Educational Software Development: Expectations vs. Reality

We live in modern society, so more and more people use the latest technologies in their lives. This phenomenon is easy to understand. Now everyone is trying to make life more convenient and mobile. However, today’s devices would not be as successful without the appropriate software. The role of software is growing in various fields, especially in the educational process. Thus, a direction called e-learning arose and became widespread. And the reason for this is the opportunities they provide:

• The possibility of studying at home during the pandemic;
• Assistance to students with disabilities;
• Personalization of training;
• Ensuring equal access to education.

E-learning is a modern direction of development of distance education systems using tablets, phones, computers, laptops, and e-books. Accordingly, e-learning refers to the use of mobile technologies, both individually and together with other information and communication technologies (ICT), to organize the educational process regardless of place and time. The realization of the idea of ​​ e-learning became possible in the 70s of the last century when Alan Kay proposed a computer that would be no larger than a book.

Today, elearning software development attracts the attention of many people. Professional elearning software development services and companies like jatapp are very popular. And it is not at all surprising. Learning with the participation of effective software provides students with the opportunity to access educational resources, be in touch with all participants in the process, and perform work both in an educational institution and in any accessible place. High-quality educational software development enables teachers to prepare for classes faster, present educational material in a more accessible form, better evaluate students’ educational results, etc.

E-learning Software Development: Significant Facts You Need to Know

The process of educational software development is not as easy as you might think. The profession of a developer has many features and requires a lot of strength, knowledge, and skills from a specialist. Check out the sections below to see if your expectations match reality.

Importance of Knowing Different Programming Languages

Many people think that in order to develop software and work in a good educational software development company, it is enough to know one programming language well. But actually, it is not. The reality is quite different. It is impossible to distinguish any one programming language from the background of others. Each language serves a specific purpose and no one can say for sure which language is better and which is worse.

The advantage of a certain programming language can only be determined in a particular task. And often tasks require knowledge of several languages since languages ​​work together, not against each other.

Programmer’s Job Is Not Just Creating Code

Those who think that programmers working for educational software development companies are only engaged in code development are deeply mistaken. The list of responsibilities of such a specialist is much wider and includes:

• Development of programs and mobile apps;
• Analysis of finished software and a conclusion on the possibility of its application;
• Testing and error correction;
• Unification of computing processes;
• Writing instructions for working with software for users;
• Launch of unique e-learning software development solutions;
• Solving other tasks.

Programming is a rapidly developing industry. So, a programmer must be able to quickly adapt to the current state of technology and constantly learn new ones. Otherwise, the value of the specialist will be significantly lower after a few years. A programmer must be able to objectively assess the capabilities of the applied technologies and their effectiveness when used for each specific case. It is also very important to have great patience and endurance. These qualities are absolutely irreplaceable and necessary in everyday life.

Programming Requires Creativity

Many mistakenly believe that writing unique code is transferring the solution to a problem into a language that the machine understands. But not everything is so simple. Reality requires creativity from professionals working for elearning software companies. Developers have to be creative in structuring data. Resourcefulness and an innovative approach are required to effectively combine different technologies into a coherent whole.

The creative aspect of programming also shows up in optimization. Beginning programmers tend to simply create working code that would perform a particular task. But over time, when a certain amount of experience accumulates, the developer begins to use a variety of tips and tricks to speed up work and save resources.

Efficient Work Is Impossible Without Following the Plan

Many people expect that educational software development does not require any work schedule. The reality, however, is different. Software development is a complex set of activities that require attention to detail and good coordination. So planning is a must. It is important to study the details of the project, think over the functionality, and carefully study the technical requirements.

It is also important to understand that there may be deviations from the work plan, and there is nothing problematic in this. Very rarely, specialists manage to create a project strictly following the plan drawn up initially. This is due to the fact that ideas come daily and conditions are constantly changing.

The Main Thing Is Not the Number of Participants, But the Quality of Their Work

Those who need elearning software development services most often choose companies that employ many developers. It’s the same with novice programmers – they strive to take a vacant position in a company with large command staff. But not always a large team of specialists demonstrates effective educational software development results. It is often possible to find a company with few employees, who provide high-quality work on each project. As a rule, 4-8 specialists (including programmers, managers, and designers) are enough to ensure effective development.

Post-Release Work Isn’t Finished

Each development is a living organism that grows, develops, and changes over time. The surrounding reality is also subject to change: new trends in the market, in the field of technology, etc. Users may also need new features and functionality.

That is, the reality is that educational software development is a continuous struggle that takes place in conditions of fierce competition. For example, Apple has been around for over 45 years. And all thanks to the fact that it diligently preserves and warms up the interest of users, successfully adapting to the inevitable changes.

Thus, product release does not mean the end of work. The software requires further support. Errors that occur during operation also need to be eliminated.

Conclusion 

Educational software development is a service in demand by universities, schools, colleges, kindergartens, and other educational institutions that want to make the learning process more progressive. The software, developed by a professional e-learning software development company, contains various tools for the work of teachers and students. The use of educational software services is appropriate today and brings many benefits.