Published on October 30th, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

Peculiarities of Choosing a Developer for E-learning Platforms

In recent years, an increasing number of people started to take courses online to increase their competencies in various spheres. When the Covid-19 pandemic began, more schoolchildren and students around the world were forced to stay and study at home. Besides, our intense pace of life doesn’t allow us to relax, making e-learning a part of our regular lives. In this regard, the software developers able to create the full-fledged e-learning platform are in demand. For those who decided to take advantage of this trend, there is still one question — how to choose a developer? Today, we will try to find the answer to this question.

What is LMS?

Learning Management Software (LMS) — is software for e-learning industry that allows you to create training courses and manage the entire educational process. Here are some examples of the services LMS can provide:

corporate training;
online systems for teaching and learning foreign languages;
training for train drivers in the subway;
training for secondary school students, etc.

A modern e-learning platform must meet a range of requirements of students, teachers, and owners. Depending on the field of study, the platform requires different functions since the portraits and requirements of system users are also different. For instance:

Student requires access to the system from any device, mobile applications for learning, attractive multimedia formats, and, of course, gamification of the learning process;
Teachers require a convenient interface for creating courses and tests, communication with individual students, the ability to check materials sent from students;
Owners of the platform require the ability to create accounts for teachers and other employees, access to data about the personnel and students, access to statistics on payments.

All these requirements as well as the basic functionality of your future project define the criteria for choosing the developer for e-learning platforms.

How to Select a Developer for E-learning Platforms?

Choosing the right e-learning software development company is a complex process. If you want it to ultimately meet your expectations in terms of quality and professional thinking, you need to specify certain standards for choosing a software company. In this regard, we recommend paying attention to the following criteria:

1. Communication

When the companies are looking for a reliable e-learning software development company, among the first criteria they consider are pricing models and experience. They rarely identify communication as the main factor. Ineffective communication can cover many aspects, including insufficient English proficiency, lack of emotional intelligence, cultural differences, etc. But the main criteria still should be a proper understanding of customer needs. So, clear communication should remove all the barriers between the developer and the customer and clarify all the nuances of the e-learning project.

2. Company size

The size of an e-learning software development company, as well as the scale of its projects, matters. If a supplier is too large and works primarily with large businesses, they may not pay enough attention to your specific needs. If a company is too small, it may have a lack of experience in the required field. Another aspect is the ability to increase or decrease the development team. Medium and large companies have more human resources. So, they can easily expand the e-learning development team and effectively cope with the increasing workload.

3. Pricing

Pricing is certainly not the first criterion to look at, but it plays an important role in the decision-making process. Nobody wants to buy the cheapest service, or rather the most economical one. To avoid wasting money, you must clearly understand the scale of your e-learning project and your ultimate goal. The project budget is determined by the interaction model you choose.

For example, it doesn’t make sense to hire a permanent IT specialist or web designer if you only need their services for a specific period within the e-learning project. On the other hand, it is inappropriate to pay developers hourly wages if they intend to fully participate in the project and work during a 40-hour workweek.

4. Experience

Before you start working with a specific developer, make sure that the company has practical experience in similar projects. Those developing companies specializing in insurance, crowdfunding, and P2P cannot be equally good at e-learning software development.

In Conclusion

No one starts cooperating with a software company without thorough research of its portfolio, services, and recommendations. However, companies pay little attention to criteria such as communication and company size, which are crucial for building successful partnerships. So, take the selection process responsibly. Good luck!

Tags: choosing, developer, e-learning, peculiarities, platforms

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.