The Ultimate Guide to the Development of E-Learning Web Apps

Last updated on November 25th, 2023 at 01:35 pm

Online learning was largely acknowledged in the mid-’90s and soon took wings as a new channel to deliver educational lessons and training. Meanwhile, the term e-learning was coined in 1998, the same year Google registered as a firm to market the Google search engine.

Due to the pandemic, the lives of everyone have changed drastically in the past two years with technology-enabled solutions. The pandemic forced everyone to work from home and even study from home, so much so that in 2020, the e-learning market crossed $250 million. These statistics indicate that the future of eLearning web apps is here. Let us walk you through the development process of eLearning web applications.

Types of e-learning web apps

Some statistics state that about 60% of students prefer online eLearning web apps in account to traditional classrooms. Moreover, a survey by the American Institute of Public Opinion Gallop reported that more than 71% of users called the concept of e-learning more convenient and understandable than traditional learning methodologies. When starting an e-learning business you can choose from many options. There are three primary types of eLearning web apps.

1. Open-source online e-learning platforms

The open-source online eLearning app is one of the most convenient types of web applications. This is a ready-made solution for online learning with both paid and free offers. A lot of SaaS (Software As a Service) applications have annual as well as monthly subscriptions.

Open-source platforms come fully packed with features such as interactive exercises, assignment uploading options, live chats between teachers and students, and even support forums. With online learning web apps, teachers can create their profiles, upload their learning materials, and accept payments from students with the help of online payment gateways. Certain examples of open-source online e-learning platforms are as follows:

• Moodle
• BrainCert
• Litmos

2. Online eLearning course marketplaces

Online eLearning course marketplaces improve lives by helping people learn about creative skills, business, software technology, and much more. They include a variety of courses from varied educational institutes, colleges, and universities. With this diversification and advanced built-in tools, it imparts knowledge to teachers as well as students. Teachers can simply upload their video courses or assignments, create quizzes to evaluate the student’s performance, and even lend them certificates after the successful completion of the respective course.

The online course marketplace is a huge and competitive eLearning market in itself. Thus, it’s safe to say that you will have countless competitors. The best way to beat this competition and stand out from your rivals is to develop an innovative eLearning platform like no other with the help of an experienced web development company. Some of the examples of online eLearning course marketplaces are as follows:

• Coursera
• EdX
• Udacity

3. Custom e-learning content management system

A custom eLearning content management can be developed from square one with the help of your development team. You can integrate several features and technologies to empower your educational business requirements. The best part about CMS (Content Management systems) is that you have complete control over your application and its development process. Along with that, essential functionalities can be added through the medium of APIs and third-party plugins.

When compared to other options on the list of eLearning web apps, custom eLearning CMS has a lot more earning potential. Aside from lending educational material, you can charge users undeviatingly without any mediators. Moreover, you can partner with universities and other educational institutes, run advertisements, and expand your horizon in the eLearning market. A few examples of custom eLearning content management systems are:

• Auzmor
• Coassemble
• EdApp

E-learning monetization models

Many educational institutes and learning organizations are now using technology to deliver their practices more efficiently and to a much larger pool of audience. One of the biggest advantages for them is the potential of eLearning web applications to provide a good return on investment(ROI). You can apply different monetization strategies and models to simply earn some money through your application and provide quality educational services. There are four types of basic business models as follows:

1. Sponsored courses

Sponsored courses are courses that can be charged to universities or educational institutions. To promote their institutes and classes at the top of search engines, such organizations are always looking for platforms to promote their courses. It is one of the most economical models for your application.

2. Advertising

Advertising is one of the most favorable eLearning monetization models. You can show ads and configure advertising campaigns such as cost per click or cost per view. Moreover, education-related advertisements can also be added to find a middle ground with your users and not arbitrate your app’s reputation.

3. Subscription

Monthly and annual subscription models are gaining more and more traction with the rise of eLearning applications. You can integrate such subscription models and provide users with unlimited access to the educational courses in your application. These models are usually pocket-friendly and give students access to superior learning materials and forums.

4. Freemium

Freemium is one of the most strategically planned monetizing models to get your brand-new app rolling. You can lend app users an aggregate amount of educational material and access some educational courses for free. This gives them a glimpse into having full access to your app and leads them to buy a premium account.

Common features of an online e-learning web app

Elearning can reach a wide area of targeted audience and allow the flexibility as well as the comfort of learning anytime, anywhere. It enables learning processes to be easily and cheaply spread over time so that it takes account over a long period, eventually adding to its effectiveness. The primary goal of eLearning web apps is to substitute the traditional ways of classroom learning as much as possible. Nowadays the role of eLearning web apps goes beyond being a sustainable alternative to learning methodologies. The app is made unique by its features and functions. Here are some of the key features of an online eLearning web app:

• Login: The login feature allows the students to register themselves sign up for the application and use its features.

• Profile: The profile feature lets the users build their profiles and make necessary changes to their data when needed.

• Notifications: One of the most integral features that send notifications to students as well as teachers about their upcoming classes ensuring that nobody misses their sessions.

• Online payments: This feature allows users to make payments through credit cards, debit cards, and other mobile wallets and even save their invoices for future reference.

• Categories, search, filter: With the help of this feature, the searching process becomes much more efficiently filtered and feasible. Users can choose the course that suits them the most by filtering search results such as language, skills, course duration, and difficulty level.

• Course page: learners can browse through various courses from varied universities and educational institutes and enroll in the one that suits them best.

• Quiz: The quiz feature allows teachers to create quizzes and manage their assessments accordingly. The quizzes help the students to evaluate their learning as well.

• Grade management: Teachers can create mark sheets or grade books for students to manage their grades of the students without any hassle.

• Certificates and badges: This feature is a testament to successful learning. It enhances learning methodologies and promotes the respective courses.

• Review and rating: With the help of this feature students who have finished a certain course can leave a review or rate it and share their experience for the new users to see.

Cost of developing an online e-learning web app

The best way to develop an online eLearning app is to focus on the perspective of a learner. For instance, think about what would be creative for them and try to find solutions to concurrent problems faced by users. The cost of developing an app depends on a lot of factors such as the features and complexity of your app as well as the choice of platforms. The development company you hire also plays a vital role in delivering an exquisite application and the cost of development.

If a portal consists of basic functionalities, the price of its development would be cheaper. Accordingly, the cost will go up if decide to integrate multiple functionalities. The price of development is discussed in detail considering such factors to help you have a better insight into the cost of developing an online eLearning portal.

Closing thoughts

The possibilities in eLearning are tremendous. As a result, online eLearning is booming at an alarming rate. It’s noteworthy that e-learning platforms must be personalized, user-friendly, and task-oriented to meet the user’s needs. In the coming years, the integration of augmented reality, data visualization, and artificial intelligence into the eLearning platforms is highly anticipated. This will add huge value to the thousands of students and learners all across the globe. It is evident that eLearning has the potential to transform the entire knowledge paradigm in the next few years.