Core Developer – the platform for learning how to program

We analyzed the best competitors in the education field using a SWOT analysis. Additionally, a business analysis was conducted to find the best way to implement features correctly and bring profit to the product.

SWOT Analysis

The main goal of this platform’s SWOT analysis was to identify competing platforms’ weaknesses and transform them into our strengths.

What we did 

During the SWOT analysis, we found the following problems:

• Limited social interaction between students and teachers
• Lack of discipline on the part of students
• Scattered and unorganized teaching tools

So, we were able to optimize online learning and add such key  features as all the necessary tools for learning in one place, new methods of motivation for students through setting goals and tracking their progress, as well as online support and communication with teachers.

Business Analysis

The main goal of the BA for this platform was to describe the functionality through the user story and documentation of each function through

• Analysis of the subject area
• Identification of current problems and their solutions
• Recommendations and advice on solution implementation
• Prioritized feature list

What we did

During the BA, we explained to the client the characteristics of the solutions we collected, outlining their benefits and risks.

• The priority feature was integrating coding tools with our platform, a unique feature. During the analysis, we encountered the problem that full integration is not yet possible, and therefore we did an estimate to add basic functionality. Initially, our team integrated three tools: Swift, HTML, and CSS. We did it as an MVP to make the platform known in the market and gain the minimum audience.

• Uploading content was decided to be made in the form of a constructor so that course owners can conveniently customize it for themselves. It was decided to divide the process into steps and estimate each step separately since each has distinctive characteristics and nuances.

• Monetization of the MVP initially consisted of only two options: subscription and one-time purchase. However, two more payment methods were added (free and payment plan) after collecting feedback from the first users. Also, in the beginning, there was an estimation only for payment by card. Later we added payment through cryptocurrency, as well as a referral program.
• We decided to work with the analytics mechanisms built into the platform to obtain data on user activity. To do this, we created our graphs with student performance statistics, goal setting, and conversion analysis for course owners and their student localization.

Map

Based on the data from our client and the results obtained during the research, we created an Informational Architecture for the platform.

Through a series of iterations and diving deep into the exploration sessions, we clarified the vision for the platform, allowing us to work through the details together. This included adding the integration of software tools for writing code of various programming languages together with our platform, built-in messenger, and an online chat with technical support, flexible daily, weekly and monthly goal builder, as well as separate functionality for two types of users. As a result, we arrived at seven main flows. We continued to evolve: authorization, uploading a course / taking a course, checking/doing homework, analyzing and viewing statistics, communication via chat, writing and passing skill tests, and payment options were added.

User flow

User flow is a visual representation of the sequence of actions the user performs to achieve his goal. Our team built future steps and further worked on the interface to determine how users achieve the goal, calculating positive and negative scenarios. The diagram below is an example that shows how we were able to simplify the process of handing in homework. During homework, students can leave comments, the answers to which will be received within 1 working day. They can also move on to the next lesson to save time while waiting for an answer to their questions.