In the realm of IT education, the WEZOM Academy has been a beacon of innovation and dedication. The academy has been committed to training fresh IT professionals, including coders, designers, testers, and other specialists. However, the advent of the pandemic and the war presented new challenges, prompting WEZOM Academy to adapt and evolve. The result was the creation of a unique digital platform for students and teachers, revolutionizing the way IT education is delivered.
The WEZOM Academy, initially an offline institution based in Kherson, had been nurturing IT professionals for many years. In 2019, the academy envisioned expanding its reach beyond the region by creating online courses. This was the first step towards a broader goal: to automate internal processes, provide students with quick and convenient access to training courses and feedback, and create motivational “triggers” to inspire students to overcome challenges.
The academy also aimed to streamline the process for teachers and tutors, enabling them to check homework and provide feedback without unnecessary communication hurdles. This was crucial for time management, as many of the academy’s teachers are also working professionals engaged in real projects.
The academy’s attempts to use existing online course solutions were unsuccessful, as these platforms lacked the necessary features and were not well-received by students. This led to the decision to develop a custom Learning Management System (LMS) for WEZOM Academy, a digital educational hub that could operate both online and offline, without requiring additional resources or messengers.
The development of the WEZOM Academy LMS involved several tasks, including the implementation of a new personal account with four user roles (admin, student, tutor, and teacher), a rating system, a gamified learning experience, a grading system, different types of assignments, an internal chat for teachers and students, and the availability of various types of educational content.
The academy turned to proven technologies to create this system. The frontend was developed using Next.js and Typescript, with the Material UI library forming the basis for the interface. The backend was based on the Laravel PHP framework, with MySQL managing databases. The development process followed the scrum methodology, allowing for quick implementation and adaptability.
The result was a comprehensive web-based online learning platform that enhanced the user experience for both students and teachers. The system assigned a teacher and a tutor to each student, with the administrator managing the courses and student database. The teacher was responsible for recording lessons and QA sessions, while the tutor handled homework assignments.
A significant focus was placed on student comfort. The team developed a new UI/UX to make the student experience at WEZOM Academy convenient and exciting. The interface was decluttered, and an adaptive design was implemented to ensure a comfortable viewing experience on any device.
The platform introduced several new features for students, including viewing video lessons with accompanying text information, tracking learning progress, and tracking progress on practical tasks. A text chat with the teacher was integrated into the classroom, allowing students to ask questions related to specific homework assignments.
To maintain student engagement and motivation, a competitive element was introduced. Students could view their group’s rating, which was based on their progress in viewing video lessons, studying educational materials, completing tests, and practical tasks. This simple yet effective motivation mechanism led to a 76% increase in the number of students completing all their homework.
The platform also offered offline learning capabilities, allowing students without stable internet access to continue their studies. A mini-tutorial was also introduced to help newcomers understand the learning process and the functionality of the account.
The new WEZOM Academy platform has proven to be effective in practice, speeding up learning, automating internal processes, and increasing student interest and motivation. The launch of the new platform led to a 37% increase in course sales and a 48% increase in course completion rates.
The academy is now looking forward to developing a mobile application to further enhance the personal account with features such as push notifications. The goal remains the same: to make IT education accessible to everyone, anywhere, anytime, under any conditions. The journey of the WEZOM Academy’s learning platform is a testament to the power of innovation and dedication in the face of challenges.
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