“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” – Charles Darwin
The scope of mobile apps lie beyond shopping, gaming and binge watching. Thanks to school apps, parents can now stay connected to their child’s school via mobile. This ensures they never miss out on any important information. Let’s glance over some of the benefits of school apps.
- Dispenses news and updates related to events, class timings, schedule, courses, competitions and much more
- Serves as a quick reference point for events calendars, school policies, news etc
- Promotes events, sponsorships, fundraisers, volunteer services to reach out to more parents
After assessing the wide-ranging benefits of school apps, let us take a look at some of the criteria for establishing a school app.
Top 5 criteria you need to consider
The way we learn and teach has undergone a sea change in the post-pandemic world. School apps have bridged the gap between teachers and learners, creating a simpler and engaging learning experience.
Here are the top 5 factors you need to consider as you set out to create a robust and multifunctional school app:
1. Reach out to parents
Your school app should facilitate the process of reaching out to parents. Ensure the process of registration and login are safe and secure for parents. The content should be streamlined for your targeted audience. Thus, parents ought to be able to view the latest updates relevant to their child’s class or year group.
2. Provide up-to-date news, letters and integrated calendars
You should be able to share the latest school updates and notifications so that all stakeholders are kept in the loop regarding the most recent school news. Another key aspect is the use of integrated calendars for keeping key events and reminders easily updated so that users never lose sight of important events and notifications.
3. Mobile forms for absences and other feedback
Mobile apps are a great opportunity to gather responses straight from parents. Within seconds of launching an app a parent can have notified school administrators of sick days and other absences. Forms can also be setup for feedback on recent events, or anything else you can imagine. Allowing parents to us mobile forms means parents won’t all need to call the school at the same time in the morning, saving time for parents and teachers.
4. Relive memories with school gallery
Create a dedicated gallery section on your school’s website where you can share photos from events throughout the year. This will evoke a sense of nostalgia and belonging for the existing students. Moreover, newer students and their parents will get a glimpse of all the events and activities of the past couple of years. A walk down memory lane will make your students cherish those moments even more.
5. Make it user-friendly
What accounts for a significant and purposeful app experience is the quality of interaction between users and the app. School apps ought to focus on creating simple yet effective UI interfaces that are easy to navigate and appeal to the eyes.
A clear layout, well-designed digital tools, readily accessible features allows users to focus on the task at hand instead of getting distracted by unnecessary features or elaborate layout.
Conclusion
The needs and demands of education are going through a transition phase, especially in the post-Covid era. In the process of prioritising the needs of students, teachers, parents and administrators, let’s not forget the massive utility of a school app. No matter what your goals are or what your budget is, a mobile app is undeniably an invaluable asset that’ll benefit your school in the long run.
