We all are aware of what COVID-19 has done to mankind. The damage caused by the deadly virus is quite clear and incalculable.
Each individual, from adults to elderly people, to children, each section of the society is facing some sort of challenges with each passing day.
With this, it is quite difficult to adapt to the changes that come our way. Each working section of the whole earth is on work from home. However, many lost their jobs due to this pandemic. The strict restrictions imposed by the government of each country has caused immense drainage of people’s wealth, energy, and mental health.
Amidst this, the question arises, how will the youth and children focus on their studies?
According to the strict rules of the government, no education sector will open until our doctors come up with the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ever since lockdown has been imposed around each corner of the globe, the education sector has suffered an equal loss.
This has led the education sector to conduct online classes and home-schooling. All the students are advised to make reference to the online tutoring apps and depend on the internet in order to complete their education this year. With this, the demand for building online tutoring platforms and apps has been increasing tremendously.
One of the important reasons for the rise of online education apps is that parents are quite insecure and concerned about the education of their children. They fear that the children might miss their timely education.
Lockdowns have restricted the opening of the schools but private tutoring and learning are expanding thoroughly.
However, education has no boundaries. It does not matter how a student is being educated. The only thing that needs concern is that the apps should possess all the features that are necessary. These apps should be developed in such a way that it is beneficial for both the student and the teacher.
What are the features necessary to develop an on-demand tutoring app?
Here is a discussion on 15 essential features that your on-demand tutoring app needs in the COVID-19 era. Let's look into it.
Untangled signup
You obviously will not want people to get disappointed by the signup procedure of the app in the first attempt. Gone are the days which created long signup forms. The users who are visiting your app for the first time will not always want to sign up or create an account.
In addition to it, an average phone has several applications that need different user IDs and passwords. However, no first time user will want to create another ID and password for your on-demand app.
Therefore, build your app in such a way that it does not restrict the new or first-time users to enter your app at least. The signup process should be uncomplicated.
You can either avail of the feature of login via Facebook or Google sign in, or you can ask for a mail id and the user’s name.
Users will lose interest and never visit your site again if your app demands too many restrictions while signing in.
Sharp-witted search option
Build the app in a creative manner that spots keywords and displays the results instantly. The app should run on basic software with basic functions that a normal user demands for. Once, a user enters your app, he can look out for any of the topics or courses related to your app.
However, the user search is limited. Here is where you need to pay attention again. Target all the important and relevant keywords that a user might look for in your app.
Henceforth, autosuggest the user with the word they are trying to search for. The algorithm should not wait for the user to type the whole query. On clicking the keyword, the user should be directed to that desired page. This saves the time of the visitor or user to search and use your app. Tutoring app should always focus on easy user accessibility and navigation.
Your Courses
Your app should display all the top courses on the homepage itself. This gives a student a broader and clearer idea of what will suit them best. The course should appear on the basis of their searches. However, the app should be built in a way that makes it easy for the student to purchase the program. Your app should not just be smart with recommendations but with courses and the structure of the fee as well.
Customized dashboard
It is not necessary that a user will opt for a single course. A use might opt for several courses at a time. Therefore your on-demand tutor app should provide these facilities as well.
This is the reason a customized dashboard is important in order to distinguish the individual record from the insights. It should further provide a clear understanding of your users.
A personalized or customized dashboard will provide separate learning progress, notes, results, reminders, and exams.
Start from where you’ve left
Similar to the shopping site cart, your on-demand tutoring app should possess this feature. For an instance, if a student leaves your course 40 minutes prior to the ending, he/she should have the access to pick the rest from where they had left.
This feature of instant pickup is extremely vital as it will provide your students with a good experience as they do not need to go through the same material again or fast forward it.
This is a feature that no one pays attention to but is important that people usually don’t talk about.
Offline admittance
Your on-demand tutor app should revolve around the objective to provide endless education. The whole concept and motive fail if your app does not work offline. Develop your app in a way that does not need an internet connection 24*7. This is another reason you should avail offline courses to your students regardless of internet availability. App development is definitely not an easy task. Although, with the features listed here, you can incorporate them in your app to create the best user experience.
If that is not possible, make a download option available so that the users download the content and carry out the lessons later as per their convenience.
Exciting assessments
One of the exciting ways of learning is by conducting quizzes or multiple-choice questions. Your app should conduct exciting and creative tests. This will not only bring a sense of curiosity and engagement among the students, but it will give you an idea regarding how much your app is creating an impact, in terms of education.
This is when you need to introduce gamification. It is an amazing concept to merge it into your app, thereby creating the concept of autonomous learning meaningful. Your on-demand app must contain revision trackers and short tests so that the students get an idea of how much they are improving.
Notes and documents
Notes are important. It does not matter if you are a part of an online class, or an offline class, documents, and notes are essential. Your on-demand tutor app should have a section that provides and contains notes. There is nothing easier or effective than looking through the essential points in an entire chapter. This helps in quick learning.
Despite being offline, that section of the app should contain all the notes provided by the teachers, making it easy for the students to go through it.
Instructor facilities (surprise tests)
This feature might be complex but is great. In case a live tutor wants to check the attentiveness of a student, he/she should have the access to conduct an open discussion session.
With this, the tutors can post several questions, MCQs, and quiz in between the classes. In addition to it, this test should have a feature of recording the marks similar to a school report card. It can then be used to keep a track of the student’s progress in the future.
Customized growth plans
One of the biggest advantages that the online class has is that it pays attention to each student.
In a class of 60 students, it is quite impossible for a teacher to look after each student individually and work on their weaknesses.
However, in an online class, the teacher gets to interact with the student via mobile phone or PC, 24*7. This paves a way for the teacher to mark the weaknesses of a student and help him in those particular fields.
Your on-demand tutor app should have a growth plan for each student to track their progress and give them more attention.
Doubt section
It is not necessary that a student will have a doubt or query during the class. Questions and answers do not come announced. This is why your app should have a feature that permits the students to note down their doubts so that they can get them clarified once the session resumes.
If there is a holiday, the student should get access to jot their question in the app so that the teacher answers them within a stipulated time.
Notifications
There must be a feature of sending notifications to the students so that they get notified regarding each thing that takes place in their session.
This includes:
- Reminding students to join the class
- Remind them regarding their doubts stored in the module
- Remind them about a specific chapter that the student has not visited in a while
- Notify answers, exams, and important announcements
- Parents alarm to track the progress of their child
Group swotting
This is an important point. No human on this earth feels the urge to do something unless they meet their competition. To keep the students checked in and interested, it is important to keep them inspired and motivated. Your on-demand tutor app should permit all the students to join the class in a group and learn virtually.
This will bring out a sense of collaboration as the students extend hands to help out each other with their weaknesses. In addition to it, it makes the class interesting and engaging too.
Compatibility
The on-demand tutor app is actually eLearning. Therefore, your app should not have any rules on sign-in cases. There is no requirement that the user needs to log in from one mobile device. You have created an app, so your app can be installed on various devices.
Build your app in a way so that it has a real-time sync feature and settings needed for that particular device that the user is accessing your app from.
Your app should provide optimum device advantages.
Streaming
It is not necessary that online classes should be conducted on phones or PCs. For a better user experience, the users should be able to access your app in bigger units like a Television.
Imagine being a part of an online class that is broadcasted on your television.
Different modes of streaming break the protocol of online class that is held in mobile phones or PCs.
In addition to it, a bigger screen provides a sense of enjoyment and excitement among the students. This makes the concepts clear and precise which leads to positive outcomes and grades.
Once students start enjoying your app, you can then conclude that you are doing well with its development. However, streaming on television should not have any bugs or lags.
Epilogue
With this, now you know the 15 vital features that are needed in order to develop a bang on the “on-demand tutoring app”.
The development of these apps grows continuously as the demand for it rises in the COVID-19 era.
In fact, with the evolving time and the endless development of digital-related applications, eLearning is gaining a prominent place in schools and educational institutions.
You can create an app of your choice anytime to provide education to the students. However, make sure you incorporate these features into your app to provide the best user experience.
Are you ready to develop a rock-solid app?
