Tailor Made Software Development in EdTech: 2024’s Challenges and Solutions

Technology is meant to make people's lives more accessible, and this is precisely what the EdTech sector is doing by infusing the educational process with solutions that refine the experience of every stakeholder. Indeed, custom application development services have become integral to modern education, which requires neither the master nor the apprentice in the classroom; nowadays, it is all about a stable connection to the Internet and a decent EdTech platform that facilitates the teaching and learning processes. 

It's no wonder Forbes predicts the EdTech market will reach an astounding $404 billion in capitalization by 2025. The demand for high-quality, tailor-made software development almost outdistances the supply, as the education industry's low dependency on external factors renders it relatively stable. Nonetheless, there's still a myriad of barriers to overcome in 2024 for those willing to be a part of that $404 billion club by 2025. What are they, and how to navigate them? Let's try and find out!

What would be a sneak peek into the essence of the challenges the EdTech companies are to face in custom application development services? Well, it seems like the constant hunt for innovation and improved user experience are at the forefront of the challenges that custom software application development companies will have to face for their clients.

1. Is your product market fit? That is, is it really needed in the market?

One of the key EdTech challenges in 2024 is making it one hundred percent sure that your product will bring unique value to the market. What are the chances there’s no substitute for it already? K-12 Dive reports that the school districts in the US used an average of 2,591 EdTech tools. There’s a plethora of options in the market already, and you should understand that the task is often complex since education involves multiple stakeholders, each with their own needs — including teachers, parents, students, and school administrators.

2. Innovation will hit you hard! Have you mastered new technologies?

This challenge probably accounts for 60% of your problems during any EdTech business application development project. According to eSchool News, AI, ML, and other innovative technologies (by the way, VR and AR are back on the block as the old-new revolutionary solutions) constitute the pillars of forming revolutionary learning experiences. Now, the question is whether your in-house engineering team (if you have one) can keep up with the technological changes tempo. The lack of expertise in innovative technologies and EdTech software development approaches can slow project progress and jeopardize its quality.

3. Will your client's grandfather make use of it? Is its UX any good?

In edtech, the user base typically includes students of different ages, their parents with varying tech skills, and educators, some of them uncomfortable with using technologies in teaching. Creating a UX that works well for everyone is quite a feat. The complexity of educational workflows with all the steps and interactions and the need to ensure accessibility for all users, including those with disabilities, only adds to the challenge. Hence, you must ensure that your product's UX design is up to the task of delivering to all the user groups involved.

4. Are you planning to succeed? Take care of scalability now!

Another roadblock to success in the edtech sector is adapting your product's infrastructure to the growing user base with no compromises on its performance or user experience. As the number of users climbs, conflicting priorities become inevitable. On the one hand, you need to release new features to keep up with user demands and competition. On the other hand, you have to scale up, ensuring that your product is fast and responsive across the increasing user base. 

These challenges might hinder your EdTech product, but the good news is that you can take some universal steps to ensure the success of your EdTech tailor-made software development project.

Regardless of how extensive the list of EdTech challenges to face in 2024 might be, you can do things in advance to make your EdTech business application development project omit the industry's 2024 pitfalls. 

1. You need discovery

Every EdTech software development project meant for success starts with a discovery phase. No, you don't need to sit and wait for that once-in-a-lifetime idea to hit the ground running. All you need to do is to analyze the market and identify its unfilled niches. Remember the number of EdTech products used by an average school district? It's massive! So, dive deep into the analysis of what exact problem you will solve. 

Or think big and ponder ways to reduce the number of EdTech solutions needed in the market by creating a unified product that will challenge the industry's excellence standards. One way or another, do not skip the discovery phase, as it will help you invest in your project with laser precision.

2. Customer research is your friend

Now that you know what kind of client pain you will deal with, make sure to do it in a manner they like and understand. This might actually be an essential part of your product discovery — get in touch with the representatives of every group of your product's future customers.

Get to know not only their needs but also how they want them dealt with. Maintain transparent communication with them and involve them in the product's testing phase. If you make business decisions based on their comments, you cannot help but make a decent EdTech product.

3. Get a decent technology partner

Regardless of how obvious it might sound, getting together with a trusted custom software application development company can soothe many of your EdTech pains. A reliable digital transformation partner will be instrumental in dealing with the challenges above. From UX to scalability, from innovation to time to market - everything is easier when you have a software development partner who helps you devise and implement groundbreaking EdTech solutions. Think of it as having a personal trouble-shooting agency that is always there for you with its extensive expertise and experience covering both planned and critical operational needs.

Despite the many challenges we discussed today, custom application development services will remain the linchpin of the EdTech industry development. The World Economic Forum predicts nothing else but an intense and in-depth further technologization of the sector with the help of AI, workforce tech upskilling, and data leveraging leading the way in EdTech digital transformation.