Implementing push notifications to e-learning systems

The corona virus pandemic has changed not only our daily lives, but also the ways in which we function both as a society and as individuals. In addition to business, the pandemic has had a great impact on changes in access to learning. In April last year alone, almost 1.2 billion children worldwide were forced to switch to e-learning and distance learning systems.

Although the e-learning industry is not new and $18.66 billion were invested in it in 2019 alone, great difficulties were encountered in adapting this still unconventional learning method to the needs and knowledge of children and older students around the globe.

What is distance learning?

Distance learning was first introduced in 1859 at the University of London. Today, there are over 90 distance learning institutions around the world, most commonly called the Open University. Throughout history, the process of distance learning has taken place through various technologies - first it was the post office, then radio and television, and finally via the Internet. It is through the use of the Internet in distance learning that modern e-learning systems have emerged.

E-learning is a process in which teachers present certain teaching content by applying different methods and forms of work (strategies) and using information and communication technologies, and in that way provide students with the collection of new knowledge.

E-learning is an interactive two-way process between teachers and students with the help of electronic media, with an emphasis on the learning process, while the media are only an aid that complements this process.

The choice of e-learning system itself depends on the needs and size of the educational institution that will use it. But it is important to note that there is no perfect e-learning system. In addition to a well-established e-learning system, the factors that come from the individuals who will use the system must not be overlooked - their motivation and desire to learn, and how they can be influenced.

Implementing push notifications to e-learning systems

It is precisely when motivation is mentioned that push notifications come on the scene, as one of the ways to increase the efficiency and productivity of students who attend certain courses.

It is first necessary to define what push notifications are. To put it simply, push notifications are clickable pop-up alerts that device users receive in real-time on on their device in real-time. They usually slide in as a banner on the screen and can be sent by app developers at any time. Below you can read about 5 ways you can use push notifications to increase the efficiency of e-learning.

1. Subject notices

Each e-learning system consists of a large number of subjects and courses that individuals can attend. Once a user enrolls for a particular course/subject, you can notify him/her of changes that occur. For example, you can send notifications of course changes regarding the number of points each assignment carries.

2. Exam reminders

Send a push notification and announce exam for a certain subject. Furthermore, you can remind your students of an exam or test 15 minutes before it starts, to make sure they haven’t forgotten it. In addition, you can send a notification about the test results or the date of the remedial test.

3. Notifications for new content and materials

You can use push notifications to inform users about newly uploaded content and materials within a specific course. That way, you’ll be sure they don’t miss any of the material. You can create push notifications to target wide variety of learners with multiple different learning materials.

4. Upcoming classes notifications

Send a notification every time you create a new online class. As an admin, you can set-up push notifications to be sent in adequate time - reminding your students of the upcoming online class. This way there won’t be any excuses for missing the classes!

5. Reminders to complete homework

How many times have your heard your students say they forgot the due date, hence did not submit their homework or papers? With Ocamba you can easily set push notifications and remind your students of their obligations, so that they never miss another due dates again.

Conclusion

As the pandemic progresses, there seems to be an increasing certainty of a return to e-learning systems due to the increasing number of cases worldwide. Many researchers suggest that the distance learning industry is extremely fast-growing, with projected investments of $350 billion by 2025.

On the one hand, you have pupils and students who generally spend most of their time on the Internet, and on the other hand, there are push notifications that are displayed to users in the form of banners on their devices. It is generally known that push notifications are the fastest way to reach users, so why not implement it in the education industry as well? This way you can harness all the power of push notifications. In addition to all this, you can also send personalized messages to individuals for a well-done homework, test or exam.