E-Learning App Trends Defining Educational App Development

When the pandemic struck and the countries started to lock themselves down into quarantines, students, working professionals, and kids found themselves in a situation where they were supposed to work and continue their education at home. This is where online learning came to the fore. E-learning apps are cost-effective, time-saving, and convenient. Everything is in favor of introducing a fresh and innovative e-learning mobile solution to the market as now more than ever it has a chance to flourish. If you want to create or improve such an app, go for it! But creating a successful and profitable mobile app for education can’t be done without keeping up with the latest trends in e-learning app development and knowing how to apply them to your business, something that the top education app developers always do.

If you’re wondering about how to make a learning app for kids or for adults, check out our comprehensive guide on e-learning app development, and let’s begin with the mobile learning trends.

#1 Mobile learning is the new norm

Mobile learning is the main educational trend by itself, becoming more widespread and trending in every part of the world. The rising penetration of smartphones and internet access make e-learning more accessible with every passing year, increasing the number of educational app users and encouraging the rest. The demand for mobile education is high: the e-learning industry is expected to be valued at more than $315 billion in 2023, with a 20% CAGR from 2022 to 2028. While 42% of businesses say that e-learning has increased their income. That’s why we have the whole article dedicated to the subject of e-learning market potential and how an educational app could be beneficial for your business. 

So it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the whole world economy nowadays relies on the development of mobile software and its quality. It makes mobile learning the heart of today’s education, giving students the possibility to learn anything anywhere and anytime, and making them popular and sometimes even indispensable. The reality is that people want to access learning materials using their mobile devices. 

Mobile apps can also be quickly deployed and easily updated. They are more personalized and offer additional advantages in comparison with websites like push notifications which makes them a promising business asset.

This trend is also connected to other tendencies in e-learning like microlearning, blended learning, and the popularity of educational video content. Mobile learning is the future of education so it’s time for the mobile-first approach and focusing on delivering your solution for mobile users first.

#2 Audio and video content is the king

YouTube gets over 30 million visitors per day and not all of them are there for funny kittens only. TED-Ed, SmarterEveryDay, Vsauce, AsapSCIENCE, National Geographic — these are just a fraction of seriously popular educational channels. Moving pictures has always been one of the easiest ways to get new information.

The integration of video content into mobile apps for learning, if it doesn’t go against their format, makes them more interesting, with easier-to-digest content. It is still a widespread practice to hold webinars. What’s more, virtual conferences are among this year’s hottest trends in education in various industries, and with the current health situation in the world, it’s likely to continue. So adding streaming options and video chat to your mobile education product is likely to make it more up-to-date and competitive on the market.

As for the audio content, you can incorporate various multimedia components, such as audio narration, graphics, and interactive elements. By combining these elements, your e-learning app can become more engaging, dynamic, and effective for students.

#3 Flexible and rewarding personalized learning 

The digital environment, tailored to the interests and preferences of users is one of the main reasons why people like using mobile apps in education so much, especially the younger millennials and members of the Gen-Z generation. They want knowledge, specifically packaged to address their needs. So developing educational apps, think about personalizing them. It’s a thing worth considering and investing in.

Learning app personalization gives students a superior experience and better control over their educational process, letting them form their learning curriculums and to some extent set the overall pace. It also gives them the possibility to take control of how their learning environment looks and feels like (choosing custom backgrounds, avatars, and sounds). All in all, the ability to take on only those lessons and subjects students are in need of, means more freedom and the discovery-oriented approach makes adaptive learning more comfortable, enjoyable, and rewarding. This means that learners will use your app more willingly and stay there longer. When engaged in education software development, create content based on your target audience’s preferences, interests, goals, past experiences, and future needs.

Personalization is also great for corporate learning apps as it helps to achieve only those goals that would help businesses grow. Statistics say that the revenue generated per employee is 26% higher for companies that offer training using the e-learning approach, so investing in corporate educational mobile app development is a great business opportunity.

#4 AI is improving education

Artificial intelligence technologies are exactly what help to make online learning personalized by understanding users’ behavior, identifying their weak points, and offering ways to remedy the situation. AI uses complex data analysis algorithms to enhance educational management systems and help students learn. The statistics are astonishing: AI in the education market will likely surpass $30 billion by 2032. At the beginning of 2023, there were already around thirty EdTech unicorns worth $89 billion.

Voice assistants, one of the benefits of digital education that is based on the advancement of AI, allow the students to converse with educational materials without the involvement of the teacher. Voice apps in education also have a huge potential among kids. Last April, one of the voice-based AI EdTech startups for children — MyBuddy.ai — managed to close a $1M funding round.

Moreover, artificial intelligence tools and devices have been aiding in making learning environments accessible to all irrespective of their language or disabilities. Apps that use AI tools can be all-inclusive. Examples of mobile learning apps using AI algorithms include Otter Voice Meeting Notes. It’s an app that can transcribe voice-to-text in real-time and generate notes, offering students with learning disabilities more control over their academic accomplishments.

AI also helps to make the task of grading easier for teachers by doing it automatically. It improves grading accuracy and frees up a lot of teachers’ time which they can spend on preparing for lessons, enhancing the course materials, and personal development.

#5 Immersive learning with AR and VR

The technologies of augmented and virtual reality broaden the educational possibilities, allowing to conduct of virtual experiments and providing new environments that are inaccessible, or difficult to access in reality. They help popularize remote learning and introduce innovative ways to comprehend information, fuelling up students’ imagination and creativity. They also add a practical aspect to theoretical learning and are able to provide simpler explanations of complex issues. For business owners, they mean another profitable investment, making an app more immersive and increasing user retention. Applications using the benefits of AR and VR feature heightened interactivity and more visual content. 

Immersive technologies are used to train employees, for example, in the case of medical students and practitioners. Such trainings save companies’ time and money letting employees receive new skills without transfer and spending money on expensive equipment.

Although VR apps still present some issues connected to technology costs, AR apps are much more widely used since they only need a phone for them to function. Meanwhile, with the passage of time and the advent of the latest technologies, AR and VR apps are becoming less costly and faster in making.

#6 Gamification makes everything funnier

Using a game-based approach is one of the fastest-growing trends in mobile app development and e-learning app development in particular. App developers successfully use gamification techniques in various kinds of applications from fitness to banking, but they come in especially handy in apps for educational purposes where they have the power to make the whole process easier and more engaging for the students. It’s one of the simplest ways for you to add some fun and excitement to your app, as well as the ability for students to set and attain their goals faster. Also, for an educational app developer, it’s a great way to increase engagement and the app’s ROI, as a result.

What’s more, not every person finds it enjoyable to study regardless of how the knowledge is presented. For kids in particular it’s much harder to concentrate than for adults. Gamification makes the learning experience funnier transforming it from a chore to an enjoyment. In the case of kids’ apps, this approach is compulsory.

Gamification techniques include levels, progress bars, points, badges, or other kinds of rewards for correct answers, leaderboards, etc. For example, at the moment we are in the process of developing a new web educational platform for the Proko online resource for artists. One of the features of the new platform is its gamification when people get credit for everything they do on the website including watching videos, helping other users, and completing assignments.

#7 Microlearning — the 21st century way to learn

Same to micro training in fitness, this technique is a life savior for people who haven’t enough time to spend on education in one go. Besides, continuous learning requires not only a considerable amount of time but a lot of attention which not everybody is ready to provide. Integrating microlearning in an app can help solve these issues and attract a wider audience of learners of all ages and professions. Microlearning has been shown to increase retention rates by 25% to 60%.

Microlearning is about dividing the educational process into small multiple parts for students to spend no more than a few to ten minutes per one short bit. It lets them conveniently study during the day when convenient if just a little at a time. The versatility of this approach lets educational app development companies use different kinds of learning applications with an equal level of success. The most beneficial way to adopt this approach is to use it together with the traditional ones depending on the subject and uses of your app and its structure. 

#8 Social learning — collaboration in action

Social learning is the first kind of education every child receives when trying to copy the behavior of parents or other significant adults, although at that stage it’s not yet formal. So it comes naturally to the majority of people in adulthood also to continue using this kind of learning at home, at university, and at work. You can add social features to your e-learning app by integrating it with existing social networks or introduce an internal solution and make the app more attractive to people who prefer this way of learning.

Communities where people practice, ask for help and evaluation, and receive feedback from instructors and peers is a great lever for continuous learning. Studies show that using collaborative learning leads to increased involvement and better retention of knowledge.

From the business perspective, integrating an app with social networks makes a commercial setup more visible to a wider audience, expanding the client base, and promoting your educational product or service.

Trends are there to help you stay on top

This year, everything is set to make online education even more prominent. Several world trends from the major event of this year to the rapid expansion of technology ensure the progress of e-learning.  Mobile e-learning is the best and sometimes the only way for people to continue with their education, receive new work skills and boost child development. The digital technologies are spreading, enabling small businesses and startups to dive into this industry. Moreover, schools, universities, and coaching centers face the necessity to orientate themselves toward online learning to boost their business operations.

All this leads to the necessity of having more and more solutions, meaning e-learning educational apps for mobile use. Take this rising opportunity and create something that you and your users will enjoy. Whether you decide to create an innovative language-learning app or an app to teach people how to draw or sing, we have a lot of experience working on educational projects. Contact us and get expert educational app development services today.

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The first impression can easily become the last. Next, we are going to cover the topic of educational app design and why it’s crucial to an app’s success.

Further reads on e-learning app development:

• How to Create an Educational App and How Much It Costs
• Educational Apps: E-Learning Market Research And Statistics
• Make It Work: Tips On E-Learning App Development
• E-Learning App Design And How To Make It Better