Future of custom software development in the education sector

Updated May 2021

The education industry’s traditional nature has made it to be more cautious with high inertia about adopting digital solutions through custom software development.

But in the last decade, we’ve noticed a more open approach to digital transformation that is working its way into nearly every aspect of managing an educational institution.

Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has pressured the education sector to embrace new technologies and get them working in a short duration of time.

The eLearning market was already on a growing path before COVID-19, but now, it’s estimated to reach $375 billion by 2026. That speaks of a clear need to embed technology into the learning experience.

Considering that remote learning has become the new normal, technology becomes a central support system that makes Education possible in these times.

But what about the long-term?

What role does Educational Software Development play in the evolution of the Education Sector?

The Education Industry faces many challenges that hinder its progress and prevent it from achieving a higher performance level. Some of the most pressing ones are:

– paper-based administration

– distributed resources, whether it’s learning materials, teachers, or students

– lack of digital tools that would help keep students engaged – lack of a comprehensive communication platform between teachers, parents, and students.

Like any other organization, educational institutions need proper digital capabilities to appeal to their digitally-wired students and create a competitive advantage to ensure their success.

That can only be done by embracing digital transformation through software development, by building the necessary tools to allow an educational institution to be where the students and teachers are. Whether it’s in their homes, on their smartphones, or in a classroom, it’s crucial to ensure an education system that continues to contribute to building a kind, smart, and civilized society.

How is custom software development contributing to the future of education?

Improving the education system is like trying to tame a giant. Although not impossible, it needs to be done systematically. By addressing its challenges, one by one, educational institutions, whether it’s schools, universities, or training companies, should improve the way they guide, instruct, and assess students.

So, what does the education system need?

• An efficient learning management system

Most institutions still rely on paper-based administrative processes. Given the complexity and amount of data that the education system handles, paperwork consumes many financial and human resources.

There is also a huge discrepancy between how students look for information about a school or a particular class and how they apply or enroll. One is done online; the other requires multiple trips and several binders.

Pinning a paper on the wall to make an announcement or to publish a new schedule looks exciting in movies, but it’s not a cost-effective solution, and it definitely cannot be sustained in the long run.

To streamline these internal processes, the educational domain looks to custom software development to build cloud-based systems that facilitate resources and operations management. Custom software helps institutions create educational software solutions that cater to their specific needs because each organization is different and requires a unique approach.

An efficient digital management system can address most of the challenges an educational institution faces concerning:

– schedules

– assessment and grading system

– document management

– enrollment

– student data

– collaboration

– training

Acquiring these digital capabilities will enable the education sector to have a better outlook on the educational system performance. Institutions will become more flexible and adapt much faster to uncertain times.

• eLearning educational platforms and virtual classrooms

The year 2020 has shown us that remote learning is possible, but the education system is not well equipped to fully support it just yet.

The shift to online education has created a demand for developing eLearning software solutions that make remote education sustainable, not just provide workarounds.

By creating a custom eLearning platform, educational institutions will provide their teachers and students a comprehensive, flexible, convenient, and secure tool that breaks communication barriers and unlocks the potential of self-directed learning.

With online learning, you can have a better overview of the studying process, retrieve study materials easily, follow your learning progress, and even promote and suggest new classes or tools that can be useful to both students and teachers. A custom-made web-based learning platform is cost-effective, has high availability, and it’s adaptable. Although these traits are not common when dealing with the education industry, digital transformation quickly brings out these substantial benefits.

• Mobility solutions

The exponential growth of smartphone apps is not only affecting the eCommerce industry, it influences the way the education sector builds the learning experience. It should be approached through the lens of the Power Triad: mLearning, microlearning, and gamification.

Students expect their learning experience to be convenient and engaging. Most of them consume their information in bite-sized portions, which is called microlearning. Duolingo is a good example. You learn a language by taking quick, short lessons daily. It’s nothing complicated, and you can go through your course during a break or while you wait in line. While this is not fully applicable to a more complex study program, the principles can be applied.

Learning through an application enables trainees to study at their speed, on their terms, and if combined with a reward system, makes it much more appealing.

Mobile learning gives institutions better access to analytics, where they can gain insights into students’ learning patterns, leading to personalized study programs and curated content.

Without a doubt, it is not only a shift to a digital experience but a more informal education system. Receiving push notifications for classes, sharing notes, helping peers, receiving recommendations on related courses, or related degrees – these are all significant changes for a sector that has known to be protective of its way of doing things.

The advancement of new technologies, such as Machine Learning & AI, also challenges the education sector and opens the door for new software solutions that could change the way students experience campuses or receive tutoring.

Should you hire an education software development company?

The future of education strongly relies on the future of software development. So, seeking help from an education software development company is not so unnatural to the educational sector anymore. As digital technologies advance, so should the education industry, so that it can keep up with and embrace the agility, efficiency, and growth that are inherent in powerful digital solutions. Contact Asahi Technologies today for inquiries about custom software development.