How To Build An E-Learning Platform Like Coursera?

The e-Learning industry is booming. With the development of increasingly sophisticated technology, it’s now a cakewalk to build a comprehensive e-Learning platform that rivals traditional university courses and provides students with the same high-quality education at their fingertips.

One such platform is Coursera, a massive online open course (MOOC) that netted $293.5 million in 2020, representing a 59% year-over-year increase in revenue.

Building an e-Learning platform like Coursera may sound daunting, but it’s a pretty straightforward process.

This article will walk you through all the essential steps in building an e-Learning platform like Coursera. Let’s dig deep!

Coursera – A Brief Overview

Coursera is an online platform that offers courses from top universities and educational institutions worldwide. These courses are available to anyone with an internet connection and can be taken at any time.

Coursera has become the talk of the town because it is a convenient way to learn new skills or complete coursework for school.

With Coursera, you can take courses at your own pace and schedule. You can also choose from a wide variety of courses to find ones that fit your interests and goals.

Top-Notch Features To Include In An e-Learning Platform

When it comes down to an e-Learning platform, choosing the appropriate features is challenging. Some of the essential features of an e-Learning platform are listed below.

1. User Registration

User registration is an essential feature of an e-Learning platform. By registering, users can create a personal profile, track their learning progress, and connect with other learners hassle-free.

Most e-Learning platforms offer a basic registration process that requires only an email address.

However, some platforms may also require additional information, such as a username, password, and/or a profile picture.

Once registered, users can access the platform’s courses and begin learning. Sometimes, they can take quizzes or participate in discussion forums immediately.

In other cases, they may need to wait for the course to start or be manually enrolled by the instructor.

User registration is an essential part of building an e-Learning platform. It allows instructors to track learner progress and connect with their students. It also helps create a community of learners who can support and motivate each other.

2. Profile Management

An e-Learning platform like Coursera must have a robust profile management system to provide a personalized learning experience for each user.

The system should allow users to create and update their profiles, add and remove courses, and regularly track their progress.

The profile management system should also allow administrators to manage user accounts and course enrollments.

Administrators should be able to view user activity, generate reports, and assign courses to specific users.

3. Search Filters

An e-Learning platform like Coursera would only be complete with search filters. Search filters allow users to narrow down the results of their search so they can find exactly what they’re looking for.

Without search filters, users would have to scroll through a long list of courses that may or may not be relevant to their needs. Through this feature, they can quickly and easily find the courses that are most relevant to them.

Many different factors can be used as search filters, such as course topic, level of difficulty, delivery format, and so on. The important thing is to make sure that the search filters are easy to use and understand.

If you’re not sure how to implement search filters on your e-Learning platform, there are plenty of resources available online that can help you get started.

4. Dashboard

You haven’t heard of an e-Learning platform without a dashboard, right?

A dashboard allows users to see their progress in a course, view upcoming deadlines, and access other important information.

It is an essential tool for keeping users on track and ensuring that they get the most out of their learning experience.

5. Payment Gateway Integration

While many features are essential to an e-Learning platform, one of the most important ones is integration with a payment gateway.

This allows students to quickly and securely pay for courses they enroll in and also provides a way for instructors to be paid for their content.

There are many different payment gateway options available, so it’s important to choose one that is reliable and has good customer support.

You’ll also want to make sure that the gateway you choose can be easily integrated with your e-Learning platform.

Once you’ve successfully selected a payment gateway, you’ll need to set up your account and configure it to work with your platform.

This process will vary depending on the gateway you’re using, so be sure to consult their documentation.

Once everything is set up, you’ll be able to start accepting payments from students and paying instructors for their courses.

This will make it much easier to run your e-Learning platform and ensure that everyone gets paid promptly.

6. Advanced Video Player

An e-Learning platform is only complete with an advanced video player. The player should be able to handle various types of videos, including those that are embedded in courses.

It should also have features that allow users to control the playback speed, take notes, and search for specific topics within the video.

An advanced video player is an essential feature of an e-learning platform because it allows users to interact with the content in a more meaningful way.

By being able to control the playback speed, for example, they can go over a particular section again if they didn’t understand it the first time. Or, by taking notes, they can keep track of their thoughts and ideas while watching a video.

A good video player will also make it easy for users to search for specific topics within the video. This can be done by allowing them to create keywords or tags that can be used to find the relevant sections later on.

7. Rating and Reviews

As the world increasingly shifts online, so does education. An e-Learning platform enables students to take courses from anywhere in the world and at any time.

A vital feature of an e-Learning platform is ratings and reviews. They provide an essential feedback loop for students and instructors.

Students can rate and review courses they have taken, providing valuable insights for other students considering taking the same course.

Instructors can also rate and review courses, giving potential students a sense of the quality of the course before enrolling.

In addition, such a feature can help improve the quality of courses over time.

As more students take a course and leave their feedback, instructors can make changes to improve the course based on that feedback. This way, ratings, and reviews serve as an essential quality control mechanism for e-Learning platforms.

Because of their importance, e-Learning platforms must offer a robust rating and review system. When choosing an e-Learning platform, check out the rating and review system to see if it meets your needs.

How to Build an E-Learning Platform like Coursera?

E-Learning platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy have become popular ways to learn new skills and gain knowledge from the comfort of your home.

But how do these companies build their platforms in the first place?

Below are the most sought-after steps required to develop a successful e-Learning platform. Let’s take a look at them!

1. Define Your Niche

When starting an e-Learning platform, it is important first to define your niche. What are you offering that is unique and different from other platforms? What subject matter will you be covering? Who is your target audience?

Once you have answered all these questions, you can begin building your platform. Choose a name and visual branding that reflects your niche.

Build out your website and course catalog. Create compelling content that engages your target audience and then promote your platform to reach as many people as possible.

If you can build a successful e-Learning platform focused on a specific niche, you’ll be well on your way to replicating the success of Coursera.

2. Choose a Monetization Strategy.

There are a few different ways to monetize an e-Learning platform. The most common is by charging students a subscription fee to access the platform. This can be a monthly or yearly fee and tiered based on the features students want access to.

Another way to monetize an e-Learning platform is by offering courses for sale. This could be in the form of individual courses or bundles of courses.

And finally, you could also generate revenue through advertising on the platform.

This would involve partnering with companies who want to reach your audience and placing ads throughout the platform.

3. Select Functionality for the E-Learning Website

The functionality helps to determine the features that you need to develop and the overall experience that you want to provide for your users.

Apart from the features mentioned above, some other functionalities that you may want to consider for your e-Learning platform include the following:

1. Learning Management System: A learning management system (LMS) that can be used to track user progress, deliver content, and manage courses.

2. Social Media Integration: Social media integration so users can share their learning experiences with friends and followers.

3. Community Area: A forum or community area where users can interact with each other and ask questions.

4. News Section to Stay Updated: A blog or news section where users can stay up-to-date on the latest developments in online learning.

4. Choose the Development Approach.

There are two common approaches to building an e-Learning platform like Coursera: self-hosted and hosted.

Self-hosted platforms require you to purchase your own hosting plan and domain name and then install and configure the platform software on your web server.

Hosted platforms, on the other hand, are hosted by the platform provider and take care of all the technical details for you.

The main advantage of a self-hosted platform is that you have complete control over the software and can customize it to your heart’s content.

However, this also means that you’re responsible for all the updates and maintenance, which can be a lot of work.

Hosted platforms, on the other hand, are much easier to set up and manage, but you don’t have as much control over customization.

So which approach is best for you?

It depends on your needs and preferences. If you want complete control over every aspect of your platform, then self-hosting is probably the way to go.

But if you’re looking for an easier way to get started with minimal hassle, then a hosted platform might be a better option.

5. Define the Required Technology Stack

A technology stack is a set of software tools that are used together to create a complete solution.

In the case of an e-Learning platform, the technology stack would include everything from the front-end interface to the back-end database.

If you start with a basic tech stack and then add on more features as you need them, it will be easier to keep your platform running smoothly. Additionally, using a technology stack can help you save time and money in the long run.

The technology stack for an e-Learning platform like Coursera must include a robust back-end system for the course and student data management.

A front-end web application for delivering courses and other content to students, and a mobile app for students to access courses on the go.

6. Back-end Development

There are a few different ways to build an e-Learning platform like Coursera. One way is to use a technology stack that includes back-end development.

Using back-end development as a technology stack can make it a mere cakewalk to create an e-Learning platform like Coursera.

The back-end system must be able to manage large amounts of data efficiently and provide APIs for the front-end and mobile applications to access this data.

The database should be scalable so that it can easily accommodate increases in data volume as the platform grows. Good choices for the back-end technology stack include Apache Hadoop, Apache Cassandra, and MongoDB.

PHP was used to write the first lines of code. To get additional experience as the platform evolved, the engineers selected Python and Go. The last two options were the Play framework and Scala, both of which are still in use today.

7. Front-end Development

Front-end development is a technology stack that can be used to create an e-Learning platform like Coursera.

This stack includes technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These technologies are used to create the user interface and interactivity for an e-Learning platform.

The front-end development stack is responsible for the look and feel of an e-Learning platform. It is also responsible for creating the user interface and interactivity.

Front-end developers majorly use technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create the user interface and interactivity for an e-Learning platform.

HTML is used to structure the content on an e-Learning platform, while CSS helps to style the content on an e-Learning platform. JavaScript is used to create interactivity on an e-Learning platform.

Front-end developers use these technologies to create the user interface and interactivity for an e-Learning platform.

They also use these technologies to make sure that the content on an e-Learning platform is displayed correctly on all devices.

8. Third-Party Tools and Integrations

As Coursera looks to redefine education and pave the way for more accessible, affordable learning, it’s essential to consider the technology stack that makes up the e-Learning platform. Just like any business, the technology stack is Coursera’s foundation.

At its core, Coursera runs on open-source software that allows for easy modification and collaboration.

The front end of the site is built on Ruby on Rails, while the back end uses MySQL for database management. For hosting, Coursera relies on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

In addition to the core technologies that power Coursera, there are several third-party tools and integrations that make up the rest of the technology stack. These include:

1. Moodle: An open-source learning management system (LMS) used by universities and colleges around the world. Used to deliver content and track learner progress.

2. Hadoop: An Apache project that provides a framework for distributed storage and processing of big data sets. Used by Coursera to process massive amounts of data generated by learners taking courses.

3. Tableau: A data visualization tool used to help make sense of complex data sets. Used by Coursera’s Data Science team to analyze data and identify trends.

4. Stripe: A payments processing company that helps businesses accept credit card payments online. Used by Coursera to process payments from learners enrolling in paid courses.

Wrapping Up

So, this was all you needed to know about building an e-Learning platform like Coursera.

If you are hunting for a reliable mobile app development company that can help you give shape to your e-Learning platform, then we at RV Technologies have got you covered.

With our highly experienced developers, you can quickly get the best results in minimal time.

Speak with our expert teams today!