Which Developer Should I Hire For Developing an e-learning Platform?

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As the world gets closer every day, the sky's the limit to innovation and learning. Especially at a time like this where the traditional way of learning (aka classroom learning) has been interrupted dramatically, e-learning is what sets the ball rolling. E-learning, a formalised teaching that can be based on both in-or-out of the classrooms but the delivery of learning and training through the use of digital resources. Even though e-learning is the recent trend, it’s not something that emerged now, remote learning via paid courses and MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) were there in practice for a long time now.

Building an e-learning platform:

Nowadays, to survive the on-going market battle, you need to consider and implement a lot more than what you previously did when it comes to building a website/application. Customisation and personalisation are the things that define the success and longevity of any business. If that’s the case for any generic business, anywhere, then what are the special treatments that must be given to one of the most dynamic platforms like e-learning? Of course, you would get quite a list for it but let’s have a look at some of the top-most essential things.

Factors to consider:

• Learner experience
• Educational trends
• E-learning tools
• Interactive design
• Storyline design
• Curriculum development
• Business + eLearning analytics
  

And the list goes on. So the ultimate question is that to cover both the development and e-learning aspects, whom should you rely upon?

Whom to choose: e-learning developer, web developer or agency?

If you want to build a website/application, the simplest thing you need to do is look for a full-stack developer, web developer or an agency to get things done. In case, if you’re supposed to build a dynamic application using one of the frameworks such as Angular, React or Vue, you can specifically look for an Angular developer or React developer.

Nonetheless, if you want to develop an e-commerce application using platforms such as Shopify and Magento, in that case, all that you need to do is to hire a Shopify/Magento developer, expert or specialist. Seems pretty simple! What about e-learning platforms? What if you need to build an e-learning platform like Udemy? Which developer do you need to look for?

Well, you can do one of the three following things; to hire an e-learning developer, simply a web developer or seek assistance from an agency (website design & web development). Let’s break down the perks of going with each one of these options.

1. E-learning developer

You might be thinking who’s this e-learning developer and for some of you,  this might be the first time that you’re hearing about a term called “e-learning developer”. Without a doubt, the focus towards building engaging e-learning platforms is something that started with the rising popularity of e-learning platforms like Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Skillshare, EdX, Khan Academy, etc. and so does the demand of hiring an “e-learning developer”.

So what are the perks of hiring an e-learning developer instead of a full-stack/web developer? Unlike the usual web developer, e-learning developer would help you to set up your LMS (Learning Management System), develop a course based on the specifications and requirements placed and to deliver a high-quality learning experience. One of the striking features that set apart an e-learning developer from others is that they take complete responsibility for converting your course material into interactive and engaging lessons.

Under the category of e-learning developers, you have yet more expensive (in terms of quality) developer called LX designer to handle both the e-learning development and instructional designs.

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2. Web-developer

If not for the learning aspects and experience, a web developer (also a full-stack developer), will help you with all that it takes to sail through the designing and development. Be it integrating multimedia elements or developing course modules; a web developer will take off the necessary tools and techniques in building an interactive platform like e-learning.

While at the same time, if you need inputs from the e-learning-side, then you must separately hire an instructional designer or e-learning consultant to balance the imbalance. In general, it is best to go with a web developer when you’ve figured out the ideation part, and only the implementation process is in a queue.

3. Agency (of e-learning development

If you go with a website design and development agency, you have the benefit of getting a project analysis along with an action plan. Right from assessing your developmental and learning needs to integrating and testing your LMS, an agency will sort everything out for you. Taking cue and inputs from your project needs, they assist you in both the technical and learning aspects.

Yet another advantage of choosing an agency over others is that you have the facility of receiving values from the mix of developers and e-learning consultants (a one-stop solution). Typically, an agency’s in-house development team consists of a wide range of necessary members such as specialists, experts, consultants, developers, testers and often trainers to get all your sides covered.

Whichever option you choose, just make sure that the concerned developer/agency does possess experience in the below-mentioned programs and skillset.

• Articulate Storyline 360
• Articulate Studio 360
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Premiere Pro and others
• Microsoft Office

Things to look before hiring a developer for e-learning platform:

1. Ample experience in developing and maintaining e-learning content and modules.
2. Through understanding when it comes to creating scripts (storyboards) for video and related training/teaching programs.
3. Coordinating with the other teams to produce quality production-ready e-learning content.
4. Strong knowledge in managing the LMS and its capabilities.
5. Contributing to the curriculum development, brainstorming, problem-solving and content review.
6. Collaborating with the subject matter experts/specialists to produce content and timelines.
7. Creating digital assets for e-learning courses.
8. Working with the creative team to rapidly launch digital assets for courses.
9. Solid knowledge in course-related tasks such as course outlines, design documents, descriptions, diagrams, exercise, assessments, FAQ, quizzes, PowerPoint slides, etc.
10. To be involved in designing quizzes, certification exams and measuring instruments.
    

Other things such as . . .

• Learning Strategies and Development
• Simulation-based training
• Course/ User Interface Design
• Graphic Design
• Instructional Design
• Curriculum Development
• Organizational Development
• Project Management
• Learning Management Systems
• Quality Assurance Testing
• Quality Analysis
• Performance-based learning
  

Here at Starkflow, we offer you a one-stop solution for all of your development and recruitment needs. Contact us whether it’s about hiring an e-learning developer, web developer or custom (in-house) team, our experts got answers of your every little concern.