13 Must-Have Features of Successful Educational Apps
The education industry worldwide has been facing a major shift. The way we learn and grasp knowledge is changing at a very rapid pace. Classrooms are now becoming more and more digital, and mobile devices are playing a significant role in this change. As reported by ResearchAndMarkets, the online education market is predicted to grow to $350 billion by 2025. And one of the most critical aspects of this growth is the development of educational apps.
This means technology has definitely reformulated the way we perceive education and how students learn. Everyone eager to learn and improve their knowledge, regardless of age, can access a huge amount of resources and courses with just a few clicks. The best thing is most of these apps are available for free. As per Statista, the global e-learning market is forecasted to reach approximately $400 billion by 2026. So if you are looking to get into this industry or want to improve your existing app, it’s essential to understand what features make an educational app successful. Let’s get started to learn more about the features.
Must-have features of educational apps
With the plethora of educational apps available in the market, most of them claim to offer the best user experience and be the most helpful. However, not all of them are successful. So, what separates the best apps from the rest? Let’s take a look at some of the must-have features of successful educational apps:
1. Simple and intuitive user interface
Have you ever encountered an app that is so complicated to use that you just give up and uninstall it? So one of the deciding features for the app’s success is its user interface. A simple and easy-to-use interface is a must for educational apps. The app should be designed in a way that allows its users to navigate through the different sections and features.
The entire flow must turn out to be smooth without any hiccups. That means you’ll need to hire an educational app development company with a good UI/UX design team. Also, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind while taking help from the experts in designing the app’s interface, such as
- Clean and uncluttered layout
- Identifiable buttons and icons
- Legible font size
- Minimum colors and enough whitespace to avoid visual fatigue
2. Personalized dashboard
When students or teachers see a personalized dashboard as soon as they log in, they are much more likely to use the app regularly. This helps them customize their dashboard according to their preferences.
For instance, a student’s dashboard can display upcoming assignments, learning materials, etc. In contrast, a teacher’s dashboard can help them add or edit assignments, and teaching materials, track students’ performance, etc.
3. Engaging and relevant content
What is an educational app without good content? When we say content, it not only includes text but also videos, blogs, infographics, etc. The app’s content must be
- Well-researched, accurate, and engaging
- Able to hold the user’s attention and keep them hooked
- Relevant to the user’s needs
- Updated regularly
So, knowing your target audience before creating the content is always recommended. This will help ensure the content is engaging and relevant to your audience.
4. Push notifications
Push notifications play a vital role in skyrocketing the success of your educational app. Important notifications about assignments, mock tests, class timings, etc., can be sent directly to the user’s device through push notifications. In this way, users will never miss out on any critical updates, which can eventually help in boosting app engagement.
But do remember that to include push notifications in your educational app, you need to have educational app development services that can help you with it.
5. Screen-sharing
Isn’t it great to share your screen with others so they can easily understand what you’re trying to say? That’s precisely what the screen-sharing feature does for the users. It allows them to share their screen with another person so that it becomes easier to explain the concepts.
This is an excellent feature for teachers as it can help them deliver lectures or teaching materials more effectively. Also, students can use this feature to take help from their peers or teachers in solving their doubts.
6. Session recording
Have you ever forgotten what you learned in an online class? Well, if yes, then you know the importance of session recording. The feature allows users to record their online sessions, which can come in handy when they want to revise the concepts later on. It helps students eliminate the need to take notes and concentrate more on the class. Also, it can help teachers save time by using the recorded sessions for future reference. These recordings can further be used to create new e-learning materials.
7. Feedback and rating system
To build a brand’s credibility and ensure customer satisfaction, it is essential to include a feedback and rating system in your educational app. It will help you understand the bottleneck areas so that you can work on them and improve the app accordingly. Moreover, it can help build trust among users as they see that the company is interested in hearing its customers and taking their feedback seriously.
8. Offline mode
Although most of the time, the internet works like a charm, there are still some areas where the connection is not that great. In such cases, it may be difficult to access online content, but if you have an educational app with an offline mode, the users can access the content even in areas with a poor internet connection. The feature allows users to download and access the content later without internet connectivity.
9. In-session chat
We may not say it out loud, but yes, we all need help from our friends or teachers while resolving any doubts during online classes. And that’s exactly what the in-session chat feature does. It helps users to raise their doubts and get them resolved in real-time. Also, it can help promote collaboration among the users as they can have discussions on various topics related to their study material.
10. Multilingual support
As the world is becoming increasingly globalized, it has become much more important to cater to users’ needs worldwide. And one way to do this is by providing multilingual support in your app. The feature not only helps you reach out to a larger audience but also ensures that the app is accessible to everyone. Also, it can help build a better user experience.
11. Social media integration
Nowadays, social media has become an integral part of our lives. So integrating it with your educational app can do wonders for your business. It’ll help you promote your app and reach out to a larger audience. Also, the feature helps its users to easily upload content, such as tutorials, interviews, etc., and share it with their friends or followers. As a result, it can help create a community of learners who can interact with each other and exchange ideas.
12. Gamification
Education is not all about serious learning, it should be fun too. And what better way to make learning fun than by incorporating games into the mix? Gamification can help promote user engagement and retention. It also helps in making the learning process more interactive and enjoyable. You can add digital badges, rewards, etc to motivate your app users and encourage them to keep using the app.
13. Ecommerce integration
If you want to monetize your educational app, then eCommerce integration is a must. It will help you sell physical goods such as books, stationery, or courses, etc. Undoubtedly, it is a great way to generate revenue from your app.
Wrapping up
With the increasing popularity of online learning, educational apps are becoming increasingly popular. And if you want to build an educational app that stands out from the rest, you must ensure that it has all the right features. The above-listed features are a must-have for any educational app. So what are you waiting for? Get started with the development process and create an app that can revolutionize how we learn.