Ultimate Guide on How to Build a Mobile E-Learning App

Mobile E-Learning App

Gone are the days when learning was done exclusively in classrooms or through physical textbooks. Today, there are numerous applications available at your fingertips that can help you acquire a new skill, gain a deeper understanding of a concept, and sharpen your mind.

These mobile E-Learning apps allow people from all walks of life to gain knowledge and develop valuable competencies through high-quality content that is diffused through easy-to-use interfaces and interactive formats.

When it comes to education, the best method is one that’s tailored to your learning style and needs. With mobile devices, educators and learners alike can interact with content in new and engaging ways using their smartphones and tablets.

4 Reasons Why People Around The World Use Mobile E-Learning apps:

Reason #1: They’re Flexible

Learning should be flexible and available to everyone, anytime, anywhere. That’s why mobile E-Learning apps are so important because they deliver on this expectation of constant access.

Reason #2: They Offer Personalized Learning

An edtech application offers personalized learning which means it develops the problem-solving skills of students and offers them content tailored to the areas they need to improve.

Reason #3: They Increase Student Engagement

The increased use of mobile devices in schools has allowed students to access their lessons when and where they need it. This boosts student engagement by allowing learners the opportunity to study at their own pace.

Reason #4: They’re Growing in Popularity

The educational sector is shifting towards more technology-enabled learning models that allow people to pursue studies anywhere.

So, What is a Mobile E-Learning App?

Mobile E-Learning apps are a combination of learning management systems, content from educational publishers and providers, and the latest technology to produce an app that learners can use on their mobile devices or tablets.

They’re more than just a website or an E-Learning program that you access through your browser; they’re designed specifically for mobile devices that allow users to benefit from intuitive, user-friendly content.

Today, some of the most popular mobile E-Learning apps include:

1) Duolingo

This app is used to help people learn languages, and it’s available on iOS and Android. The app has 120 million users and offers courses for learning English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian. It’s also one of the top 10 most downloaded apps in the world.

Duolingo is a perfect example of what a mobile E-Learning app should be: engaging, easy to use, and packed with valuable content.

2) Pocket Prep

This iOS-only application has been used for millions of people who want to pass their exams by preparing for them using an app. It provides quizzes and lessons that users can take advantage of to study for their exams.

Pocket Prep is one of the best examples of a mobile E-Learning app that helps students prepare for important tests. It’s packed with high-quality content, easy-to-use features, and has engaged over 8 million people.

3) Photomath

This app is available on iOS and Android and allows students to scan their math problems and find the answer instantly. Photomath uses machine learning to give users a solution they can understand, and it’s been downloaded over 100 million times.

Photomath is one of the simplest mobile E-Learning apps. It has a single function that does the job perfectly, and its interface is intuitive to use.

4) Google Classroom

This app is designed to facilitate connection and communication between educators and students beyond the classroom. The mobile E-Learning app makes it easy for instructors to share documents, create assignments, answer questions, provide feedback on work submitted by their students, and conduct online quizzes.

Google Classroom is one of the most popular mobile E-Learning apps because it streamlines a teacher’s workflow and organizes their communications.

5) Kahoot

Kahoot is available on iOS and Android, and has been downloaded over 50 million times. It’s success is directly attributed to its game-based model that allows students to have fun while they learn.

Kahoot provides educational content that can be used in various ways—whether it’s using the app to play education based games, creating quizzes, taking tests, or completing homework.

Mobile E-Learning apps, such as the ones listed above, are changing the way students learn and giving educators new ways to engage their students.

Since they’re available on every mobile device that allows users to access the internet, mobile E-Learning apps allow anyone to use educational content in a unique and exciting way.

With so many different types of apps available, it’s easy to understand why mobile E-Learning is growing in popularity among educators and students alike.

They offer users an experience that’s more engaging than traditional learning models while affording them the opportunity to learn at their own pace.

So, what is the process of building a mobile e-learning app?

Let’s define this step-by-step at a high level:

First Step: Outline Your Ideas

The first step in building your own mobile E-Learning app is answering the question, “What are the root problems I am trying to solve?”

The root problem(s) you identity should lead you down a path of crafting a comprehensive list of ideas that will define the functionality of your application. At this stage, it’s important that you include everything that you have vision for without allowing your creative process to be unnecessarily impeded by potential technological constraints or budget restrictions.

This is what we at Five Pack like to call beginning with the end in mind. By giving yourself the freedom to dream through every dimension of the app you want to bring to market, we can partner with you to create a comprehensive plan that can dually begin as a minimum viable product and scale into the full spectrumed solution you envision long term.

Ask yourself the following questions to gain more clarity:

Who is my target audience?
How do I want users to interact with my app?
What topics/training sessions I plan to include?
Is it essential for my app to include audio/video components?
Will it be available on multiple devices or operating systems?
Can my app be used offline?

The more ideas/requirements you identify at this stage, the easier it will be to identify the right technological solution for the problem you are trying to solve.

Second Step: Zero Down on an E-Learning App Development Company

Putting your ideas down on paper is a simple way to kick-start your mobile E-Learning app project, but you won’t be able to turn them into a reality without a development partner.

Finding the right e-learning app development company is important because it will determine the quality of your finished product. There are many companies who can help you develop an application, but few can provide you with the level of guidance you need to be confident you are building the right solution the right way while ensuring your experience on the journey is one worth repeating.

Ask yourself the following questions as you’re surveying potential development partners:

Do they have an online portfolio that showcases their expertise?
Is their talent onshore?
Do they have a proven track record in the field?
Are they able to offer end-to-end development?
Do they embrace a flexible development style that fits my needs?
Have their clients taken the time to leave positive reviews?

At Five Pack, we’re proud to answer yes to all of the questions above. We’ve worked with companies like engage2learn that are serving the eLearning industry through their indipath app, and we’re confident that we could help you develop and deliver the solution you’ve envisioned in step one to this market.

Third Step: Design Your E-Learning Mobile App’s Interface

Next, you need to work with a UX/UI expert who will help you create a clean, effective design for your mobile E-Learning app. Designing an interface that is versatile enough to accommodate the happy path and potential error states for an application is where most people begin to get overwhelmed, but with an experienced design team working alongside you, your vision will come to life before your eyes.

Anything is possible with quality design. The approach you choose will depend on what best fits your app’s purpose and target audience, so it’s important to work with a designer who is familiar with your industry.

Ask yourself the following questions as you prepare for the design process:

How will users navigate through the various screens?
Is there existing branding that should inform the design of the interface or are we starting from scratch?
What are the users’ pain points in learning and how can design help solve for them?

The design process is complex, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. By partnering with a team that has an experienced UX/UI designer, you can create an interface that is tailored to the user you’re targeting.

Fourth Step: Develop Your E-Learning Mobile App

Now that requirements are defined and design is in motion, your development team can begin. This is when your hard work truly starts to take shape.

While the development process can be complex, an experienced project manager will help you balance your application’s budget, scope, and schedule to guarantee the quality of your end product while ensuring your expectations are met.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself as you’re preparing for the development process:

What is most important to me: the budget, scope, or timeline?
Am I familiar with the software development life cycle?
How involved do I want me/my team to be in the day-to-day inner workings of the development process?
How will maintenance of the app be handled after the launch?
Do I want/need analytics built into my app?

By identifying the answers to these questions, you can better prepare for the development process and improve communication with the project manager working alongside you so they are better equipped to serve your needs and interests.

Fifth Step: Test Your E-Learning Mobile App

With the help of your e-learning mobile app development team, the next step is to thoroughly test your application. While the entire development team owns quality, it is the unique responsibility of the Q.A. team to certify the quality of the application before it is released to the market.

Here are some questions to be prepared to answer and ask of your development partner that specifically pertain to testing:

What OS version and devices will my application support?
Do I have test cases for this application written or will I be reliant on the Q.A. team to create these?
How will regression testing for future releases be handled?
What type of hedge-case scenarios will the Q.A. team test for that I may not be thinking about?

From functional testing to regression testing, the right development partner will come equipped with an experienced Q.A. team that is ready to put a testing process in place to ensure your app is ready for release.

Sixth Step: Prepare Your E-Learning Mobile App For Launch

Once your app has been fully tested with Q.A. sign off, it’s time to prepare for release.

Launching an application to the App or Google play store is a process all of its own, but with a capable team at your side, you’ll have a guide to navigate each step that leads to submission.

Here are a few questions that need to be answered once you arrive at this stage:

Does my app meet the necessary guidelines outlined in the App Store and Google Play Store?
Am I accounting for App Store Optimization guidelines in my title, subtitle, and keywords?
Do I have the marketing materials necessary to release, like screenshots for the correct device sizes?
Do I want the app to be available for pre-order?
What is the price for my app (if applicable) and where in the world is it available?
Once the app is approved, do I want it released manually, immediately, or on a certain date?

Once your app has been successfully approved by the assigned reviewer, you’re officially ready for release! It’s important to think of release as a milestone rather than a finish line.

Updates, bug fixes, and new feature integration are an expected part of the development process. This is why it’s important to begin a relationship with a team that not only offers fully managed development for custom projects, but also maintenance agreements and/or staff augmentation so that your app stays up to date.

Conclusion

This six step process helps give you an overview of what it takes to create a great E-Learning mobile app that grabs the attention of your target users by solving a real-world problem.

To learn more about our work in the E-learning industry, check out this case study on indipath, or contact us here.