7 important features to be considered while selecting an online education platform.
An online education platform is for the delivery of educational materials to students. Platform is an interactive medium as opposed to a textbook where students can engage with the content. And therefore, there is a high demand for these platforms in schools and universities around the world. Because every institution wants their students to understand the concepts and its implications in the real world.
As we know virtual classrooms have been a boon for the education sector as they enabled uninterrupted education for children while schools were closed due to the pandemic. Education once limited to physical classrooms have expanded new promising horizons - online education tools have played a huge role in making this viable!
This high demand has prompted the production and availability of many online education platforms which are putting educational institutions in a dilemma. How do they decide which platform works best for their students? Each vendor claims to have the best learning platform that benefits students and teachers. They all have many characteristics that are more or less similar to each other.
So, here are the factors to be considered while selecting an online education platform.
1. User friendly interface
First of all, we need an interface that is easy to use. The symbols and text must be clear and legible. Teachers and students should be able to navigate through the app easily. Many teachers are still getting used to the idea of using e-books and online content delivery platforms in classrooms.
A learning platform should be designed keeping in mind the experience of the learner. Your learners can quickly log in via a step prompt, easily navigate themselves around the site. They should be able to find the relevant learning resources within just a few clicks and stay engaged throughout the process.
2. Custom branding
An institution wants a platform that provides personalized touch. Just as all learning resources provided by an institution have their own logo, the learning platform should also include its own brand image / logo and color palette.
The same goes for learning resources within the platform, so make sure that you test the accountability of the platform and any preloaded content within it before making your decision.
3. Assessment Tools
Tests and assessments are an important part of education. Make sure that the tool allows you to create different types of tests and quizzes to keep students engaged and interested in the course. You can have various types of quizzes, such as drag and drop, match the pairs, short answers, multiple choice questions, fill in the blanks, etc.
The platform should allow teachers to add quizzes anywhere in the course module, at the end of each chapter or between chapters. Teachers must be able to review assessments and provide feedback online.
4. Analytics
A comprehensive analytics and reporting solution is unavoidable when choosing an online education platform as it provides insight into student performance and ultimately the effectiveness of the course.
An analytical tool helps measure the effectiveness of the learning program, as well as the effectiveness of online teaching. It should provide detailed information on each student's learning pattern. Teachers can use this information to adapt different teaching methods.
They can obtain information on the content consumed by each student, the percentage of the course completed, etc. This information helps them improve their teaching approach, redesign course content, or pay more attention to a student who needs help.
5. Device Friendly
Online education platforms need to be device friendly. Since it is an application, it should work on most devices and operating systems. Students may have different devices with different operating systems - Windows, iOS or Android.
The learning platform you select must be capable of delivering content across all devices and operating systems. This will save students and their parents from the hassle of purchasing a new device, which is compatible with the learning platform.
6. Customer support
It is necessary to regularly run round-the-clock customer support from vendors to resolve setup and time-related issues related to functioning and maintenance. Before making a final call on purchasing an online education platform, find out the seller's customer support quality and availability from various potential sources. Instant chat, email and phone lines are common customer support facilities.
In addition, knowledge-based assistance such as guides and demonstration videos help with system installation. Check out the customer support desk readiness and knowledge expertise to understand how much they value giúp vi?c trông tr? a customer.
7. Content Security
Teachers work very hard to create their teaching material their intellectual property. It is natural to be concerned about the security of their content as information on the web can be accessed and used by all. Content safety is one of the biggest concerns of teachers seeking to teach online.
The platform should give you complete control over the content. To protect your content from unauthorized use and download, you can encrypt the eBook with DRM protection. This will ensure that only users with access codes can view the course.
Server security, encryption types, and other such technologies are used to protect your data on online platforms. Make sure your data is secure before deciding who you're going with, who gets what and how to do it.
Changing the entire operation from offline to online is not an easy task as it requires time, hard work and money. But with the increasing trend of online education or teaching system, most institutes and teachers are going online as it enhances education delivery and management.Based on the above points, you can select a platform that matches your needs perfectly and provides an interesting and exciting learning experience to your students.