How To Hire Education App Developers?

Are you looking for education app developers to hire for your next EdTech development project?

Statistics show that the EdTech industry is growing at 16.3% and will continue to grow 2.5 times from 2019 to 2025. According to the Markets and Markets research report, North America will have the most extensive education apps market from 2020 to 2025.

Reasons for the rapidly growing education app market are many, like easy access to learning, a wide variety of courses to choose from, use of the latest augmented reality technology, etc. 

By deciding to build an education app, you are preparing to step into a lucrative industry. However, your success in carving your share in the profitable market depends on the quality of your developed education app.

High-quality app developers can ensure you build a software app that attracts potential users. In the US only, the revenue generated by smartphone app developers has reached $161.7 billion. How can you hire the best app developers from this massive talent pool?

 In this article, we will discuss how you can hire education app developers for your app development project. Let’s start.

Hiring Education App Developers

You will go through the following steps to hire competent app developers that are most suited to your app development project.

Understand the Requirements for Technical Skills

There are different types of education apps like classroom apps, learning platforms, education games, learning management systems (LMS), etc., that you can build for your target audience. 

Each of these educational apps has features for students and teachers, including user registration, login, learning material, test questions, gamification, etc. You will need competent software developers with skills to build an educational app with such features.

You can provide a web app and mobile app version for the education app. The technology stack and development skills will be a bit different for both types.

Web App Development:

Your education app has to be highly user-friendly so that users can interact with it easily. You will require UI/UX designers to design an app that is visually appealing and offer a good user experience. 

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You will hire app designers with skills in building design mockups and wireframes. They will use tools like InVision and Adobe to develop these design prototypes and forward them to front-end developers to develop the layout of the app accordingly.

Your front-end developers should be proficient in web technologies like CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. They will also use frameworks like Vue.js or Express.js as front-end and back-end frameworks to build client-side web applications and manage servers and routes efficiently.

Your developers will also work with database technology like MongoDB which works perfectly with JavaScript. 

Mobile App Development

The global market for mobile apps is expected to reach $407.31 billion by 2026. Mobile devices are a huge part of our lives now and people prefer having mobile apps to access all kinds of services from their smartphones.

In order to take advantage of the growing mobile app user market, you will need to build a mobile app version of your education application. You can either build a native mobile app or a cross-platform app.

A native app is built for a specific mobile OS. It uses the device’s hardware and software like processor, memory, etc., for optimum performance. 

A cross-platform or hybrid mobile app, on the other hand, runs on any operating system. It is a web app that is encapsulated in a native container. It can be then downloaded and installed on a mobile phone as a native app.

The required developers’ skills are different for both types of mobile apps. Apple and Android share the majority of the mobile app market. You will likely target any one or both of these mobile app user markets. 

For developing an iOS education app that runs on Apple devices, your developers should be proficient in Swift programming language. Apple recommends using Swift as the app programming language, Xcode as an integrated development environment, and Human Interface guidelines as best practices to design iOS apps. 

These iOS developers will also use resources like Flawless for app design, RxSwift libraries for asynchronous programming, Parse for managing backend services, etc.

If you plan to develop an Android education app, you will need to find developers skilled in Java or Kotlin programming language. Read their comparison on our blog here. They will use tools like Android Studio or Eclipse as an IDE, AVD manager as an emulator, FlowUp to monitor the performance of your mobile app in production, etc.

Android also provides design guidelines that your developers will follow in order to design an education app according to the guidelines of Android PlayStore.

As you can see you develop and maintain more than one codebase with native mobile apps. Their skills are specialized also. Hybrid apps let you hire developers with fundamental web development skills and proficiency in programming languages like JavaScript, and frameworks like React Native, Xamarin, etc.

There are performance issues and limited design capabilities with hybrid apps, but they reach a wider audience and are cost-effective. 

Many businesses launch their minimum viable product (MVP) as a cross-platform app to get the right product-market fit and then enhance their software product as a native app to deliver high-quality performance to users.

API Integration

Application programming interfaces (APIs) enable developers to add third-party services to their software without building them from scratch. 

For example, your education app developers can use Google calender API to add a scheduling feature, Facebook or Twiter API for sharing content on social media channels, Amazon SES for login/signup, etc. They can also use SAP Litmos LMS API to provide features like CRM, online shop for courses, PayPal integration, etc., in your education app instantly.

However, your development team should exercise precaution while integrating third-party services as your app should not depend too much on external services. Your app developers should program core education app features themselves. 

Cloud Computing

We will advise you to invest in cloud infrastructure for your education app. The benefits are many, including quick development and deployment, automation of code integration and updates, efficient data backup and restore, easy scalability of resources, effective app security, etc.

Cloud service providers provide businesses with computing and development resources on the cloud so that they do not have to install and maintain these resources such as storage, servers, software, etc., on-site. Developers get more time to focus on the development of business logic and the actual app code.

This means you will hire developers who have experience in cloud computing and are familiar with cloud computing technologies like Amazon Elastic Beanstalk for deploying and managing applications in the cloud, Microsoft Azure SDK as a development environment, etc.

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Popular cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, etc., provide a range of cloud computing services for efficient development, testing, deployment, and maintenance of software applications.

Hire developers who can assist you in employing the best suitable cloud services for your education app.

DevOps

DevOps or Development and Operations practices are commonly adopted in the software industry today to build and deliver software products rapidly. DevOps practices and tools help automate code development, testing, and deployment operations. 

For example, CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous deployment) helps to quickly deliver code changes in the market by automating code and test routines.

To effectively implement DevOps, you will require developers who are well aware of the DevOps standards and tools to use them correctly in the software development pipeline. 

You will hire developers familiar with popular DevOps tools like Kubernetes, Jenkins, etc.

Latest Technologies

Advanced technologies like augmented reality, artificial intelligence, etc., will help you develop an education app with attractive and interactive features. 

You can use AR to create 3D classrooms, VR to create realistic educational scenarios for hands-on training courses, etc.

Artificial intelligence will help you create an education app that is personalized for every user. You can use machine learning algorithms to track user activity and suggest courses and features that a user will most likely be interested in. 

You will need software developers experienced in these cutting-edge technologies. Your app developers should be proficient in tools like ARCore, ARToolkit, Vuforia Engine, etc., to develop AR capabilities in your education app.

Look for Adequate Interpersonal Skills

Apart from technical app development skills, your software developers should have good soft skills to ensure a better working environment. Some must-have soft skills for software developers include the following:

Good Communicators:

Good communication skills, oral and written, are important for software developers. Although, software developers form a backend workforce where they do not have to actively communicate with the customers but this is not always the case.

Software developers are at times required to communicate with the product stakeholders to understand their product requirements or explain to them technical issues and solutions. Developers may have to interact with the target users to solve issues they are running into while using a software product, etc.

Effective communication skills help software developers in such scenarios.

Team Players:

Software development teams today significantly follow agile development methodology. Agile methodologies foster team playing and close collaboration between developers and other agile team members. 

Software developers who are team players fit into the agile culture easily. They are able to work closely in the form of cross-functional teams rather than as independent individuals. They are ready to help other team members out and even ask for assistance when they need it. 

Such team player spirit forms a healthy working atmosphere where everyone actively participates in the decision-making process and feels responsible for the project’s success.

Keen Learners:

Software technology is ever-evolving. There are continuous advancements, and to keep up with the latest technology trends, developers have to keep learning and polishing their software development skills.

You should hire developers who are passionate about their work and are enthusiastic about learning new technologies and implementing them effectively.

Decide the Right Option for You to Hire Education App Developers

Now that you know all the required technical and interpersonal skills that you must look for in software developers when hiring for your education app development project, the next stage is to find them. From where can you get such app developers?

You will likely explore the main three options of in-house developers, freelance developers, and remote developers from education app development companies for your project. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of choosing these options and see which is the best option for you to hire education app developers.

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In-house Developers:

Hire an in-house development team will give you the following benefits:

• There will be better collaboration between team members through face-to-face meetings instead of meeting virtually.
• The whole project team will be in the same time zone speeding up the work procedures.
• You can expect a hundred percent contribution from your developers as they will be working on your education app development project only.

However, there are significant cons to building an in-house team too, and some of these are as follows:

• You will hire app developers from a specific region which will limit your choice of candidates. You may have to compromise on technical skills that can affect your end product.
• There will be huge expenses related to renting and maintaining an office space. There will be utilities, hardware equipment, software licenses, etc.
• You will have to provide employee allowances and benefits, including training, leaves, etc.

If you are a startup or a small business on a hiring budget, in-house developers are likely not a feasible option for you. The drawbacks may influence you to hire developers from a freelance market.

Freelance Developers:

The advantages of hiring a freelance education app developer are:

• You get easy access to a range of talented professionals on a freelancing platform.
• You quickly start with your development project without any expenditures of setting up an office space.

However, the disadvantages will make you think twice before going for a freelance developer.

• There is no guarantee of the credibility of the skills and talent of a freelancer from the freelancing platform. You are solely responsible for vetting the freelancer for their technical skills and knowledge before starting a work contract with them.
• Management is a big issue. Especially, if there are multiple freelancers, developers and designers, working on your project. You will have to maintain effective communication and collaboration between freelancers working from different time zones.
• There is a huge chance the hired freelancers are not giving all their time and effort to your project. Freelancers often take multiple gigs to maintain a stable stream of income. 
• If things go wrong between your team members and you, a freelancer can easily walk off from the project without many consequences to bear. You are left to clean up the mess and continue the project by hiring other professionals.

The advantages of working with a freelancer surely make up for the drawbacks of an in-house team, however, the disadvantages are just too many to neglect. This leads us to the third option of hiring developers from a software development company.

Remote Developers From a Software Development Company:

When you hire developers from a credible software development company or outsource your complete software development project to them, you get the following advantages:

• The software developers are vetted for their skills by going through an extensive screening process at a software development agency. Therefore, you get top education app developers to work on your project.
• Software development agencies work with remote developers. This means they have a wide range of a market available to select their developers from, and they go for the high-quality talent available in the market.
• The development team follows a project management process. The developers are managed by senior developers experienced in developing similar solutions. They have an idea of where things can go wrong and can take preventive measures by offering better solutions.
• They use proper communication channels that facilitate close collaboration between team members. Various software tools like Slack, Zoom, Asana, etc., help with effective team management and communication.

The drawbacks of partnering with a software development agency can include: 

• Working with remote developers. However, as mentioned above, use of software tools and management practices, you can easily communicate with your development team and keep yourself updated with the daily and weekly progress.
• Difficulty in finding a credible software development agency. For this, you can rely on platforms like Clutch and GoodFirms. These websites list all the software development companies, including their specialized development skills, past projects, client reviews, etc.

You can look up the app development companies that have experience in working on projects similar to yours. You can then visit their website to see their software development portfolio, profiles of their software developers, etc.

If you feel they make a good match for you, contact them through an email or a contact form available on their website. You can then take the process forward when they reach out to you by meeting their educational app developers, discussing their onboarding process, etc.

Planning To Hire Education App Developers?

Education technology is getting popular as it adds flexibility to the learning process for users and provides access to a range of learning resources remotely. The latest technologies make the process more interactive just like in-person learning.

The key to investing successfully in this booming industry is by delivering a first-class education application that gives excellent performance on all devices and has a visually appealing interface with unique learning features.

Read more on how to build an education app in our blog here.

This is possible with a competent app development team. Hopefully, by following the above steps you will be able to hire skilled developers for your educational app development project. 

If you are still looking for a reliable remote education app development company, DevTeam.Space can help you via its field-expert software developers community. These software developers are skilled in the latest technologies for mobile and web development, experienced in deploying market-competitive software solutions, and are vetted for their technical expertise.

You can partner with these software developers easily for your education app development project by sending us your initial project specifications. One of our account managers will contact you for further details.

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