction by the classmates are lesser.
• It is a flexible, consistent and affordable way out.
• Lastly, online learning is way better than ‘no learning.’
• Easy access to content
• Personalized learning

eLearning: Several Ways Education is being Imparted Today

To ensure continuity in education for students all over the world, numerous schools, training institutes, universities, etc. have adopted open-source digital solutions and learning management software solutions. Futuristic mobile-based learning models are being developed for effective and affordable education. Several strategies are being planned by government bodies in different countries for conducting exams efficiently on time. Some institutes are even making use of automated online proctoring solutions to create online tests in multiple formats like MCQs, aptitude-based questions, essay writing, etc.

To ensure an uninterrupted and engaging learning experience, these eLearning solutions incorporate some vital features in them, as follows:

• Easy Sign-up and Login Facility
• Text-messaging and Push Notifications
• Appointment Scheduling for Lectures or Training Sessions
• Dashboard to get an Overview
• Social Media Integration and Calendar Integration
• Efficient, Valuable and Comprehensive Study Material
• Use of Media Formats like images and videos
• A Robust Database
• Interactive Elements for engaging the learners
• Smaller Bit-sized Modules for Enhanced Receptivity and Learning
• Audio/Video Streaming and Live Tutorials
• Tests, Feedback, Quizzes, Remarks, etc. for Progress Evaluation of the Students
• Offline Mode 
• Multiple Payment Options
• Tools for Data Analytics
• Story-based Explanations, Gamification, etc.
• Facility to track Status of Courses, Time Spent on them, Names of the Undertaken Courses, etc.

Some Precautions to be taken while eLearning

Online learning is looked upon to be a critical lifeline today. But some precautions must be taken to enhance this new system of education.

Firstly, selecting the most relevant eLearning tools is essential. There must be strict rules in place for distance learning. Focusing on data protection and data security must be made a priority. The learners, teachers, and parents as well must be provided support on using the digital tools appropriately. It is also necessary to consider the psychosocial challenges before delivering lectures so that better engagement can be ensured. Also, measures must be taken for monitoring students’ learning process.

Biz4Solutions’s Contribution by Creating Advanced eLearning Solutions

COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sudden mass movement of education seekers to remote learning. In this situation, technology has served to be the biggest weapon to combat this war. And being a world-class eLearning app development company, Biz4Solutions too has made its contribution.

We have been designing exemplary web and mobile apps for several educational organizations as well as corporate entities looking for robust eLearning tools. We have vast experience in architecting advanced eLearning solutions for the distinctive needs of diverse clients. We have already created innovative apps and software solutions using which the Corporates/Tutors/Trainers/Teachers can deliver the lectures online as well as add online learning courses for the learners. We incorporate learner-focussed design and top-grade security in our apps.

If your educational institute or corporate organization wants to sustain in today’s unprecedented scenario of lockdown, beat the competition, and provide a seamless digital learning experience to your students or professionals respectively, get in touch with us. 

Final Words

The shift and transformation in the education sector could be here to stay for long. Though a virtual experience cannot replace the live-learning experience, it has become the need of the hour. So, for making it a success, concerted efforts need to be made by the tutors, the students, and even parents. Moreover, technological advancements are continuously introducing sleek solutions for making the learning process better day-by-day.

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Key Considerations for Architecting an impeccable Mobile eLearning app!

Have a look at some interesting numbers about the mobile eLearningindustry 

• Research by IBM established that every dollar invested in eLearning for training their employees, results in a gain of $30 in productivity, as they save a lot of time due to the application of new skills in the work.
•  As per a survey conducted by CertifyMe.net, an online training platform, approximately 72% of organizations said that online learning is quite impactful and provides a competitive edge to them.
•  Brandon Hall Group, renowned research, and analyst firm found that as compared to classroom training, eLearning needs 40-60% less time of the employees.
•  Amalgam Insights, a source for analyzing technology consumption management, forecasted that the market for corporate and academic eLearning would exceed $180 billion in the year 2018.

What do these numbers indicate?

Well, it is evident that mobile eLearning has a dazzling future. It is transforming the way people learn and gain knowledge. It is already topping the popularity charts.Consequently, numerous start-ups and even the biggies in the Tech World are entering this domain. It is no surprise that severaleLearning app developmentcompanies haveemerged as the world- class education companies across the globe.

What is Mobile eLearning?

Mobile phones have become undeniably important today in the education industry asthey are widely being used for online training. In simple words, mobile eLearning is a modern training approach for getting knowledge or training on any subject from anywhere at any time. It is a novel educational strategy especially meant for training corporate professionals through an eLearning mobile app. It has great potential tocater to the skill-development needs of professionals in organizations.

Key Factors to Consider for eLearning App Development

Planning a Strategy for Mobile Training: This comprises of three important parts: Audience, Content, and Platform. While determining the target audience, you can ask yourself questions like- Is our workforce tech-savvy and will use the mobile eLearning facility? Will our workforce be remotely accessing the training? This will help you understand the needs of the target audience. Secondly, for content considerations, you will need to decide on your objective and purpose behind creating the content and how do you want to measure the effectiveness of the content. Last but not the least, for platform considerations you should research what kind of devices will be widely accessed by your target audience. Will they use their personal devices? Or will they use workplace assets?

Designing Courses:Creating content and designing the courses is the next significant consideration. Initially, you may want to upload just a few courses. For this, there are some authoring tools that make it easier to create content for the mobile. For instance, iWebkit, jQT, etc can be used for a web app, and Phonegap, Articulate Storyline, etc can be used for Native apps.

Deployment of the Courses:This is a straightforward step. In the case of a web app, you can publish it on the website and send the URL to your trainees. In the case of a native app, you can submit it to the app store. If you want to trackthe scores, completion of work, and do the analysis, you may deploy the app using an LMS like Moodle, Blackboard, etc.

Indispensable Features of an eLearning App

Mobile eLearning solutions have made the learning process much easier and effective unlike the traditional chalk and board training method. However, an eLearning app can be a failure without the right features embedded in it. Here is the list of top features of an outstanding eLearning app.

1. Basic Features like Chatting, Push Notifications, Appointment Scheduling, Calendar,and Social Media Integration, Flexible Payment Options, etc.
2. Easy Login Facility, a Dashboard, a Robust Database of knowledgeable information and Tools for Data Analytics
3. Valuable and Comprehensive Content
4. On-the-go interactive Training to keep the users more engaged
5. Short Bit-sized Modules for Higher Receptivity and Focussed Learning
6. Live Tutorials and Audio/Video Streaming
7. Supporting Offline Content
8. Using Media Formats like pictures and videos, Story-based Learning, Gamification, etc. for Better Understanding
9. Tests, Quizzes, Feedback, etc. for Progress Evaluation
10. Tracking Status of Courses, Number of Courses Undertaken,Time Spent on them, etc.

Potential benefits of eLearning Solutions

Saving Time and Money

In this ever-evolving digital era, modern learners look for ways to save time and money. The eLearning solutionshave served this purpose well. The learners do not need to go and attend the classes at any specific location. Instead, they can save substantially on travel costs and also learn conveniently from any location. It helps the companies to reduce the costs on trainings as the recorded video trainings can be accessed by the employees very easily thereby eliminating the process of direct training to the employees.

Employee Engagement and Skill Development

In several industries like software, manufacturing, and even healthcare, mobile learning has been acknowledged as an efficient tool for engaging employees, developing their skill sets and thus, driving their performance. This learning approach thus leads to higher productivity for organizations.

Higher Retention ratio

New-age mobile eLearning solutions provide information in short interactive chunks in the form of audios, video tutorials, or podcasts. It makes the learning process much engaging and faster. These apps also have tests, quizzes, etc. for keeping the learners self-motivated and help them track their progress. As a result, the learners enjoy the app and also recommend it to others, thereby increasing the retention rate.

Personalization forVersatile Learners

Every learner hasunique goals and preferences. The eLearning apps cater to individual needs accordingly as there are a plethora of courses available for skill set and knowledge development. It provides flexibility and convenience to learn whenever they want to. All this makes their learning experience much meaningful.

Collaborative Learning

A digital platform allows the learner and trainers to interact with each other. They can also get in touch with their peers to discuss anything as required. This facilitates collaborative learning or group learning and gives them a sense of cooperation and fulfillment.

Easy Scalability

Once developed, an eLearning app can be used by numerous professionals simultaneously. It can be used for designing new courses and uploading them. The organization may introduce new training, courses, etc. in the future. Thus, it is a one-time investment for an organization that wants to develop the skills of their professionals and thus boosts productivity.

Concluding Note:

A few years back, no one could even imagine that imparting education will go beyond the physical confines of a classroom, yet be so effective. The mobile eLearning world is a clear representation of this where anyone and everyone can get the desired educationon the go of a click.In several corporate entities, theseeLearning solutionshave already impacted the productivity of the professionals in multiple ways.

We hope that this blog helped you to get an insight intomobileeLearning. With this, we come to an end.

Let us know your views throughyour comments.

For more details, drop us a mail at sales.enquiry@biz4solutions.com!

Prominent Features to Make an Outstanding eLearning App!

Learning new things was never so easy. A few clicks on the smartphone and you can learn any skill from any location at any time with the help of eLearning apps. The modern learners are very attracted by the facility of easy and quick access to information outside the four walls of the classroom which was very unprecedented in the olden times. Because of the immense potential, these eLearning apps are providing these days, businesses across the globe are investing multi fold in eLearning app development.

The significance of eLearning apps has particularly risen further during this COVID-19 pandemic. Since there is a lockdown in most parts of the world, educational organizations are switching to virtual education, and professionals are choosing to upgrade their skill sets using these apps.These solutions have proved to be a competitive investment for businesses worldwide.

So, do you want to develop effective online learning solutions for students?

Or createinteractive training apps for IT professionals?

Or build flagship programs based on multiple skills for modern learners?

Everything is possible with the new-age eLearning solutions. But, for developing an eLearning app that goes viral in the market, there are some criteria. Firstly, the app must have the following qualities:

• Learner-focussed Design
• Customizable and Scalable
• Engaging and Pleasing Aesthetics
• Interactive Elements
• Powerful And Supportive Database
• Valuable and Comprehensive Content
• Personalization
• Productive and Flexible Learning
• Quick and Easy Access to Information
• Information Presented in Small ‘Bites’
• Real-Time Analytics
• High Security
• Professional Support

Secondly, it is essential to integrate powerful features in the app that provide an uninterrupted and enticing experience to the users. In most cases, apps with lame or insufficient features are bound to fail. So, here we have shared some key features required for an exemplary eLearning app. 

Must-have Features of a New-Age eLearning App!

Elementary features

An eLearning mobile app is simply incomplete without the fundamental features. The app must have in-app chatting or messaging functionality to allow the learners to communicate with each other or tutors. It must have the feature of push notifications to keep the users aware of their progress, new achievements, timings of classes, pending courses, any new deals, and offers, etc. The app should have calendar integration for the users to maintain records of the upcoming activities and set reminders accordingly. Last but not the least; it should have social media integration to boost user engagement, promotion of the app, and reaching a wider audience.

Audio/Video Streaming

Audio/video streaming has become an integral part of modern education. These are key players for accessing online education. These features help the users to connect in real-time and enable the sharing of files or documents in live sessions. This kind of learning allows the users to listen to pre-recorded lectures, rewinding/fast-forwarding the lectures, zoom into an image, etc. making the learning process easier and convenient.

Live Tutorials

Live tutorials and sessions add another dimension to the learning process. They help the learners to gain a thorough knowledge of a subject. Reading the content of a course can often become boring. However, with live tutorials, it becomes a fun experience. It gives the feel of a real-time classroom making education much effective.

Progress Evaluation

Assessment and feedback are vital features for evaluating the progress of the learners. A good eLearning app must embed tests and quizzes to be held at regular intervals or ensure that the tutors conduct the tests and quizzes periodically. They should either be assessed automatically or by the tutors/course authors. The learners should also get live feedback and have one-on-one interactions, so that they can practice more, redo a chapter, etc. These features keep the learners connected and contribute to the success of a course. Learners should get assessed periodically which enhances the engagement and knowledge of the student.

eCommerce integration

If your eLearning app has eCommerce functionality, the tutors can sell online courses and live classes. The app owners too can generate massive revenue from this. However, it is necessary to ensure that these courses and other sensitive information like bank account details, contact details of users, etc. are highly secured.

CollectiveDashboard 

If your eLearning app has a collaborative dashboard, the users can access their course collateral and get overall information about their progress. They can know if the course is pending or is completed. A collaborative dashboard allows the users to share study material, assignments, quizzes, useful links, etc. with others for an enriching learning experience.

Crucial Data Insights

Data tracking and analysis helps to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the courses and the app. The app should have an efficient data tracking and reporting process in place for collecting critical data like popular courses, customer rating, clicks/views on a particular content, etc. It must also keep an eye on the attendance of the learners, their progress, assignment completion, etc. which helps in analysing their weak areas and work accordingly. Also, these reports help the tutors or course authors generate better revenue, which contributes to the high ROI of the app.

Engaging Content to Motivate Learners

To keep the learners engaged and connected until the end of the course can be highly challenging at times. They need continual motivation through tests, assessments, feedback, evaluation of work, rewarding, etc. Using motivational triggers like scores, progressing to next levels, virtual gifts or currencies, competition with fellow learners, etc. are outstanding ways to make them stick to the course.

Appointment Scheduling

In several distant learning apps, the learners need to choose a tutor from a number of tutors available and book appointments with them. Hence these apps must have a fast and simple appointment scheduling feature using which, the learners can instantly book appointments as per the available slots of the tutors. It also helps to generate meaningful reports for tracking profitable courses and clients.

Flexible Payment Options

Payment process must be kept as simple and less time-consuming as possible, but also ensure high security of the eLearning apps at the same time. The app must have multiple payment methods that include debit, credit, net banking, etc. It should also integrate new-age options like PayPal, Google Pay, Stripe, etc. Always use popular gateways to ensure the credibility and authenticity of the app.

Multiple Language Support

To ensure that your eLearning app has a wider reach, the app must have multiple-language support. If the content and the videos are available in multiple languages, it can benefit a large number of users in different countries and the app owners can generate multiplied revenue from it.

Final Words:

The future of the eLearning industry is indisputably bright. The eLearning solutions are revamping the learning experiences by imparting knowledge on the go of a click.We can say, education is now in everyone’s pocket. For creating an excellent eLearning app, one should use the right blend of strategy and technology. They should include all the features from the above list and also keep a watch on the latest trends in this domain. 

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