Image Credit : Gospelware
Project Overview
GCSEPod is the “Spotify” for education. An app for GCSE study that allows students to create playlists of educational podcasts and receive assignments from their teachers who are able to track progress and advise areas for further revision, in the classroom or at home.
Project Commissioner
Soundbite Learning
Project Creator
Gospelware
Team
Project Manager: Phil Wright
App Development: David Silburn
Design: Paul Bingham
(Gospelware)
Project Brief
2013 saw the biggest fall in GCSE A*-C passes in the history of the exam, which is thought to be due to more and more students taking the exam early. This shows that regardless of academic ability, the more time spent revising the better.
GCSEPod equips students with the resources that they need to make the most of their revision both inside and out of the classroom, building on the amount of time that can be spent revising.
Initially an online tool, students are able to view, listen and store content that is relevant to their GCSE exams. We built the app version with an added feature of an audio player for the use of educational podcasts.
By becoming an app, GCSEPod is now able to be used easily in the classroom and at home as it can be accessed on a student’s device.
The emergence of digital has created the opportunity for learning to enter a new chapter by modernising older processes and - with the cooperation of teachers - makes it possible for education to reach a new level.
GCSEPod doesn’t replace teachers, it works with them by helping to empower students and optimise on their revision practice.
Project Need
It’s said that hands on activities and audio are the techniques where information is most likely to be retained. Having a varied revision plan allows for the mind to take a fresh approach to study and keeps the process interesting.
By adding an audio player students can create playlists of educational podcasts. Chapters and talks can be favourited and a ‘now-playing’ feature is incorporated making its functionality similar to any other popular streaming channel. The content is able to be streamed and played back, even when the user is offline. It will also continue to play even when using other apps and when the screen is locked. Everything a user makes online can also be picked up on the app, linking device use and making it easy to use GCSEPod at school and on the move.
The app is used in hundreds of schools nationwide and has been a supporting factor behind many schools incorporating mobile teaching within the classroom. Innovation and going mobile early is what has set GCSEPod apart from other apps and is also how it manages to remain competitive.
User Experience
We focused on the user experience massively as it was important to both us and the client that GCSEPod is easy and seamless to use. The better the user experience, the more that students can benefit from the product with our big brand promise being to help education function for the better.
Quick access to the different areas of the page was important so that students can view subjects and add podcasts directly. Creating ultimate clarity on the app ensures that students will keep their interest in the product and gain ultimate benefit from it, and achieve the better GCSE results.
Included is a dashboard feature that allows users to access ‘recently viewed’ content, upcoming exam information and any assignments set by their teachers.
Our focus was to create a ‘go-to’ app for revision and study in preparation for GCSE’s, to lessen stress, ease organisational burden and help students to get the most from their revision practice. In order to achieve this, we made user experience a priority and it is a main focus within all of our projects.
Project Marketing
As this project was built for our client, we have no direct control over marketing for the actual product but we ensure to market our build of the product. We wrote a post on our blog about the build of GCSEPod and generalised about the benefit of apps within education.
Using social media and hashtag discussions that are education specific we engage with users and contribute links to our blog posts which so far has gathered a lot of interest.
GCSEPod themselves market a lot through Awards with the system already gaining industry recognition and awards from BETT, IAAS, Learning Without Borders and Education Investor. In addition to this, they also do a lot of direct selling in schools and encourage the input of digital education all over the country.
Project Privacy
Communication between the app and API is done by SSL. Data is confidential to each user and isn’t shared with any other users who use the app. Privacy isn’t a major concern for this app as there is no personal data shared between users, only between user and teacher for assignments and any revision reviewing.
All details are held on the server which has its own security, all a user’s details are private and users cannot see each other’s info.
2014 UK Mobile & App Design Awards
Education
This category recognises education themed apps across all education sectors.
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