6 WORDPRESS PLUGINS FOR EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES

There was a time when people liked to teach and learn in person. However, those days are gone away and studying is easier now with the innovation of modern technology. All you need is a platform where you can teach or learn. If you want to create and sell online courses, then the learning management system (LMS) can help you a lot. The combination of a WordPress website and LMS plugins are far ahead of their competitors. This is why it is heavily used throughout the world. Besides, these plugins can play a vital role to give your website an e-learning friendly look. Today, we will discuss some popular WordPress plugins that will help you build an educational website.

The number one plugin in my list is CoursePress. Apart from traditional courses, sometimes you need to design courses which are full of audio and video presentations, quizzes, etc. This plugin has a lot to offer in this regard. Here, you can give authorization to the students so that they can also upload videos to the website. Besides, creating a discussion board is easier than ever.

Thus, facilitators and students can easily exchange their thoughts. Moreover, you can make both free and premium courses at the same time using this plugin. It also offers a preview option to the buyers. So, the buyers feel more comfortable before purchasing the plugin. These are the reasons why it is placed in the first position.

Websites

You may have visited a lot of websites where the WP Courseware plugin was installed. However, you might not notice it as you were not familiar with its interface. If I am to tell their client’s names, you may recognize them. The list includes websites like- Cable News Network (CNN), University of Kentucky, Verizon Wireless, etc.

This plugin offers a drag and drops function to create courses easily. It also offers functions like- student progress visualizer, course outlines, customized email notifications, etc. Moreover, all quizzes creating options are available there like- multiple-choice, open-ended, true and false and so on. Nevertheless, the students can both write down their answers and upload their answers as a file.

I would like to place Institute Management in the third position of my listing.  Institute Management is a comprehensive plugin to manage multiple and single institute related activities such as courses, batches, enquirers, registrations, fees, students, staff, etc. It can generate fee receipt, fees report, ID card, completion certificate, etc. in a printable format. Administrators can be assigned to manage particular records. Also, you can send Email and SMS notifications to students by batch, course, pending fees and more. Students can pay their fees with PayPal, Stripe or Razorpay payment methods.

Famous developer WooThemes team

Sensei secured the fourth position in this list. It is developed by the famous developer WooThemes team. This plugin believes in controlling everything from the dashboard. You can set course prerequisites right from your WordPress dashboard. Similarly, you can easily see and compare the analytical data of your users from the dashboard. You can also keep an eye to their improvements and check their course choices live. On the other hand, you can freely create certificates via this plugin.

The students can simply share their grades on social media platforms as well. Now, your grade represents you when you share it online. Sometimes, it is really tough to secure a good result due to poor writing skills. In these cases, FreshEssays can save your reputation. It is an essay writing service you can trust. They can write essays on any topic you need and they can deliver it within a short time.

Here comes the mighty StudyPress in position number five. Unlike other plugins, it does not focus on direct blog postings. It publishes your materials in the form of slides on posts and pages. You know that the slides are quite useful and it goes straight to the facts. There is no limitation of creating courses in StudyPress, you can literally create an unlimited number of courses. Besides, it has an automated grading and rating system to save your precious time.

You know there are a number of plugins available for school or college-based educational websites. However, the options are limited when you think about graduates or post-graduates. Thus, I would like to add Teachpress in my listing. It is a plugin compatible with the BibTeX publication management system. This usually made for the professors and the researchers. It has integrated modules for different tasks like- assessments, documents, enrollments, etc. The good thing about this plugin is you can upload your publications in BibTeX format to your WordPress website. Besides, it gives an RSS feed for the publications as well.

Finally, these plugins are quite useful if you are going to start an educational website. They are so compact that even the beginners can use it. So, what are you waiting for? Start building your website today using these plugins.

What Is the Meaning of 2d Animation & 3d Animation, and Which One Is Better?

Can you remember those golden old days when we used to rush from the school to watch the Micky Mouse, Tom & jerry? For sure, watching cartoon animation is a fun thing for all of us.

By the year 2021, more than 75% of the content on the internet will be in the video format. So, every industry is using video for marketing their business. Undoubtedly, effective video marketing can skyrocket your business to the next level.

Some businesses are confused about using 2D or 3D animation videos for marketing their products or services. This confusion can be seen in almost every individual who is using videos in their daily professional lives.

2D and 3D videos are highly engaging. People love to watch these videos, and they often get likes and shares on social media.

Let us take a glance at the meaning of 2D and 3D animation:

What is 2D animation?

2D or Two-dimensional animation is a type of animation in which two-dimensional space is used for creating animation. That means the characters are generated using the X and Y plane. Also, we can only consider the height and width of the objects in the 2D animation.

In 2.5D animation, 2D animation is sketched into 3-dimensional space.

Since the early 1800s, we saw the rise of 2D animations. In 2D animation, we draw the movement of the character in several frames. The creation of animation video occurs after the combination of all the frames.

Have you seen the classic Disney animations? Well, they are some of the best examples of 2D animations.

With the development of technology, the process of creating 2D animation has changed. Now, you can create a complicated two-dimensional video within a few minutes with the help of different software tools.

Process of creating 2D animation:

The production of the 2D animations starts with writing a script. After writing the script, you have to design your 2D characters.

After designing the characters, you have to consider the color of the characters as well as the background color. During the pre-production process, the essential background themes are sketched, and their painting is done during the actual production of the 2D animation video.

One of the essential things in 2D animation is the drawing of the characters. Characters must be drawn in such a way that they must look realistic as well as their appearance must have some weight.

The realistic and well-drawn characters make the 2D animation engaging as well as more professional. To make your characters more realistic, try to add more frames at the end and the start of your animation. Also, add few frames at the middle.

Selecting suitable 2D animation software might be a very challenging task for some of you. As many paid tools are available, you can go for a free trial of some software. If you like the software during the free-trial period then, upgrade otherwise you can search for other tools.

You can also use free tools like Pencil 2D, Blender, etc.

Create 2D animation online:

What if you don’t have any animation skills?

If you are not a professional animator, then, use online tools like Online Animation Maker.

For using it, you don’t require any skills. Inside the Online Animation Maker, you will get readymade templates that you can use to create your first 2D animation.

What is 3D animation?

For creating a 3D animation, we use a 3-dimensional space. That means while designing a 3D animation consider all three X, Y, and Z-axis.

Software tools are used for creating a 3D animated video. So, instead of drawing flat earth, the earth that can rotate is a 3D animation.

Things or scenes that are very difficult to show in 2D animation can be explained very quickly in the 3D animation. 3D animation indicates the actual situation.

Let us take a closer look at the three most essential steps in creating 3D animation.

Modelling:

Modelling is the first step that you have to take to create your 3D animation.

For modelling, you require proper skill. That means you must be able to visualize whatever you are going to model.

Hence, first, learn the art of visualization. Once you are master at visualizing how things work, you can start modelling your character.

Some people think modelling is drawing, but in practice, it is way different than just drawing things.

Animation and layout:

In the animation and layout process, the positioning of the characters plays an important role. Also, the objects are animated inside a particular scene in this step.

Rendering:

The third step is rendering. Once your animation is complete, hit on the render button and your 3D animation is ready.

The process of creating 3D animation might look easy, but, in reality, it is quite challenging. If you master the art of modelling and can use different software comfortably then, you can create complex 3D animation in just minutes.

3D models are passed through the process of lighting. Lighting a 3D model is as important as that of real life. Lighting makes the 3D model alive and gives it a real-life touch.

Blending is also carried out in the making of 3D animation. In blending, actual live footage is combined with footage produced using a computer.

Some of the recommended software tools for creating 3D animation are Maya, iClone, MakeHuman, Daz3D, MotionBuilder, etc.

The difference between 2D & 3D animation:

The above picture can tell you the exact difference between 2D and 3D animation. The left Mario is in 2D while the right one is in 3D.

In the 2D animation, consider the frames, frame rate while 3D animation is all about the movements. The space used in creating the animation makes them different.

In 2D animation, all the action takes place in X and Y-axis. For a 3D animated video, we have to consider additional Z-axis.

2D animations find their applications in advertisements, websites, etc. 3D animations are used for gaming, movies, biotechnology, etc.

Which one is better? 3D or 2D?

Now, let us discuss the original question: Which animation is better- 2D or 3D?

The answer depends on your requirements. If you want a video with appealing visuals, then, definitely go with a 3D animation.

3D animation requires a lot of time as compared to the 2D animation. Because in 3D animation, detailed procedure of modelling, lighting, adding effects is involved. Though the time investment is more in 3D, it is capable of giving good results to you.

Another factor that decides the choice between 3D or 2D is the audience that you are targeting. If your audience likes the 2D animation, then there is no point in creating a perfect 3D animated video.

With the 2D animation, you can focus on the gameplay effectively. At the other end of the spectrum, in 3D animation design is crucial.

Both 2D and 3D animation have their pros as well as cons.

In short, choosing between 2D and 3D animation entirely depends on you and the type of video you want. Also, you have to consider various factors while considering both these types of animations.

Final Words

3D animation is picking up space. Though you can add advanced effects with the help of 3D animation, it can’t beat the simplicity of creating a 2D animation.

Therefore, it all depends upon the requirement of the businesses and how efficiently they can design the animation.

Why WORDPRESS Is Still the Best Website Builder

Between the easy to use the system and fully customizable potential, there is no other CMS that really comes close to WordPress. That’s why nearly 30% of all websites are built using WordPress. If you are looking for the best way to build your website, the answer has been and continues to be WordPress. At a low cost of free, you’d be crazy to start with anything else.

1 – Easy to Use

When it comes to ease of use, WordPress tops the charts. It’s extremely user-friendly backend experience makes managing a WordPress site simple. A stock WordPress site will set up your functions for your website, and separate the areas where they need to be. Your main pages will go under pages. Your blog posts go under posts. Customizing your theme is under appearance. It’s a simple set up once you learn what each tab does, and it’s potential is limitless when you really know what you are doing.

Compared to builders like Wix and Squarespace, it might be a bit harder to learn, but what you can create with WordPress is far beyond the capabilities of the other two builders. While there is a learning curve, it’s not nearly as steep as a CMS like Joomla. WordPress is the easiest system that gives the end-user full capability of their CMS.

2 – There’s a Plugin for That

Do you want to make your website do something special that no one else has? Well, there is probably a plugin for that. Plugins are a repository of functionality for your WordPress. From contact forms to page builders, there are so many different plugins available on the market for WordPress. Some are free, others have pay for features. You can access plugins directly from the backend of your website too. If you go to Plugins > Add New, you can search through the entire wordpress.org plugin catalog. They will show you the dates of the last upgrades, version compatibility, and ratings right there for you to see and read. When you find what you were looking for, just click install. After a short time, another screen will load with another button that lets you activate the plugin. Once it’s activated, most plugins will add a new option on the left sidebar of the dashboard where you can play with their settings and options.

3 – Coder’s Paradise

WordPress is a free open source platform, so those who know how to code can create anything for their website. With full access to documentation and file locations, coders can create plugins that modify their site with custom functionality. You can even share and sell your plugins to the public.

4 – Integration

Between the plugins and social settings within WordPress itself, you can really turn your website into a hub for all of your internet outreach. You can drive traffic to your website from your social media channels, and you can get those who do land on your website to your other channels through social share settings.

Beyond the simple social share functions, you can use your WordPress as a host to generate leads as well. There are tons of different integrations that third-party apps like MailChimp and WooCommerce. They can provide you the functionality that you would otherwise be unable to produce without custom codes, but the WP engine does it through API codes and calls. It makes creating sales funnels and retargeting campaigns quick and easy.

5 – Automatic Notifications

You WordPress can help you keep your customers in the loop, too. If you aren’t using apps like MailChimp to collect leads and create lists, you might want to look into what WordPress itself has to offer. We’re talking about Jetpack, a lightweight plugin that lets you create lists, blog notifications, manage social buttons, and so much more. It gives you the ability to notify your audience whenever you post, and it will push notifications through your social media channels, too. All you have to do is link your social accounts, and it will automatically make a post or email when you create a new blog post on your site.

6 – Multi-Site Control

For complex companies with tons of different departments and moving parts. You would be interested to know about the multi-site control that WordPress provides your development team. By housing multiple sites under one account, you can seamlessly travel from site to site through a menu on the top left of your dashboard. That makes it simple for developers. And admins to jump from site to site without having to log into another account. This saves so much time when you are working with multiple “properties” under the same roof.

7 – No Coding Required

Really, WordPress doesn’t require coding knowledge. You can make a site with all the bells and whistles by simply looking through the custom themes. Just like plugins, many of these themes are one-click install themes. And they convert the look of your site to whatever style the theme has. You can then customize your new theme in the customization menu in your appearances or the builders that were used to create the themes. There are also pay for themes, and many of them come packed with plugins you would otherwise have to pay to use. All of these pieces and parts will make it so you never have to code. Just click the buttons to make it look how you want it to.

WordPress Puts the Press on Every Other CMS

If you want to build a WordPress site, but it’s going over your head, don’t worry. There are tons of companies that offer amazing managed WordPress services. From web designto custom plugins, you can work with a company to make your WordPress anything you want it to be.

Things You Should Know Before Learning Python

Python is one of the best programming languages that you can learn to boost your career. Many job profiles mention Python as a mandatory skill under the job description. By learning this language or taking a Python course that can help you understand the language better, you will be increasing your chances of landing a high paying job.

Many people assume that learning Python is a difficult task; however, that’s not true. In fact, Python has a smooth learning curve that makes it easy for the user to understand, learn and implement it.

But there are some things that you should know before you start your Python training.

1. Starting with the Basics- Difference Between Front-End And Back-End

If you come from a background of coding, you might be knowing what the difference between front-end and back-end is. But, if you are new to the world of programming, this might be a bit tricky for you.

When you visit a web page, whatever you see on it is the “front-end”. It consists of all the texts, images, videos, animations, graphics, icons, sliders, links, all of this is considered as the fronted for that particular web page. The front-end of a web page is built by mainly three programming languages: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Many people find coding in front-end easier as compared to the backed as it involves less number of complex coding and languages.

Contrarily, the back-end of a web page is the code that runs behind the front-end. It is not visible to the user. Only developers and those who have been granted permission can get access to the back-end of a web page. Back-end code tells the web pages what to do, how to validate input information, what output to produce for a certain input, how to query data from a database in the back-end and other functional aspects. There are many languages that are used to create the back-end of web pages; however, developers mainly use C, Java, Python, Ruby, and PHP.

2. Understand What You Can Do With Python

Before you start taking a Python course, you should understand the potential of Python as a programming language. It is considered as one of the best coding languages to build the backend of websites. It can be used with machine learning tools, artificial intelligence software, for data analyzing, accessing API data and automating repetitive tasks.

Social media platforms like Instagram use Python’s Django framework to manage their CMS, while Instacart uses Python to run projections for the upcoming week for demand forecasting.

You can use Python for creating applications to simplify complex software development process as it is a more general-purpose programming language that is easy to work with.

3. Learn About Job Opportunities

Python is a programming language that is used worldwide across several domains and verticals. If you want to become a Python developer, you could easily bag a high paying job at a multinational firm. But, if hardcore coding isn’t your thing, you can venture into other career opportunities that do not require tight coding like that of a Python developer.

There are many different industries where you can work after learning Python. Right from data journalists, data scientists, data analysts, doctors, engineers, medical researchers to product managers, many people use Python on a daily basis.

Python can be easily incorporated with other technologies like machine learning, AI, predictive analytics, etc. You could work in marketing, business, technology, sales, design, and many other industries.

4. Practice Consistently

It is important that you constantly learn and practice how to code in Python. Consistency is the key to success when you are taking Python training. If you don’t have a technical background, it might seem a bit intimidating at first, but that shouldn’t stop you from learning. Many people tend to deviate and lose focus in the beginning days. If you stick through the initial phase, you will get to realize that Python is no rocket science.

Python is believed to have a smooth learning curve which aids users to understand and grasp its knowledge easily. Committing to coding every day will help you develop your muscle memory, which plays a huge role in the learning process. Start with 20 minutes in the first week and gradually increase the time.

These were some of the most basic and simple tips to use before learning Python. Now that you have a clear idea of what to do before you sign up for a Python course, go ahead and do your research about the things you want to know. Whether it takes one month to learn the basics of Python or four months, understand that you will get there if you put in your 100% constantly.

B2B LEADS GENERATION MADE EASY

B2B lead generation can be notoriously challenging. After your endless efforts to implement the most renown strategies, including email, content, social, and search marketing, you may still find it hard to land desirable B2B leads. That’s why you need all the help you can get to generate B2B leads. The good news is, with a reputable and reliable provider, you can include software in your campaigns to help you generate B2B leads.

As you may not be in a position to capture all B2B lead generation functions, including such software, comes in handy. Among the significant contributions that make it a noteworthy effort include;

Near real-time alerts

How fast you react to a visitor on your site can increase your campaign’s conversion rate. Since you may not have enough time to stay glued on your website tracking your visitors, the software takes that weight off your shoulders. With near real-time alerts straight to your email, you can conveniently keep up with your visitors. This enables you to keep them engaged and ensure they don’t lose interest in your business.

Better insight

Understanding your visitors is a significant milestone. However, you might not sufficiently track all the vital information to get a vivid idea about your visitors, a feature that the B2B lead generation software brings along. With valuable information regarding your visitors on your hands. You can expediently tailor an approach that best fits their interests and aligns with what your business offers.

Enhanced marketing strategy

You can effectively generate B2B leads if you know what pages businesses visit on your site. Knowing what visitors like about your site’s content is an excellent starting point. You can identify what the companies like about you and develop it to improve your marketing campaigns’ performance, hence better ROI.

What’s more, with reliable software, you get information such as the visitors’ location and time they visited your site. From that, you can tailor a personalized follow up that best defines your potential client and the solutions you offer to their business.

Business managers are always looking for valuable information and services that enhance their business performance. As such, with their identity, you can comfortably implement a measure that captures their interest and offer solutions to their problems. This means that you get to close more deals, increase revenue, and in the long run. Gain an edge in the competitive market as they market your brand through their loyalty.

Superior services

Juggling between your core functions and generating B2B leads can be stressful. With your hands full, you can quickly lose sight of what is essential and neglect some aspects. Quality is usually the victim at such instances as you strive to land more deals. With poor quality services, closing one deal may see you lose other customers as they are unhappy with what you are providing.

With the help of B2B leads generation software, you get to concentrate on what you are best at, resulting in superior products or services. Superior quality translates to happy clients, and you can keep them as you bring in new leads. Moreover, you get to enjoy better conversion rates as your client base speaks for your business.

Generating B2B leads is a challenging task, but with the help of valuable tools. You can maximize your campaigns’ effectiveness and land more businesses.