The Rise of Online Education: Industry Trends and E-Learning Testing

by Julia M Cameron

During the first week of April, people watched over 1.7 million hours of learning content on LinkedIn learning. Enrollments on Udemy skyrocketed to 425%. Coursera has got over 14 million new registrations and twice more enrollments — that’s almost 500% increased compared to the same period last year.

The surge for online education, however, was a response to the lockdown, and the efficiency of online learning is still questioned. For schools, the shift for remote education is, for sure, temporary. For higher education, it may be more permanent due to fewer age limitations and more factors, including families and careers, that make relocating to campus in some other city unacceptable.

Still, schools are more likely to integrate digital technologies into the educational process now. Digitized learning will remain an essential part of corporate education and up-skilling. More importantly, e-learning growth threw light on weak spots of the system as a whole and software solutions, in particular.

So if you consider creating a custom e-learning software product or have already started to work on one, there are several things to keep in mind: types of software to focus on, pain points to fix, trends to look up to, and types of e-learning testing to run before the release.

Types of E-Learning Software

Start e-learning application development with research. First of all, find out what types of niche solutions exist and are in-demand. Here are several popular categories of e-learning software that differ by their purpose and functionality.

• E-learning apps usually represent the so-called edutainment sector. Applications like Socratic, Duolingo, Kahoot, etc. attract users thanks to the gamification of learning.
• Learning Management Systems (LMS) are used by educational, training, and MOOC (massively open online course) providers like Coursera, edX, FutureLearn, etc. and corporations (for employee’s education).
• Virtual Classroom (VCR) connects students and tutors, allows scheduling lessons, and comes with video communication tools. Some good VCR examples are Preply and Chegg.
• Learning Management Content Systems (LCMS) allows users, in addition to accessing content, to create, develop, and share their own lessons and materials (Udemy, Skillshare, etc.).
• Virtual learning environment (VLE) provides more in-depth experience, combining on-demand educational content, video conferencing, and social network features. Moodle, Blackboard, ClassTag, ClassDojo, and Seesaw are some popular VLE solutions.
• Digital Aides are platforms that share educational content and materials for teachers. Services such as Khan Academy and iSLCollective.com look more like usual web apps with educational materials, but they have a place in this list, too.

There are various auxiliary applications users can refer to EdTech — communication tools (chatbots and messengers), streaming platforms, cloud software, etc. They haven’t been developed for educational purposes but are often used for ones.

by Karolina Grabowska

E-Learning Software Trends

The knowledge of the latest industry trends is one of the main factors driving e-learning development. Judging from expert forecasts and user reviews, you should pay attention to the following features & technologies:

1. Personalized learning.
2. Artificial intelligence.
3. Virtual/augmented/mixed reality.
4. Edutainment software.
5. Microlearning practices.
6. Cross-platform solutions.
7. Smart content management.

Personalization

Diversity of user types and roles (teachers, students, and parents; learners and contributors; free and premium users, etc.) requires advanced customization of the software interface and features. Another aspect is adaptive learning — the availability of flexible and responsive solutions that fit perfectly into the learner’s needs. Users want a unique experience that starts with the homepage and goes on in course suggestions, goal setting, and skill tracking.

Artificial Intelligence

AI improves personalization algorithms by analyzing user behavior. With its help, you can automate routine tasks, like assignment checks. For instance, Coursera already uses a machine-assisted peer review feature to make sure all submitted assignments get attention.

Machine learning, a subset of AI, can provide predictive analytics to estimate students’ capabilities in their academic future. For example, technology can warn students about dropping out and suggests ways to prevent such an outcome.

VR, AR, MR

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality create a sense of user presence by employing 3D effects, motion graphics, and 360-degree videos in a real-time learning experience. It can be a solution to a short attention span that interferes with studying. Besides, fascinating visualization makes the learning of the complicated subjects easier thanks to supporting illustrative materials that can range from maps of Medieval Europe to anatomical models and chemical experiments.

Edutainment

Gamification is a way to increase user engagement and knowledge retention. Again, tough subjects like chemistry, physics, math, biology, etc. can be made easy to learn by using the element of the game.

When a kid’s hobby is playing something like Fortnite or Breath of the Wild, does an algebra worksheet dressed up like a 2002 Flash game really seem like anything more than work?

– Devin Coldewey, TechCrunch

Gamification is efficient for adult education as well. Pay attention to how many people play Candy Crush Saga or other casual mobile games in public transport or on long queues. If you make learning at least half as fun, they will consider choosing your app instead.

Microlearning

Microlearning approach allows learners to absorb small chunks of information. Breaking down complicated subjects into parts makes the material less difficult to process and remember. Moreover, dosed learning leaves enough time for other school subjects or job tasks. Microlearning comes hand in hand with multimedia content — infographics, interactive videos, quizzes, etc. that keep learners focused and engaged.

Cross-platform solutions

Every e-learning platform should come with a mobile-friendly backup. And don’t forget about the diversity of screens, OS, and browsers. Users don’t always have the latest devices, and e-learning software should be optimized for various devices.

Smart content management

User-generated content is becoming more popular, and platforms like Quizlet, Udemy, Skillshare, and Kahoot are the proof. UGC comes in many forms: videos, infographics, ebooks, blog posts, quizzes, etc. Consider integration with cloud storage so that users can backup their content and learn what APIs you can add to enable fast data exchange and updates.

E-learning Testing Process: Things to Focus On

Explaining the role of software testing services and details of the QA processes is my favorite part of every article. So here’s an approximate e-learning testing checklist. You can use it for the inspection of a software product or, more likely, as the basis for writing a test strategy.

The Basics: Smoke Testing

Smoke testing verifies the stability of the initial build and proves that the critical functionality works. At this point, you should check the following:

• Install/uninstall features.
• The app starts successfully.
• New users can register.
• Existing users can log in.

App Features & Highlights: Functional Testing

This stage of elearning testing covers application features. The checklist for functionality checkup will differ depending on the type of software under test. You don’t expect that an e-learning app for preschoolers and a corporate LMS will have identical functionality, do you? Here are some examples of what QA engineers might need to check in your product.

User profiles & plans:

• Teacher/tutor, student, and parent profiles have slightly different interfaces and features.
• The functionality/content available depends on a chosen subscription plan.
• Users on free plans see ads and subscription reminders, and users on paid plans don’t.

Course enrollment procedure:

• All enrollment options are displayed, and a user can choose any of them.
• If a course is available on subscription only, a corresponding message pops up.
• If a paid program comes with a trial period, the trial starts after enrollment, and a user is charged after the trial ends.
• A user receives an enrollment confirmation on email, and a course appears on the list.
• A user can unenroll from the course and delete it from the list of courses in progress.

Starting in-app lessons:

• If the number of courses a user can subscribe to (subjects or languages to learn, etc.) is limited, they are informed before reaching a maximum number.
• If a user doesn’t start learning from scratch, they can pass a test to unlock further levels.
• Test questions & answers are matched with proficiency levels correctly.

Choosing a tutor:

• A user has an opportunity to specify preferred parameters (e.g. subject, language, time zone, experience, etc.).
• A list of tutors displayed in the search results matches the indicated parameters.
• A student can send a request to book a lesson/lessons on a specified date.
• A tutor can confirm or decline the request.
• The schedule integrates with a calendar, displaying the time when a tutor is available.

Communicating with other users:

• A user can open a chat and send messages to other app users (e.g. tutor, classmates, etc.).
• The messenger supports different kinds of attachments — documents, links, photos, etc.
• Users can create group chats.

Notifications:

• A user receives reminders about an upcoming course, lesson, assessment, etc.
• Users can set up notifications depending on their preferences.

Lesson flow & studying process:

• Audio, video, and transcript are synchronized.
• The next lesson/level of a course is available only after the previous one is completed.
• A reward system scores the points correctly.

Video conferencing features:

• The application supports video and audio tools.
• Users can set up the number of participants to display on the screen.
• Users can turn on/off video and audio.
• If a person uses recording tools, the rest of the users see a notification about the start of the recording.

Availability: Compatibility Testing

The majority of smartphone and PC users don’t have the latest hi-tech devices. E-learning QA can help solve this problem. A testing team should run tests for cross-browser support and check the compatibility with different OS and specifications.

Reaching New Markets: Localization Testing

The more languages the app supports, the more users you will be able to attract. Thus, localization testing is a must for those who plan to break into different markets.

Features to examine:

• A user can change the default language during installation.
• A user can switch between different languages in settings.
• A user can choose whether to display content or activate features that are not available in their default language.
• AI voiceovers adjust to the default software language automatically.
• A user can choose appropriate audio files and scripts in corresponding sections.
• Time and date are displayed in a proper format.
• The application supports different types of keyboards and symbols.

Extended Functionality: Payment Gateway Testing

Provide several payment options so that users can choose a convenient one. Popular payment gateways are credit and debit cards, payment systems, cash cards, reward points, promo codes, etc.

Functionality to test:

• The payment starts after a trial lesson/period (if those are provided).
• A user can choose a payment method they prefer to use.
• A user enters only information that is essential for payment.
• All lines to fill in are clickable and support a corresponding format (words, numerals, or both).
• All confirmation methods (OTP, call, banking app, etc.) work.
• A user can receive a receipt.
• The payment is secure; no sensitive data is stored or leaked.

Judging by Appearances: GUI Testing

Software design matters as much as its functionality, especially when the diversity of e-learning platforms increases. In fact, GUI testing doesn’t only checks the way an app looks but examines how graphic elements (buttons, checkboxes, forms, etc.) work.

Elements to check:

• There are no pages with broken layouts.
• Animations flow smoothly.
• All links/buttons are clickable and linked to correct pages, forms, or features.
• Forms come with headlines and explanations/examples of how to fill them out.
• All the lines support a corresponding input format (letters, numerals, symbols, etc.).

Easy vs Difficult to Use: UX Testing

Last but not least, there comes UX testing estimating how user-friendly and intuitive an application is.

Things to pay attention to:

• The menu is laconic and clear. It is easy to spot and doesn’t feature many levels.
• There are filters in all categories where they would make the search easier.
• A user can choose a date from a drop-down list instead of scrolling back through the calendar to the early 90s.
• The recommendations are based on user behavior, so they get the most relevant suggestions.
• Users can choose what notifications to turn on/off and how much information to share in their profile descriptions.

by Artur Aldyrkhanov

To Sum Up

The features mentioned were just an example of what you should test. QA engineers will have a definitive list after they learn more about the product

The testing team will run regression tests every time after an e-learning dev team adds new features or fixes bugs. To publish an application on the stores, you’ll probably need to run compliance testing to ensure that the app meets the educational standards. If you want to make a product suitable for users with disabilities, you’ll need accessibility testing. And most likely, at a certain point, you’ll apply test automation services to enhance manual software testing.

That’s a lot of work, for sure. The good news is the demand for custom e-learning software is high, and there are QA specialists passionate about product quality. So start working on your idea and find a QA team with domain expertise who can help you out, covering different types of testing quickly and efficiently.