It has put more than 1.2 billion children out of school worldwide.

As various governments try to implement their social-distancing measures, closing down schools and colleges was one of the first moves.

As every coin has two faces, this situation has its other side too, for example, the World Economic Forum, sees this as a defining moment in the history of human education.

Because the learning has not fallen as we thought, it might.

Powered by different learning management systems and software the advanced innovations in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), mobile app development and internet-led technologies our kids are continuing to learn as effectively or more online.

What is a Learning Management System?

A question which has become very prominent now.

Because parents, educators, etc. are looking for a way to facilitate learning at this hour.

But there are two answers to the question: one the simple one and a little technical one.

Learning Management System for Everyone

An e-learning system has three main pillars :

• Course – A course includes study materials in the form of videos, pdfs, docs, etc.
  
  
• Tool – a tool is a software that helps to develop these course materials. It is popularly known as e-learning authoring tools.
  
  
• LMS – It is a software that helps to deliver the courses to different learners. So it is the connecting tool in an e-learning ecosystem.
  
  

Learning Management System for the Sophisticated

It’s a bit technical definition, but you can digest it if you have had a dose of basic computer science degree.

Here it defines an LMS is a software that helps to create, manage and provide e-learning courses effectively ( just like we saw before). 

An LMS will have two parts viz. are :

• A server part that handles the core functions of the creating, handling, delivering courses, sending push notifications, providing data and authenticating users, etc.
  
  
• A user interface component that runs within the web or mobile application which lets the user (student) or the administrator (the organizer or institution) handle the various elements of the internet or mobile app.

Being a fundamental component of an active learning strategy, an LMS can be used to deploy a multitude of learning techniques. 

It does it through social learning, formal and experiential methods of learning, managing certification for each type of courses, setting the criteria for it; changing and updating them over time.

It is the best way an enterprise or an educational institute can leverage technology to generate revenue as well.

An example can make things much simpler for you.

Imagine you have identified a lack of skill in your sales team.

You want to improve their communication skills in English and Spanish, where your business is located.

You create modules and lessons for six months.

Now how do you conduct the class practically and transfer study materials?

How do you ensure that they have received it and are working on it every day?

That’s where Learning Management Software comes into being.

An LMS here acts as a connecting platform to share the daily lessons, work materials, homework.

The employees can submit their daily works, and the course coordinator can check them.

With a single click, they can send the documents to all the participants and hence save time and resources.

Who Needs a Learning Management System?

There is little doubt now that LMS now needs to be the backbone of every institution aspiring to deliver quality and continuous education.

The reason is COVID-19 is a reminder of the fragile nature of our gatherings.

Post COVID-19 world is going to go for a more healthy social distancing option whenever possible.

LMS is must if you are into some form of training activity, it doesn’t matter whether you are a :

1. Large Enterprise 

Enterprises who are running massive training programs and are providing educational services also can benefit from LMS immensely.

Globally operating enterprises can sync their training sessions across the globe with powerful learning management system.

2. Medium Business

Medium businesses also stand to benefit a lot in terms of cost of operation and conduct.

Because for medium enterprises, training is an essential part of growing further.

They are already at a place where they have only slight margins of profit and competence with similar competitors.

Skilling their human resource hence is the only masterstroke they can play to get higher dividends and enter the ranks of the elite companies.

3. Small Business

Small businesses are always on a lookout for cost-effective solutions to build their capacity and expand.

An LMS is the best way to reach maximum clients in a single shot and yet save on classroom rentals, teacher fees, etc.

4. Freelancer

You might wonder where the freelancer fit into the picture?

It is in the number of clients they have difficulty in managing them.

A freelancer can attend to multiple clients with an LMS.

She/he can drop off the files, docs, pictures, designs, etc. with a single click into the client and save time and shed misery.

What are the Uses of an LMS?

An LMS finds use in a multitude of things.

As we already saw, an e-learning management system is the heart of every e-learning programme.

However, there are different models of LMS viz. are cloud and on-premise.

As you can see below, the cloud is more popular among small emerging companies as it is economic.

But the size of the company is a decisive factor in this selection.

Because an MNC or large institution can benefit tremendously by going on-premise as the cost of setting up it is minuscule compared to the returns it brings as an actor of numbers.

Now coming to the uses to which you can put your LMS to we see that they serve the following purposes :

1. Distant Schooling

A way to conduct classes, deliver courses, materials and other essentialities during vacation, pandemics or to promote education in places with poor infrastructure.

2. Employee Coaching

Skilling your employees or giving them specific training.

LMS can help arrange the classes, distribute the learning modules and test them for progress.

3. Extended Training

Providing vital know-hows on your product to third party organizations or to staff to whom you have outsourced your projects, the scenario is vast in the present context of open economies.

4. Instructing Clients

Innovative products need updated users.

Delivering products that are new to customers, you may need to train them on some more delicate aspects.

For example, suppose you are providing a mobile restaurant app.

Your client will need training on how to use the backend, check for parameters, enter codes if any, etc.

LMS helps in all such learning necessities.

What are the Different Types of LMS?

Though the main goal behind every LMS platform is to facilitate learning, there are several ways in which these are implemented.

This gives rise to different types of learning management systems. 

Depending on your goals and requirements, you can choose the type of LMS you want to implement. 

1. Free vs. Commercial 

When choosing an LMS, it might get confusing to decide whether you should go for a free one or a commercial one. 

There are a number of free, open-source learning management systems in the market.

Most of them provide a good number of features as well.

However, it would require some technical talent to deploy free LMS.

It is a good option if you are a small company with a tight budget and have good internal talent.

Commercial LMS are designed for bigger companies with many users.

These are easy to deploy and will have assured service at their disposal.

Commercial LMS receives constant updates so that it always remains on top of technological trends.

Depending upon the required features, the price of commercial LMS will vary. 

2. Corporate vs. Academic

A learning management system can be used to train employees of an organization or for academic learning purposes. 

Corporate LMS are used by businesses to train their employees, partners, or clients.

These could be onboarding training, customer training, compliance training, etc.

In corporate LMS, training content is more practical and needs to be updated frequently to reflect market changes. 

Academic LMS are employed by schools, colleges, or universities to provide students academic training.

Here the content is determined in advance, and don’t need frequent updates.

They also have less technical requirements and don’t have to be very feature-rich.

3. Cloud vs. Installed

Cloud-based LMS solutions are gaining popularity today because they do not require much effort on setup and maintenance.

They also make a cheaper and more convenient solution as compared to Installed softwares.

The flexibility, scalability, and upgrade options make it an attractive LMS type. 

Installed LMS are like traditional softwares installed on specific organizations’ servers.

It can be limiting and expensive compared to cloud-based LMS, but it is generally deemed more secure.

It takes more effort in installation and maintenance but gives extensive customization options. 

4. SaaS vs. Licensed

Saas solutions are out of the box solutions and are mostly cloud-based.

Technical support is made available for these solutions throughout the usage period.

These solutions are scalable and always ahead of upgrades.

Saas solution is the best choice if you don’t have IT resources to spend on handling the platform. 

Licensed solutions are customized solutions that are built according to user preferences.

These can either be set up on cloud or on-premise.

But their development and updations take a lot of time.

In terms of customization, customer support, security, and reliability, licensed LMS solutions are the best choice. 

5. Integrated

These are the LMS softwares that integrate their working with the existing softwares or systems running in an organization.

Integrated LMS is very beneficial in enterprises as it enhances the learning experience of its users by connecting the learning platform with other useful tools.

How a Learning Management System Works?

So how does one get started with a learning management system?

What are the steps to take to create a learning atmosphere?

Let’s take a look. 

1. Create Your Content

The elixir of a learning management system is the course content. 

So the first step is to create this eLearning content and add it to your LMS.

How do you do this?

The course content can be created either from scratch- by writing out every lesson- or using existing resources like word documents or articles from the internet. 

It is essential to check what types of content your LMS supports, like audio, video, images, etc., and choose the formats accordingly. 

2. Structure Your Courses

Depending upon the needs of your LMS and the structure of your organization, you would need to organize your eLearning courses.

Your LMS can either offer a single course or multiple courses depending upon who your learners are.

For student groups across branches or organizations across departments, LMS would require delivering numerous courses for each set of learners.

For complex courses, it is ideal to create a learning structure with a connected flow to maintain consistency throughout the course. 

3. Connect to Your Learners

Once you have created and structured your course, it’s time to meet the learners and impart your knowledge. 

Your audience can be a large group or small, depending on the course.

It might be for a selected audience, or it could be for everyone.

Whatever it is, the LMS you have chosen must be able to provide the settings you need. 

The LMS platform should be responsive to accommodate mobile users, have an integrated payment system for paid courses, be scalable depending on the audience number, etc. 

4. Assess the Results

After you have started delivering the course, evaluating the results helps in bettering the service you provide. 

Most LMS systems have tools to track the progress of learners in real-time.

This gives information such as how much time they have spent studying, their progress, etc.

These detailed statistics can help the teachers plan their courses accordingly. 

How to Know if My Organization is Ready for an LMS?

You can see that an LMS simplifies the administration, reporting, assessment and documentation of your school’s or organization’s learning processes.   

One of the frequent scepticism associated with adopting an LMS is that it is very costly and that the whole process of election is very time-consuming for the companies.

But our experience reveals that if you want to succeed, you need to take the risk.

Many organizations like to conduct meetings and brainstorming sessions with little intent for action on the outcomes.

We would say that if after you analyzed needs and requirements, you have concluded that your organization needs the following, then you need to get an LMS.

You are ready and in need of it. The requirement list includes:

1. Easy Administration

To manage your course catalogue, enrollments, instructors, classrooms, projects, assignments, etc.

2. Enhance Learning

Build modules and design courses in your online LMS system for schools and organization to promote more significant learning among students or employees.

3. Full-time Accessibility 

Build e-learning courses that are accessible anytime anywhere with simple credentials.

4. Comprehensive Solution

You need to connect throughout the organization and across various departments and employees.

5. Consistent Training

Want your training programs to be consistent and employees getting standard materials for learning and working out objectives.

6. Tracking and Reporting

If your institution wants to calculate the ROI in the education app development investments, employee progress, etc., and need to furnish reports to the administrators and board of directors and authorities.

7. Cost Saving

Need to bring out a learning management solution that is not hefty and meets your requirements at the same time.

What are the Essential Features for a Learning Management System?

A great learning environment is one that is responsive to the needs of its users.

An LMS software must have all the essential features that make the users feel satisfied with the platform and help them experience an incredible learning journey.

Here let’s take a look at 14 excellent features for a learning management system are: 

1. Easy User Interface

The user interface should be easy, intuitive, and guide users in an uncomplicated manner.

If users have to spend a lot of time learning how to use the LMS before they start learning their course, it will put them off the learning process.

2. Simple Login

A simple, central, and to-the-point login portal for all the users to log in and perform their tasks.

This includes learners, admins, and course creators. 

3. User Management

A basic feature to add users, edit user details, and categorize them into appropriate sections.

4. Course Management

Which course goes to which learner?

How to deliver it?

Course management takes care of questions like these enabling the LMS to provide a targeted learning method.

5. Automated Tasks

This is an advanced LMS feature, which helps to automate repetitive tasks such as user grouping, enrolling, or course creation, categorization, etc.

6. Personalized Learning

Another advanced feature, this involves using AI in the LMS to offer personalized content to learners.

This makes learning interesting, easy, and an immersive experience for its learners.

7. Gamification

This is a basic feature to keep learners engaged and motivated.

Gamification elements like points, badges, or awards can help learners set goals and track their progress.

8. Mobile Learning

The LMS platform should be mobile responsive so that it can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, regardless of the type of device.

It is a necessity in today’s times. 

9. Social Learning

Social learning is an advanced feature that lets learners build a great learning atmosphere by sharing knowledge.

This can be by publishing articles, or through discussion forums, etc.

10. Reports

LMS should be able to create reports based on learner activities.

These reports and the insights from them serve as useful metrics to measure the effectiveness of learning. 

11. Live Classroom

Having provision for virtual training sessions, webinars, etc., makes an LMS more effective in cases of remote learning and helps everyone involved to interact more through audio and video.

12. Integration

Integration of LMS with other third party systems or softwares in the organization leads to a synchronized atmosphere and helps in the overall betterment.

13. Certification

Awarding learners with certificates upon completion of courses motivates learners and lends a professional air to the learning environment.

The platform should also give admins the option to track certification processes. 

14. Notifications

An essential feature in LMS, notification helps users keep up with their tasks like assignment submissions, upcoming class schedules, etc.

Benefits of Using a Learning Management System

An LMS can serve your organization in many different ways.

Let us look at the advantage of having an LMS in your company or educational institution:

1. Saves Money

Nothing can be more attractive in the post COVID era than economic and smart solutions to technical problems.

LMS is one of them as it cuts on the cost of training involved in transportation, training days, printed materials, location hire, etc.

2. Better Allocation of Resources

An LMS system helps you in pinpointed channeling of resources.

Dispatching new sessions to employees, ensuring distribution of study materials or training modules, etc. an LMS acts as the central nervous system of e-learning programs.

3. Prevents Time Loss

When productivity is a significant concern, time is held very dearly by managers and CEOs.

It even leads to a state of paralysis with training efforts being quashed from the management side in the name of productivity.

LMS is a game-changer here.

LMS gives every employee a fair chance at attending skill development sessions.

One can visit them without skipping work hours, even while travelling or during break hours comfortably.

4. More Space for Creativity

The ability to resume materials and the option to digitize presentation and course structure gives more room for creativity with an LMS.

Trainers and teachers can try methods and track their efficacy and then modify them without disturbing the course using learning management system.

5. Automate

One of the greatest needs of a trainer is to ensure that they keep the students, trainees engaged.

Free educational apps have succeeded tremendously in this aspect of education.

Keeping things interactive and alive, they always motivate learners into action.

LMS is very advanced in this front as it can automate alerts and with proper integration, alert people through push notifications and other social media tools as well.

6. Assessment 

Report cards can be easily tracked with LMS.

The centralized repository of student data helps trainers to publish report cards in innovative ways.

They can create competitions, point out even the minutest mistakes through data analysis and much more.

How to Select the Best LMS?

Selecting a learning management system out of all the various options available in the market can be challenging.

So how does one go about it?

How to find the best LMS for your needs?

1. Know Your Needs

The best LMS for you is the one that meets your needs.

So before choosing a system, it is ideal to identify what your requirements are. 

Ask yourself what the purpose of your LMS is.

Define your goals clearly, in a quantitative manner.

Know your resources, your budget, and plan on how you can achieve your goals with what you have in hand. 

For example, if you have a tight budget, choose an LMS with basic features that will meet your goals. 

2. Know Your Audience

Who your audience is gives a lot of information about how your LMS should be. 

Are they youngsters or adults? How tech-savvy are they?

Questions like these will help you clearly define the technical requirements of the LMS as well as the learning structure you need to provide. 

It helps you choose an LMS that is not intimidating to the users but rather engaging and involving.

It also enables you to define your learning strategy accurately.

3. Inspect the Market

Once you know the goals of your LMS and features, it’s time to dive into the market and explore all the available options. 

Enquire with people who have hands-on experience, read reviews, testimonials, and case studies.

Find out what other users have to say about the different systems. 

Look out for reviews by companies that are similar to yours in strength and goals.

It will give you an accurate idea of how well a particular LMS could meet their needs.

That will make it easy for you to shortlist options for your LMS.

4. Test the LMS

What’s a better way to find out if an LMS matches your requirements than trying it out?

Most LMS offer a free trial policy for 15 days or one month.

This is a great option to verify all the features of an LMS without bearing the burden of an overhead pricing plan. 

You can check whether it is easy to use, has a user-friendly interface, if it meets your technical needs, the extent of support offered by vendors, and just test all its capabilities. 

You can try 2 or 3 LMS platforms for free and choose the one that is the best fit among them. 

By following these steps, you will be able to choose a learning management system that is the right one for your needs. 

Conclusion

The opportunities of LMS systems in education and industrial training are immense.

It all depends on how one uses the courses to develop amicable and practical solutions through e-learning apps.

Many mobile app development companies provide partial designs for your e-learning platform.

But it is always wise to go for the one that sees your problem through a comprehensive outlook.

Mobile app ideas are here to keep life ticking and moving.

Mindster has a decade-plus experience in crafting apps for many top brands across the industries like Oman Air, Edenred, etc. Leverage your business with our impressive e-learning apps and LMS.

The post What is a Learning Management System? – A Complete Overview on LMS and its Applications appeared first on Mindster-Blogs.

Teachers and parents tried everything not to let smartphones affect the education of students. All their attempts ended in vain.

But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. This time, mobile app development was that silver lining.

Mobile apps turned smartphones into virtual classrooms where students do curricular activities with ease and focus.

Further, the apps also encourage young children to love learning by making their stepping stone to education interactive and fun-filled.

Mobile apps, along with new and advanced learning management software is changing the educational landscape.

Be it learning subjects, organizing classroom activities, or developing skills in new fields, educational apps made everything simpler and enjoyable.

This article will show you some of those best free educational apps for students and kids to help them see smartphones as a tool for learning.

So fasten your seatbelts. We are diving right into this.

Best 10 Free Educational Apps for Students

1. Google Classroom

In an educational institution, students are often required to complete and submit homework and assignments.

And teachers have to review and grade them at the earliest. But is this process as simple as it sounds?. 

All these processes are incredibly frustrating for everyone to say the least. Wouldn’t it be amazing if there is a way to streamline these processes?

Google Classroom is the ultimate solution to this question. Google classroom is essentially a virtual classroom of sorts.

That means we can use it for seamlessly sending announcements, creating classes, starting discussions, submitting and grading assignments, asking for remarks and answers, sharing resources, and so on.

It’s also easy to set up a google classroom. Teachers share code with the class.

And the students can join by just entering the codes. That’s all it takes to create a virtual classroom.

Features of Google Classroom

• Enhanced communication
• Improved organization
• Faster grading process

Download on the Google Play Store

2. edX

It’s a dream of many students to study the courses of top universities like Harvard, MIT, Columbia, etc. But, they also know that it’s not easy to get into these universities at all.

Well, if you got edX on your phone, nothing will stop you from achieving those dreams. edX brings these universities to your fingertips.

So no matter what you need to learn, edX will be there for you every step of the way.

You can learn everything under the sun and above from edX. There are more than 2000 courses of top universities in edX such as computer science, business studies, linguistics, engineering, and many more.

The professional certificates and university credit you get from these courses will always be valuable for you in building a professional career.

Features of edX

• Video tutorials
• Study material Handouts
• Interactive quizzes

Download on the Google Play Store

3. Khan Academy

Khan Academy invariably secures a top spot on the list of the best free educational apps for students.

The app’s mission is to provide a free and world-class education for all curious minds across the globe.

And we have to admit that they are delivering it pretty impressively.

Khan Academy has a unique way to drive knowledge into your brains.

All lessons are in forms of video tutorials. Videos display a recording of drawings on a virtual blackboard (like a teacher giving a lecture).

And the narrator describes each lesson through these drawings. Pretty simple, right?

Khan Academy also provides online courses for preparing for standardized tests like SAT, MCAT, LSAT, and so on.

Features of Khan Academy

• Learning in multiple languages
• Progress tracking
• Practise exercises

Download on the Google Play Store

4. Duolingo

It takes immense patience and practice to learn new languages.

It’s not everybody’s cup of tea. If the learning techniques aren’t adaptive, we’ll quickly lose focus and interest.

But Duolingo has made language learning a cakewalk.

It helps us learn many languages like English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Latin, etc. in a fun and interactive way.

It starts with basic picture labeling games.

As you complete more levels, There will be many different kinds of engaging games that will improve your vocabulary and grammar skills.

You can also set your daily goals.

The app also tracks your performance to provide insights.

If you do well, you’ll receive XPs. The more XPs you get, the more sets of interactive stories will be unlocked to improve your reading and listening comprehension.

Features of Duolingo

• 30+ languages
• Interactive stories 
• Forum discussion
• Leaderboards competitions
• Language learning events

Download on the Google Play Store

5. Remind

Group learning is an efficient practice to fill in learning gaps in students.

But, it’s not always practical to get multiple students to assemble under a single roof and study together.

Remind app is the ultimate answer to this problem.

Remind facilitates us to stay connected with our school community.

Besides students, this community includes teachers and parents as well.

Once you join this school community using a unique school or class code, you will receive regular updates on your classroom activities.

We can also use Remind to message a whole class, share photos and handouts, submit assignments, and clear doubts with your friends, both individually and collaboratively.

Features of Remind

• Share photos, handouts, and flyers
• Chat translations in 70+ languages
• Instant messaging

Download on the Google Play Store

6. Photomath

Mathematics has always been a puzzling subject for many students.

No matter what age you are, maths can be a challenging hurdle to tackle for many learners. 

Well, those days are over now.

Now anyone can learn to solve any complex math problems very easily using an app called Photomath.

Many statistics have listed Photomath as one of the best learning apps for students. 

The Learning process in Photomath is pretty simple. You take a picture of handwritten or printed questions.

Then the app itself teaches you how to solve those questions through step by step explanations and instructions. 

Features of Photomath

• Scan printed/handwritten problems
• Multiple solving methods
• Animated instructions
• Interactive graphs
• Scientific calculator
• No need for internet

Download on the Google Play Store

7. SoloLearn

The scope of coding and programming is wider than ever.

If it weren’t for coding, we wouldn’t have many tech geniuses like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, etc. in our world.
 
SoloLearn is essentially a paradise for coding enthusiasts.

Whether you are a beginner or a pro, soloLearn can get your coding juices flowing with its immense collection of free coding tutorials across languages like java, python, c++, swift, PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and so on.

App development is one such area where there is a constant demand for coders.

These languages are the foundation of several mobile app development frameworks.

So if you manage to learn them, job opportunities will be pouring in from all directions.

Features of SoloLearn

• An interactive community of coders
• Tutorials on the latest coding trends
• Free mobile code editor

Download on the Google Play Store

8. Quizlet

Quizlet has several effective ways to make learning easier and quicker.

Right out of the gate, you will see various study modes buttons such as learn, flashcards, write, test and match, etc.

Each of these modes is different ways to learn your desired topics.

The use of flashcards is another defining quality of Quizlet.

Flashcards promote active recall, the process of actively stimulating memory during the learning process. It’s one of the most powerful learning techniques out there.

Quizlet has millions of readymade flashcards in the app.

You can even create flashcards and share them with other students as well.

Quizlet also contains many gaming activities to brush up what you’ve learned.

The app gives constant study reminders progress checkpoints along the way.

Features of Quizlet

• Practice tests
• Study sets for standardized exams
• Custom images and audio to enhance learning

Download on the Google Play Store

9. Kahoot

Interactive quizzes can accelerate the learning process tremendously.

Students feel an unexplainable delight when they get the answers right.

In that regard, Kahoot is one of the best learning apps for those who prefer learning through quizzes.

Kahoot has readymade quizzes on any topic.

So you just choose one topic and join live quizzes with other players.

The app also lets you quickly create your quizzes and challenge your friends to compete with you. 

You can even use Kahoot for offline quiz competitions.

The set up is pretty simple.

The quizmaster or teacher creates a quiz competition on Kahoot and shows it to an interactive whiteboard or projector.

And the players join the quiz using a PIN and answer questions on the app itself. In the future, every quiz competition will be like this. Wouldn’t that be exciting? 

Features of Kahoot

• Easy game creation
• Host live quiz on big screens
• Play with 2000+ live contestants

Download on the Google Play Store

10. Udemy

Udemy is arguably one of the best learning apps for students out there.

It has more than 130,000 video tutorials for courses ranging from technology and business to personal development lessons like drawing, writing, yoga, etc.

Another exciting thing is that we also get to learn these topics at our own pace.

If you feel stuck at some lessons, you can ask questions and clear your doubts with students and instructors.

For instance, if you got some mobile app ideas, Udemy’s expert teachers take you by hand to your dream of developing an app for that.

Features of Udemy

• Expert instructors
• Discussions
• Survey creator
• Interactive learning

These are some of the best free educational apps that deliver engaging and personalized learning experiences for all students.

I mean, who would’ve thought learning would be this easier. 

The impact of educational apps has also encouraged many people to hire mobile app developers to integrate their platforms with effective education apps.

Download on the Google Play Store

Top 10 Free Learning Apps For Kids

1. YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids is YouTube content curated for kids.

It is arguably one of the best learning apps for kids aged 2-12.

It has all kinds of videos for all kinds of kids.

From educational videos, entertainment shows, music to tutorials that help kids build models- it has everything for kids to discover new things and pursue their interests.

They put a lot of effort into creating a safe online experience for kids.

By using a combination of filters, human review, and feedback from parents, they work hard to keep the videos on the platform kids friendly.

Parents can guide kids’ journeys and customize their experience by choosing the type of content, screen time limit, etc.

Features of YouTube Kids

• Content level by age
• Videos on arts, crafts, learning, hobbies, and cartoons.
• Provision for parents to customize content.

Download on the Google Play Store

2. Epic

Do you have a kid who loves reading?

Then Epic is the app for you! Epic is a leading digital reading platform that has a collection of over 40000 books.

Delivering carefully chosen, high-quality books from over 250 best publishers worldwide, Epic aims to enhance reading for kids aged 12 and below.

The books are categorized by age, genre, and interest. 

Thousands of teachers worldwide use Epic as their go-to reading app.

Parents can also participate in their kids’ reading journey by following daily updates, tracking activities, and more.

It also has a read-to-me feature for little ones who haven’t started reading.

Features of Epic

• Personalize daily reading 
• Easy integration with school lessons enabling teachers to bring classes to life
• Exclusive content to encourage reading and learning

Download on the Google Play Store

3. Hungry Caterpillar Play School

Ranked the #1 education app in over 25 countries, Hungry Caterpillar Play School is designed to help young children get ahead and get school-ready.

Apt for ages 2-6, this app helps kids develop skills in maths, spelling, reading, writing, science, nature studies, and creative arts. 

This app is designed by keeping in mind that children’s favorite way of learning is through play.

Thus, it is packed with interactive content.

Activities are enhanced through songs and videos to deepen the children’s learning.

It encourages children to learn independently at their own pace.

It is a must-have app for preschoolers. 

Features of Hungry Caterpillar Play School

• Age-appropriate and safe
• Packed with interactive characters
• Constantly updated with new content

Download on the Google Play Store

4. PBS Kids Play and Learn Science

PBS Kids, a network known for its educational content, has created several educational software for kids.

The Play and Learn Science app allows children to play games that build their science inquiry skills and core science concepts.

It includes games such as playing with shadows, controlling the weather, choosing material to build an umbrella, etc. 

The games are designed in such a way to show the presence of science in our everyday lives.

It encourages children to explore the real world by fashioning real-world locations and experiences.

It is suitable for children between the age of 2-8. 

Features of PBS Kids Play and Learn Science

• Parent section for parent-child engagement and hands-on activities
• Supports two languages- English and Spanish
• Developed with the help of childhood experts

Download on the Google Play Store

5. Quick Math Jr

Maths, when taught right, is a very interesting subject.

Quick Math Jr aims to develop mathematical skills of kids by transforming numbers into something creative and interactive.

It is an app for kids aged 5-7 and has a collection of 12 games to encourage number recognition and practice basic math skills.

It allows children to engage in the learning process by providing features such as creating their own characters, writing answers by hand, etc.

The difficulty level can be adjusted for each player according to their age and skill level.

Activities in Quick Math Jr include counting numbers, addition, and subtraction, locating numbers on the number line, etc.

Features of Quick Math Jr

• No third party advertisements
• Interactive interface
• Easy navigation

Download on the App Store

6. Khan Academy Kids

The kids version of popular Khan Academy, Khan Academy Kids is a free educational program designed to inspire young children.

Suitable for age group 2-7, it has thousands of books and activities to make learning engaging and fun.

It contains a wide selection of topics ranging from maths, languages, arts, and social learning. 

Its main attraction is the five animal characters who guide kids through their learning experience.

It provides good parental control where parents can limit access to certain app sections or select preferences.

Another main feature is that it can also be accessed offline once the learning material is downloaded. 

Features of Khan Academy Kids

• Child’s progress indicator for parents to check
• Beginners score a set of e-books
• No in-app purchases or advertisements

Download on the Google Play Store

7. Goodness Shapes

Goodness Shapes is a great introduction to shapes, colors, and patterns for kids.

It has several unique challenges involving matching, identifying, sorting, and naming.

Designed for kids below four years, it provides an endless play experience that is challenging, entertaining, and educational.

Colors and shapes are among the easiest things that children can learn.

So this fun game is a favorite among preschoolers and toddlers.

Parents and preschool teachers have tested this app, and they unanimously agree that it is one of the best apps for kids learning.

Features of Goodness Shapes

• Intuitive challenges
• Interactive feedback
• Ad-free

Download on the App Store

8. ABCMouse

The most downloaded kids learning program in 2020, ABCMouse, is an early learning academy for children aged 2-8.

With over 10,000 activities covering reading, maths, science, arts, and colors, it has a complete curriculum.

It has won several parents and teachers’ choice awards. 

The learning path is spread across ten levels according to age and has more than 850 lessons.

Its reward system and progress meters help to keep children motivated to continue learning.

It includes highly entertaining animated activities that keep children engaged while learning.

Children can also choose customizable avatars to represent them.

Features of ABCMouse

• Progress tracking for parents
• Printable activities to enhance learning
• Interactive games with educational concepts

Download on the Google Play Store

9. Read Along

Read Along by Google is an app that encourages kids to read by themselves.

It lets children choose stories from a growing library with a wide variety of languages, including Hindi, English, Tamil, Urdu, Marathi, and Bengali. It is suitable for ages five and above. 

Read Along enhances kids’ reading by underlining every word that is skipped or stumbled and awarding stars for the ones spoken correctly.

So it works like a personal reading tutor that assists kids at every step.

It also has an educator’s handbook to help kids use Read Along inside and outside classrooms to practice reading.

Features of Read Along

• A reading buddy feature to help kids figure out words they don’t know
• Supports non-English languages such as Spanish, French, and Chinese. 

Download on the Google Play Store

10. ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a virtual classroom-style app that connects teachers with students and parents to build classroom communities.

Parents can easily join the class to stay up-to-date with childrens’ education.

Students can create portfolios to showcase their learning by adding photos and videos.

Teachers can encourage students on their skills or behavior. 

It enriches the classroom experience by providing positive reinforcement and interaction between parents, teachers, and students.

It creates a constructive culture where students can share the story of their classrooms with their parents.

Features of ClassDojo

• Free resources and FAQs for presentations
• Excellent privacy features
• Free for teachers

These are some of the best educational apps for children to help them make learning a fun experience.

Children are the best learners.

When they have access to creative and educational content like these, it will help them learn in-depth about topics by involving them curiously in the learning process. 

Download on the Google Play Store

What Do Educational Apps Bring To The Table?

Educational apps have been dominating the mobile app development trends for quite some time now.

According to Statista, educational apps are the most popular mobile app category in google play store and 3rd most popular in Apple stores.

Popular App Categories on Google Play Store

Popular App Categories on the Apple Store

Image Source

But have you ever wondered how educational apps became such a ubiquitous force in such a short period?

The answer is pretty simple.

Education apps bring something that hasn’t been mentioned in many pedagogical textbooks.

That is personalization!.

There are seven different learning styles.

Every student learns things differently.

They need to be able to learn and understand things at their own pace and ways.

Seven Learning Styles

The best educational apps consolidate all the best qualities of these learning styles into a single platform.

This way, the educational apps enhance the learning experience in four different ways.

And the students learn things in ways that work best for them.

Four Components of Education Apps

One might think that educational apps are only beneficial for students.

But many educational apps also enhance communication between the students, teachers, and parents.

Because they are the ones, who matter the most to the students.

The Advantages Of Educational Apps

• Enhanced Classroom Performances
• Interactive And Engaging Learning
• Unlimited Access To Educational Content
• Collaboration Between Students, Teachers, And Parents
• New Learning Techniques
• Individual And Social Learning

The education industry has understood the true potential of education apps.

Many educational institutions and tutors have already started integrating their platforms with mobile apps. 

But creating a mobile app for education is not an easy task.

An educational app only works best when the students get to learn things or organize their classroom activities seamlessly.

The best educational apps are the perfect combination of knowledge and user experience.

If you need to develop such student-friendly and personalized educational apps, Mindster is a perfect choice for you. We’ve got the experience, expertise, resources, and everything else required to become a top-notch mobile app development company. Our 400+ Android and iOS apps will speak for themselves in that regard.

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