Apps have become an integral part of our existence. Today, we see mobile apps touching every aspect of our lives, and we want more of them for easier living and better lifestyle. Presently, we see mobile apps in some areas like communication, social media, shopping, cooking, education, banking, business, and many more. On a general note, education is one of the hottest categories of mobile apps and is expected to grow even further.
Did you know that education is the 3rd most popular mobile application category? As per statistics released in 2016, there were around 200,000 educational apps for Android and more than 41,000 educational apps in the Apple App Store. There has been a major growth in the number of educational apps, and they have become an important force for discovery and learning. The education app category is further divided into many sub-categories where each category serves a specific user base. A great number of educational apps are targeted to pre-school and elementary-aged children. Other sub-categories of educational apps are language learning apps, remote tuition platforms, learning apps for adults, learning apps for disabled, test prep apps, and educational mobile apps for kids.
Mobile apps – a powerful driving force in the future education system.
Education technology has certainly evolved, and today we see new ways of providing information and consuming it. Technology innovations in all sectors have forced humans to become better, faster, and smarter, but the current education systems and tools are preventing that from happening. The future education system needs to overcome the limitations of traditional learning and usher an era of standardized knowledge that is available through the single point global distribution system. Surprisingly, mobile apps have all required characteristics and capability to deliver a learning experience that is more suited to the new generation. Here are some of the trends that show the decisive role of educational apps in future education.
Students love them
Mobile apps are cool, trendy and ever evolving. On the other hand, students also have to learn to study and prepare for exams. However, when you combine learning with mobile apps, students are more receptive and eager to learn. Mobile learning is one of the hottest trends in the education sector and a large number of students and educational institutions are embracing it wholeheartedly.
Different knowledge channels/New learning methods
When we say education has evolved, it points towards the way the information/knowledge is made available, dispersed and consumed. Throughout the history of mankind, education and learning have always been one way where the transfer of knowledge happened from teacher to student (person-to-person). That traditional setup requires a classroom where the teacher imparts the information to the student. It requires the teacher to be an expert and the flow of information is controlled. If you look at last few decades, a large volume of information is available not through textbooks but other channels that do not fit in traditional modes of education. Information is no longer just text-based; it is available in graphical, musical, visual, and audio form. There are multiple channels of information: e-books, blogs, Wikipedia, websites, online journals and many more. If you take a look at the vast volumes of information available and compare them to the courses available, you will sense a big course vacuum that is too hard to fill. Mobile apps with their latest technology enhancements have the capability to provide you access to vast pools of information without much delay. The classroom touch point no longer holds true in the open education system that crosses boundaries set by traditional educational systems and app companies know that very well.
Enhanced interaction
Education apps are interactive. These apps make learning more fun and are more successful in grabbing the attention of students. Education apps are level based, which encourages the student to try harder and achieve success. With the Augmented Reality trend catching up, education apps are more likely to become smarter by offering endless and intuitive interaction opportunities that will simplify learning further.
Availability 24/7
Unlike schools or traditional courses, education apps are available round the clock. Imagine learning difficult concepts of Math, Chemistry or Physics in leisure hours. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing? Education app learning is not time-bound. In fact, it’s relaxed learning. Leading education apps offer friendly child-control that allows students to reach apps whenever they feel like learning. The interface of these apps is simple and there is not much learning curve.
The ever-increasing adoption of smartphones has strengthened the mobile learning industry, making it more profitable every year. If you see the educational app statistics, free and paid apps are equally popular and there are several app monetization ways available that will help you gain rich dividends on your investment. If you plan to develop an educational app, now is the time to get enough momentum. Here are some tips to build a good educational app.
Building education app- where to start?
Though education apps are popular and the demand for them is likely to skyrocket, success might not come easy. With more than 200,000 educational apps for Android and 81K more for iOS, the app category has already reached a saturation point. Add to it a confusion of different sub-categories and the target audience, and you will understand that the walk towards success won’t be easy as a walk on the beach. Here are some helpful tips and guidelines for developing a good education app.
Original concept
The educational value of the app is the most critical element in the development of the app. For your app to be successful, a unique selling point is important. Besides attractive design and sounds, the app needs to have a higher educational value that comes in the form of original IP (intellectual property) and remarkable features. You can choose any topic that you want but make sure it’s original.
Target Audience
Every app has a target audience and your education app should have a clearly defined target audience. Is the app targeted towards, pre-school kids, primary school kids, secondary, higher secondary children or adults? No matter who your target audience is, you need to have precise demographic information about them.
Content quality
The quality of information and the depth of knowledge really matters in education apps. The content of the education app should simplify the learning of difficult topics. Creating long paragraphs is a strict no-no as the users are accessing information on smaller screens. The primary objective of the content should be to generate interest, withhold attention and allow the user to get enhanced the learning experience with minimal efforts. Mobile app development solutions for education should be built by keeping the above guidelines in mind.
Education apps that have made mark
Not all education apps are praiseworthy. However, there are several education apps that have chartered a unique path and have left a mark in the education sector.
Duolingo
It is a free language learning app that allows students to learn French, Spanish, German and many other international languages for free. With Duolingo, students have a better chance of becoming successful in a foreign country by mastering the language spoken by the public. The app also offers digital language proficiency assessment exam that makes the language learning both fun and exciting.
Udacity
If you think courses are only held in classrooms, Udacity will prove you wrong. This unique offers your hundreds of free online courses on thousands of interesting topics. You can also get coaching and feedback from professionals and earn a valid certification that is valued by modern employers. If you are looking to learn coding or programming languages, Udacity might be one of the best options for you.
Photomath
Math is one of the toughest subjects for many students. If you are high-school students looking for some good guidance, Photomath might prove useful to you.. All you have to do is take a screenshot of the example and the app will show the result along with a solution, so you can analyze the process as well.
Conclusion
Mobile apps are increasingly becoming smarter with the advent of new technologies. They show us new pathways of learning which are not restricted by form, time or place. So basically, you should create an education app that allows the learner to follow their own pace by making it an individualized process. Your app needs to provide the learner unlimited access to information which ultimately gives students more control of their individual development. There is no doubt education apps will play a decisive role in educating the future generations and that’s why you should seriously consider building one.
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