Education Bespoke Web and Software Development

The education industry in the UK is booming, it encompasses institutions that provide all levels of education from primary to higher and beyond as well as a significant number of organisations who offer products and services to these institutions. Arguably, one of the oldest industries in existence, it goes without saying that outdated, complex and inefficient processes are prevalent across the board. Bespoke web and software development continues to address these challenges, transforming the industry for the better.

The Role of Bespoke Software in Education

Bespoke software can play a significant role in the education sector, regardless of the institution. It can promote positive learning experiences for schools, colleges and universities alike, automate manual and time consuming administrative tasks and allow students to engage in collaborative learning online. Common software systems prevalent across the education industry include -

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Learning management systems can be designed to facilitate online learning, content delivery and student progress tracking. Key features may include personalised learning paths, multimedia content support, integrated assessments, and detailed analytics to monitor and enhance student performance.

Admissions and Enrollment Systems

Admissions & Enrollment software can be developed to automate the application, review and enrollment processes which can in turn, simplify and streamline admissions and make the whole enrollment experience more pleasant for all. Key features may include online application forms, document submission and automated applicant tracking and notifications.

Communication Portals

These systems save a lot of paper and can be designed to enhance communication between educators, parents and students. Key features might include secure two-way messaging, announcements, access to progress reports, learner history and access to learner schedules (no more pretending it's a non uniform day when it isn't!).

Assessment and Grading Systems

Assessment & grading software can give users the ability to create, distribute and evaluate assignments and exams. Key features could include automated grading (with the help of a reliable and powerful AI tool), integrated feedback tools where student and staff can provide feedback and/or comments and performance analytics and reports.

Student Information Systems (SIS)

These popular systems exist to digitally manage records such as enrollment, attendance, grades and demographics. They are usually developed to provide a platform for centralised data management and are often used as the 'core' data feed for a number of other systems.

Library and Resource Management Systems

Libraries are sadly not as popular as they once were but this isn't the case in the Education system. Software can be created that allows libraries to manage the tracking of borrowing, returns and availability of educational materials. Key features may include digital catalogues, reservation systems and automated overdue reminders.

Understanding Educational Needs

We have detailed some of the most common types of software systems that can be found across the educational sector, now lets take a look at how to identify the needs of a specific organisation in the industry and how to turn it into an effective software solution.

1) Stakeholder Engagement

Any good software solution starts with stakeholder engagement. This is an opportunity for the development team to sit down with all relevant stakeholders which could be teachers, students, parents and administrators to get an understanding of what they would like the software to provide. This could be challenges they would like the software to overcome, a reduction in manual input requirements or to have one place to access all of the resources they might need as an example.

2) Operational Analysis

Analysis of the current environment including workflows, processes and existing should be undertaken to determine where there are issues, inefficiencies and areas for improvement. It is also a good idea at this stage to map out any additional processes, workflows or integrations the new software is required to encompass.

3) Integration with Existing Systems

An extension of the above, any existing systems the new software needs to integrate with should be highlighted whether they be bespoke or off-the-shelf.

4) Incorporate Future Plans

Where possible, future plans should be incorporated into the operational mapping to ensure the software is built in a way that can accommodate them. For example, if an educational institution knows it will be taking over additional campuses, offering new courses or would like to make the application forms available to individuals who speak other languages the software can be designed to ensure this is possible in the future.

5) Regulatory and Compliance Requirements

The education industry is heavily regulated on a number of different levels. For examples, educational qualifications need to meet the standards set by the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The beauty of going bespoke is that such things can be accounted for in the software. In this case, there could be a mandatory checklist for all courses created that need to be physically ticked off to confirm each standard has been met.

6) Accessibility and Inclusivity

It is imperative that educational institutions incorporate accessibility and inclusivity in everything they do. By not doing so, they are not only at risk of being labelled as discriminatory but they are also closing themselves off to significant opportunities.

7) Budget

Once needs have been assessed and documented relating to the above aspects, it is then time to see how they stack up against the budget the purchasing company has. If cash is limited, features should be prioritised in order of importance and those left over, can be set aside for such a time where more budget becomes available.

Cost-Effectiveness and Future-Proofing

Custom software solutions by their very nature are usually very cost effective for educational institutes and those offering their products and services to the industry due to their ability to address the specific needs and requirements of the organisations in question. Unlike off-the-shelf alternatives, bespoke solutions remove the need for unnecessary features and functionality and instead, offer only what the purchasing organisation requires without the need for compromise. Custom systems can enhance productivity, save time and resources through automation and streamline workflows and processes which ultimately leads to long term cost savings and often, the software paying for itself. As an example, custom Learning Management Systems (LMS) can incorporate specific curricula, assessment methods and analytics tools directly aligned with an institution's goals and KPIs.

In addition, they can be built with the future in mind, negating the need for costly replacements or additions and their integration capabilities with existing systems can further maximise ROI by extending current investments rather than outright replacing them - win, win!

Strategies for Future-Proofing Bespoke Software

Make it Scalable - It is wise to incorporate any expectations for the future into any new software. This could be to support anticipated growing user bases, handle increased data loads as institutions expand or having the ability to add new courses with ease.

Embrace Modern Tech - By incorporating modern technology such as cloud computing, VR and even AI, the software is likely to remain relevant and engaging whilst also being set up to accommodate any emerging technologies within those fields.

Make it User Focused - By ensuring the software is user friendly, organisations are providing a positive learning experience. Coupled with changes based on user feedback, individuals are likely to continue to embrace the software.

Keep it Updated & Secure - It is imperative that organisations schedule regular updates to address security vulnerabilities, incorporate user feedback and stay aligned with technological advancements. In such a heavily regulated industry, security cannot be risked nor can the performance of the system.

Developing Tailored Applications for Education: Ensuring Quality User Experience and Engagement

Whether it be mobile apps or desktop, web or cross platform - developing applications for companies in or serving the education industry can bring a wide reaching range of benefits to the users, the admin and the company as whole. Here are some of the possibilities applications can offer to the world of education -

For Learners

A Personalised Learning Experience

As individuals, we all learn in different ways. Some of us learn better through listening, some through hands-on practice and some of us simply through looking at things. Through the use of bespoke applications, institutions can offer a variety of ways in which students can learn allowing them to choose the way that best fits them. AI and Analytics can analyse student behaviors and provide them with the content and learning paths that suits their individual preferences and where they perform best.

Flexible Access

Covid had a devastating impact on all of us, students included. With people being all but banished to their homes for significant periods of time, technology and more specifically, educational applications provided a way for students to still be able to attend classes and learn providing they had a suitable device to be able to access them. Covid aside, applications provide a way for learners to be able to access resources, communicate with peers and staff and even complete assignments from anywhere, at any time.

Better Accessibility & Inclusivity

For students with additional needs, applications can provide useful features such as text to speech tools and visual learning aids. For students who may speak different languages, bespoke applications can be built with tools that translate text to other languages in real time.

For Staff

Streamlined & Efficient Admin

What list talking about bespoke software applications would be complete without mentioning how they can streamline processes and automate workflows?! Attendance and absences can be tracked without having to go near a piece of paper, lessons can be scheduled based on availability in calendars and enrollment processes can be done through a digital form. All this to say - it can make the lives of the staff using the application a lot less stressful!

In-built Compliance

As we have already touched on, the education industry is heavily regulated with all institutions having standards they must adhere to and furthermore, prove they have adhered to. Software applications can be developed to incorporate the specific rules and regulations that the purchasing institution must follow and provide efficient ways for them to track and monitor their progress. Additionally, reporting and analytics can be made simple with an application so providing statistics and any other sort of data required no longer needs to take weeks.

How Can We Help?

So there you have it, the education sector is vast, complex and often admin heavy. Enrollment processes, remaining compliant and ensuring all learners are accommodated can be time consuming and inefficient with mistakes being made on the regular - but it doesn't have to be this way. At Cool Code Company, we have a successful track record of working with the education industry and providing fit for purpose solutions that save both time and costs. Whether you're looking for a mobile app, a web based solution or a custom elearning system. we can help you transform the way you work for the better, for good.

Where's The Proof?

We're glad you asked! Take a look at how we helped Independent Locker Solutions - the largest provider of lockers to rent in secondary school in the UK - ditch the worry of whether their system would be overloaded on release of the lockers (despite excessive fees), to being confident every time through a complete architectural restructure of their booking system with the added bonus of a £30,000 P/A cost saving on hosting fees alone thrown in for good measure.