GroupMooc

The Client

GroupMooc is a start-up dedicated to designing mobile-first solutions in online education. People of all trades can use GroupMooc application to find and engage with free online courses. They can build custom learning plans and document their successes in course portfolios.

For GroupMooc initially we built the iOS app only. Later we were commissioned to add new features and functionalities and to deliver an Android app aligning its logic, look and feel with the iOS app.

The Project

For GroupMooc Melon developred an Android and iOS apps, which help people build timetable plans including study time and deadlines in a calendar format. It aggregates free online courses from multiple providers. Learners can discover and choose from thousands of options from renowned universities like Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Yale and Princeton, as well as from innovation companies like Google, Facebook, SAP, etc. Then they can plan their learning and measure their progress. 

Melon developed the mobile software for a brand new service that the start-up offers – GroupMooc for Teams. It helps companies upskill their staff using free online course. Through it, managers can find the latest and free online education and easily assign courses to team members. They can approve study time during the work day and sponsor certificates or other costs. They can trace employees’ progress and monitor learning data and cost reports. Also, initiative team members can find, organize and ask for approval to sign up for courses.

Challenges

The client insisted that users have one and the same experience with their app no matter if they are using Android or iOS despite the fact that the two platforms have different native components. To achieve this goal, Melon’s team chose to follow the iOS logic, look and feel since Apple limitations are stricter and their requirements – more demanding. For example, the prices of the in-app purchases with iOS are predefined and the developers could not set a random number. So they had to adjust prices following the iOS constraints.      

Another challenge was exhausting all possible user case scenarios and completing the specifications. GroupMooc had already spent a lot of time preparing user case scenarios and together we pinned down all the right interactions with the application, focusing on the software functionality. After the release of the product, a few change requests followed and currently the it is in its support phase while GroupMooc are planning their sales pitches and market strategies.

Additional Features

The users can easily and intuitively create one single integrated study plan in a timeline format. This allows them to plan and organize the workload. Alerts and notifications won’t let them miss the deadlines. They can have a study journal for each course and write notes and reminders. Finally, learners can build a portfolio of completed courses.

The Results

Melon is very happy to be the technological partner of a start-up that works hard to enable people all over the world further their education and develop their careers. Together we’ve provided them with a software tool to select and engage with free online courses that promote personal growth, developing new skills and setting up an effective learning environment.

Client Testimonial

“We highly recommend Melon's services as an iOS and Android developer. Our online education app (GroupMooc) was a complex project both in design and functionality. The Melon team were professional in approach and pragmatic about finding and delivering solutions.”

Greg Howe, Co-founder of GroupMooc