If we consider the statistics, universities and other educational institutions need to invest in dedicated university mobile app development more than ever. We are already aware that current students which include millennials and Gen-Z have already proven allegiance to smartphones. Most of this segment is still pursuing education from universities or colleges. Since every industry leverages its digital presence, why should universities be left behind in this transforming world? The universities will also invest in university mobile app development to improve students’ success and engagement.
Although the technology is new a mobile app development for university could be the next big thing on campus. It will cater to the administrative needs of the students.
Do you know nearly 98% of millennials have smartphones and use mobile applications for almost everything?
That’s why universities have now realized that it is vital to transform their administrative operations with mobile app solutions for better engagement and usability of students.
Universities that are not just limited to teaching students through smart classes but also using mobile solutions to facilitate student-related and other administrative tasks will stay afloat in the highly competitive industry.
Thus, it is a make or break for the institutions that are yet to take the digital path to attract and engage students in academics. If you are planning to go digital for the administration and academic operations of your university, then university mobile app development seems to be the best option. In this article, we will go through various aspects of mobile app development for universities along with its cost, features, and much more. But first, let’s understand the basics…
What is a University Mobile App?
There are varied definitions of university mobile applications and all depend on their usage. We can define it as a single mobile app with the capability of managing & elevating student management services and experience. It will act as a digital bridge between students and the administration system of a university or college. Thus, it is like a holistic digital view that gives access to all institutional resources through a mobile app.
Current Market Statistics of University Mobile App:
· In 2023, the education app industry made $5.93 billion with a 15% growth on the previous year.
· Nearly 709 million people used education apps in 2023, and the apps were downloaded 939 million times in the same period.
· From 2018 to 2023, there has been a massive influx of education app users from 388 million to 550 million respectively.
· In 2023, there were 389,000 education apps available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, up slightly from 387,000 in 2022.
How Does a University Mobile App Work?
A university mobile app will act as a central point for all the university services for the students. It will provide easy mobile access to the students to the web services of an institution. The web services will include integrating calendars, courses, university emails, and other important notifications. It means that the students will remain up-to-date with real-time information and notifications of timetables or any other critical information.
The university mobile app will provide a platform for the administration to reach out to the students easily and effectively. Students tend to open an app multiple times a day and thus they will be provided with any important announcement by the professor or department.
Initially, the administration has to pre-populate the data of students, professors, teaching assistants, and other important people into the app. Then all these entities will be onboard on the app with different access and permissions. After the successful onboarding, these people could use the app to upload lectures, assignments, learning materials, and much more.
Must have Features in the University Mobile App:
The University mobile app will have a lot of features for different users. But there are some highly important features. Here are the major must-have features of the university mobile app:
Time-table:
The timetable has the most important role in a student’s life. In every phase of education, from kindergarten classes to post-graduate university, students need a timetable. Thus, the professors or administration should be able to upload timetables on a day-to-day or subject-wise basis. It should also have flexibility to accommodate last-minute changes due to any circumstances. For education elearning solutions you can contact us.
Attendance:
After time-table, the second most important thing that matters to a student is the attendance. In most colleges and universities, if the students fail to attain the minimum attendance requirement then they are debarred from exams or even institute. Thus, attendance is a very crucial feature. It will let students check their attendance status regularly. The attendance of faculty members can also be captured daily, allowing management to assess the situation and assign or substitute professors as needed.
Online Test:
Generally, the main examinations are always preferred in pen-and-paper mode but some weekly quizzes can be held online. Thus, the faculties should be able to create and upload quizzes via the mobile app. The students would easily give the tests by marking answers with a click.
Results and Scores:
Although the examinations are preferred by both students and faculties to be held in traditional pen-and-paper mode, the results are preferred by both in online mode. The university mobile app development should include the results feature. It will let each student check the marks and overall results online through the app. On the other hand, the faculties and teachers will use this feature to upload the results.
Events and Calendar:
A great university mobile app development also comes with events and calendar features. It is obvious. The students should be able to check the calendar including important events, holidays, examination schedules, and much more in the calendar so that they can plan their holidays accordingly. Management can easily upload the event information through the app. If you want elearning app development then you can contact us.
E-circulars:
There can be changes in the rules and regulations of the university at any time. Also, no student has time to go and check the notice board even every week. Thus, the e-circulars and notices should be shared on the mobile app. In the mobile app development for the university, the management could update and upload the circulars and help students access the information without any hassle.
Benefits of University Mobile Application Development:
The university mobile application will offer benefits to both students and faculties in different ways. Here are the major benefits:
Improved Learning Experience:
The university mobile applications provide easy access to the courses, study materials, assignments, and tests. Thus, the students can learn at their convenience from anywhere and at any time. This flexibility improves their learning experience, letting students curate their preferences as per their requirements.
Improved Communication and Collaboration:
University mobile apps will act as a bridge between the students and faculty members. These apps will enable instant feedback from the faculty for student work. The students would be able to ask questions regarding the course material and also schedule appointments to meet in person with the professors. Ultimately, these apps will facilitate smooth and effective communication between students and faculties to enhance learning outcomes and student support.
Also, the social interaction feature of the app will foster group learning and collaboration on research, assignments, and projects. The students would be able to virtually connect with their peers, creating a rich environment outside the classroom as well.
High Convenience and Flexibility:
With university mobile applications, students are not required to carry their physical documents everywhere or constantly visit administration offices for small queries. They can do any task like course registration, timetable changes, and assignment submissions conveniently through the app. This streamlining will not only save time but also reduce stress.
Always available with online helpdesk:
You may automate your entire student inquiry process using a mobile app, saving you a significant amount of time and work. Prospective and enrolled students can simply generate service requests for situations that require assistance using their mobile app, anytime, anywhere. They can also access your knowledge base, FAQs, and links to all relevant information that they may need on demand.
Centralized System for all student needs:
Another major benefit of university mobile app development is that all the information of students, faculties, content, courses, fees, grades, etc. is available on a centralized platform. This solution provides high usability for all your student engagement needs. From submitting an inquiry request to responding to polls and surveys, everything can be managed from a single admin panel.
Read More: How to Hire Dedicated Development?
Process To Develop University Mobile App:
The university mobile app development requires strategic planning, understanding the requirements of your target audience, and much more. Here is the mobile app development process for creating the university app.
Planning:
The first step includes aligning the objectives of your app with college priorities and goals. Identify the major reasons and use cases of your app based on benefiting students and meeting institutional goals. Outline the core features and functionalities that are relevant and useful to the users.
User needs identification:
Profile your target users (prospective students, present students, professors, etc.) and learn about their motivations and challenges. Conduct user research using surveys and interviews to identify what resources and information users desire from the app. Align features to their needs.
Design a user-friendly interface:
As the app is specially built for mobile, its architecture and labeling should be clear. To create a cohesive experience, there must be university branding. Also, you must follow the responsive design best practices to deliver a seamless experience.
Incorporate University Branding:
Integrate your institution’s visual identity by using branded photography, school colors, logos, typefaces, and other elements. This creates a smooth app experience that is consistent with other campus touchpoints. Allow various campus groups to promote their sub-brands.
Facilitate Peer-to-Peer Communication:
There must be integration of functionality that allows messaging, peer reviews of professors, and more to enable student-to-student interactions.
Offer Academic Resources:
The students should have access to schedules, timelines, tuition payment portals, digital ID cards, library search tools, and other important resources.
Cost of Developing University Mobile App:
The cost of developing a mobile app for a university depends upon several factors such as the complexity of the mobile app, features and functionalities, location of the developers, and other factors.
The location of the development team is most important in this case because the other two elements are often fixed, but you have two possibilities for the development team.
Assume you employ a development team from North America or Europe, where developers’ hourly prices range from $90 to $150. On the other hand, if you pick development in Southeast Asian countries such as India, you can hire a development team for $25-$50 per hour while maintaining the quality of your university mobile app. That is why many companies throughout the world choose Indian mobile app development companies to meet their needs.
Wrapping Up:
In this article, we have gone through various aspects of the university mobile app development. The university mobile app will bring a new ecosystem to the institution. At Octal IT Solution, the best mobile app development services provider in India, we have expertise in developing mobile apps from scratch. Let us know your requirements.
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