ClassLink Analytics+: iOS & Android Apps for Data-Driven Learning

“X2 Mobile is very responsive. They delivered every key metric on time and were very responsive and professional with scope changes." - Barbara Nesbitt, VP of Product

About the app

ClassLink is a company dedicated to streamlining educational technology. Their flagship product, ClassLink LaunchPad, provides a single sign-on platform for all a school's digital learning resources.

With over 20 million daily users worldwide, ClassLink empowers educators, students, administrators, and IT professionals by simplifying access to valuable learning tools.

The ClassLink Analytics tool builds upon LaunchPad by offering schools a comprehensive view of digital resource usage. This includes detailed data on logins and time spent accessing resources within the LaunchPad environment.

Challenges

Schools investing in a multitude of digital learning tools often struggle with tracking usage data. Managing login information and user activity across a vast array of platforms is time-consuming and inefficient.

This lack of data transparency makes it difficult for educators to make informed decisions about resource allocation and effectiveness. Recognizing this challenge faced by the existing LaunchPad customers, a clear need for a more robust data analysis solution was identified.

To add to that, developing the Analytics+ extension for iOS devices presented a unique challenge. Accessing private user data necessitated innovative solutions.

 
 

Solutions

ClassLink Analytics+ was developed to address the limitations of the initial Analytics tool. Analytics+ goes beyond LaunchPad to capture data on all digital resources accessed by students and staff, even those outside the LaunchPad environment.

To address the challenge described above for iOS devices, together with ClassLink, we utilized network filter technology, originally designed for content filtering, to capture data about apps and domains accessed on school-issued devices.

This comprehensive data collection provides schools with invaluable insights, including:

  • Equity: Identify potential disparities in access and resource utilization across different student groups.

  • Engagement: Understand how students and teachers interact with various learning tools.

  • Purchasing Decisions: Allocate resources based on data-driven evidence of effectiveness and user engagement.

  • Professional Development: Tailor professional development opportunities based on teacher needs and resource usage data.

For this project, we leveraged a diverse technology stack, including Java, Kotlin, Objective-C, Swift, SwiftUI, JavaScript, and Firebase for a seamless and powerful application.

While the standalone mobile apps for Analytics have been temporarily removed for a major redesign, the Analytics+ extension remains fully functional within the LaunchPad iOS app. ClassLink is committed to providing schools with the most advanced and user-friendly tools available.