How to Use WhatsApp for Education?

Senior Writer: Naina khare

Reading Time: 7 Minutes

Published : November 23, 2023

Does the complex and dynamic world of education management seem overwhelming and exhausting? WhatsApp for education can make things easier! 

With 2.5 billion active users worldwide, WhatsApp has authority over the personal communication market. In addition, young students prefer instant messaging apps like WhatsApp over emails to solve their queries.

That’s why an increasing number of educational institutions have started adopting it to communicate with their students. We have curated this guide to expand your knowledge on WhatsApp for education with benefits and use cases.

Expert Advice

"Bumpy communication, inefficient administration, and un-updated information are sure to disrupt your institution’s operations and students’ overall learning experience. WhatsApp for education can eliminate this by transforming student-institution communication and automating administrative processes via its edgy features and advanced capabilities."

What Is WhatsApp for Education?

WhatsApp for education is the idea of educational institutions using WhatsApp to seamlessly communicate and collaborate with current students, prospective students, and other stakeholders. 

This direct communication platform lets institutions cater to students’ queries individually, adding a needed personal touch. The result? Enhanced student experience, a dynamic learning environment, and improved enrolment rates. 

WhatsApp for education thus works well for all kinds of institutions. This includes universities, professional certificate course academies, online educational institutions, or in-person educational institutions. 

Advantages of Using WhatsApp for Education

WhatsApp for schools (education sector) is an unmissable tool for institutions to establish a strong connection with students and promote comprehensive learning. Here are the top 7 benefits of using this platform –

1. Easy mass communication

WhatsApp facilitates instant and effortless teacher-student communication with the broadcast messaging feature. 

It allows teachers to add their students to one broadcast list and share critical information, such as learning materials and educational resources, with the entire class. Students receive this message as an accessible personal chat.

2. Exchanging multimedia messages 

This communication platform has powerful multimedia-sharing capabilities that teachers can utilize to share audio, videos, photos, documents, presentations, class materials, and recordings. This also comes in handy for sharing class updates with absentees. 

3. Accelerates administrative tasks

Education sector institutions have tons of administrative tasks, which can get time-consuming and exhausting. Here, WhatsApp can accelerate the process by automating some tasks via push notifications and chatbots and fulfilling others by facilitating instant communication. 

4. Improves student interaction

Today, almost all students use WhatsApp and are comfortable with the platform. So, when they have an option to connect with their institution over WhatsApp, they are more likely to clear their doubts or feel comfortable sharing information. When institutions leverage WhatsApp, their response rate is bound to rise. In addition, it improves student interaction and promotes learning outside the classroom.

5. Cost-effectiveness

This communication platform requires no heavy investment in infrastructure or advanced software; rather, it is easily accessible on smartphones. In addition, WhatsApp uses minimal data, eliminating the need for educational institutions to strain their internet plans. 

Also, even small educational institutions can leverage WhatsApp to communicate with students, distribute study materials, send project submissions or exam reminders, and offer reliable support without spending too much.

6. Best for low connectivity locations 

WhatsApp is a gem for institutions and students based out of low internet connectivity areas because it supports learning and information sharing at a minimal internet speed. Even amid technological limitations, WhatsApp ensures that learning never stops and educational institutions can welcome and solve questions. 

7. Supports students who need additional assistance

With WhatsApp, teachers can maintain a one-on-one relationship with students and check their educational progress. This especially helps students who shy away from asking doubts in class. Teachers can then give them extra attention, improving their results and boosting their confidence.

Check Out : Reshaping Education Industry With WhatsApp Shared Inbox

What Are Some Practical Use Cases for WhatsApp in Education?

WhatsApp plays a major role in education by facilitating easy learning and information sharing. Here are the 5 major uses of WhatsApp in education you must know – 

1. Educational marketing

Today, parents and students expect a top-notch, time- and money-worthy customer experience from educational institutions just like they do from a business. 

WhatsApp allows institutions to market their brand and establish a personalized connection with students and parents via one-on-one interaction. Also, WhatsApp marketing messages win a clickthrough rate of 15%, which is beyond enough to get you your desired reach.

Here are some WhatsApp marketing features with utility –

1. Instant messaging replaces online ads and landing pages with personalized messages to share information like course descriptions and curriculums for better lead generation. 
2. Live agents and bots personalize the individual experience based on the prospect’s answer and help in gathering information regarding the prospect’s identity, course preference, and source of institution discovery. 
3. Send updates regarding news and events creatively to reengage prospects in a personalized manner. 

2. Application process management 

Educational institutions are often flooded with applications, and individually catering to them is painfully exhausting. WhatsApp helps them streamline the process and improve the overall experience for both students and educational institutions. Here’s how –

1. Create WhatsApp groups or a broadcast list to share updates on the admission process, deadlines, and requirements with the applicants. 
2. Receive transcripts, LOR, and test scores online without having queues in the institution. 
3. Utilize voice and video calling to take interviews who are not available to attend in-person sessions. 

3. Student onboarding 

New students are not acclimated to the institution’s environment and might feel out of place sometimes. To avoid this and build a great onboarding experience for them, WhatsApp is reliable. 

Here’s how the education industry can utilize WhatsApp to enhance the student onboarding process –

1. Send welcome messages with images or videos to acquaint new students with educational institution amenities, facilities, and staff. 
2. Share orientation information, including class schedules, educational institution maps, and upcoming events, to make it easier for students to blend in. 
3. Connect new and existing students to better solve new students’ queries and build a personal connection with the educational institution instantly. 

4. Support on student-related issues

During the application process, most students have queries or doubts regarding the next steps, fees, and accommodation. WhatsApp enables educational institutions to create a dedicated administrative support account to cater to such issues in real time.

1. Set up automated messages via chatbot or keyword/phrase triggers to instantly respond to FAQs in a detailed manner.
   
2. Connect students with relevant staff by asking them about their department, ID number, and name. The staff can then solve student-specific concerns with personalized messages.
3. Create and send auto reminders on deadlines and tasks.

Learn : How to set up WhatsApp auto-reply?

5. Track student progress

Student grades majorly depend on how well they’re able to grasp what is being taught in class. Based on this assessment, teachers pass or graduate students. For teachers to understand student’s learning progress, WhatsApp has a myriad of features – 

1. Create fun quizzes to which students can answer via WhatsApp by selecting the right answer. Teachers can then track student’s answers and provide instant feedback for improvement. 
2. Create and send exam question papers to students in the form of text, PDF, or image to gauge online students’ knowledge. 
3. Share a task with students over WhatsApp group(s) and invite peer reviews on the submitted tasks. This develops students’ critical thinking skills.

Benefits of WhatsApp Business API for Education Management in Schools

WhatsApp Business app is the best and the most feature-rich tool to establish strong connections and seamless communication between businesses and customers. However, it lacks education-related services, making it an undesirable choice for managing institution-student communication. But if not WhatsApp Business, then what? 

WhatsApp Business API integration is your savior if you’re seeking a robust education management tool. It offers a roster of advanced features cut for managing all the information dissemination between schools and students. 

Some of its lucrative education management capabilities include – 

1. Customized messaging 

72% of the audience will engage with personalized WhatsApp marketing messages. WhatsApp Business API enables educational institutions to create and share customizable template messages with parents and students. 

The base topic of these messages can range from exam schedules and assignments to project reminders and notices. 

2. Security and Compliance

WhatsApp Business API has in-built two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption to safeguard critical, confidential information for students, staff, or parents. This ensures that no information is leaked or misused by third parties. It also adheres to the core data protection laws such as GDPR, tightening the safety of your data.

3. Powerful integrations 

The API connects with your CRM and student information systems, centralizing all your communication and data from different channels in one place. This offers institutions easy access to information without toggling between different apps or windows. 

4. High scalability 

Schools or educational institutions usually cater to a large number of existing or interested students and parents. So, a platform with limited bandwidth might struggle to grow as the institution scales, potentially leading to a collapse. That’s not the case with WhatsApp Business API. It can seamlessly handle high message volumes and support mass communication. 

5. Reporting and analytics

WhatsApp Business API offers in-depth insights into the success of an institution’s communication strategies. With this data, gauging engagement rates, improving communication, and driving data-based decisions becomes easier. 

Schools can also accurately track and identify message delivery, as well as open and click-through rates, to better focus on improvement areas. 

Bonus : How to get started with a WhatsApp Business API account?

How ControlHippo Helps You Use WhatsApp for Education?

ControlHippo helps you use WhatsApp for schools’ education with a WhatsApp inbox designed to unify conversations and empower educators. It facilitates strong student engagement and seamless communication while unlocking an interesting learning experience. 

With ControlHippo, you can easily take your education on WhatsApp to the next level by ensuring student engagement, simple management, and advanced communication. 

Here’s why you must use ControlHippo for WhatsApp education –

1. Offers an inclusive and diverse educational experience to staff, students, and parents by allowing global access to the platform. 
2. Ensures interruption-free collaboration between students and teachers, promoting an enhanced learning environment. 
3. Automates attendance and assignment reminders to allow teachers to focus on delivering top-notch education. 
4. Organizes and streamlines administrative tasks for better management of educational institution operations and data. 
5. Provides instant support to and nurtures students who require personalized guidance or face complex academic challenges. 
6. Gives real-time updates on critical information to drive informed decision-making and lock timely responses. 
7. Offers powerful integrations with your favorite apps and existing systems such as Zoho, HubSpot, Slack, and pipedrive to elevate your productivity. 

Wrapping Up 

WhatsApp Business for Education helps you streamline and regularly update your educational records, market your brand, and track students’ learning progress. 

However, you must note that WhatsApp Business is not potent enough to fulfill your institution’s educational goals. You must shift to WhatsApp Business API to perform the functions mentioned above. As WhatsApp Business API doesn’t have an interface, you’ll need a robust business provider like ControlHippo to avail of its benefits. 

Its WhatsApp shared inbox automates attendance, sends real-time updates, and ensures interruption-free collaboration. If this is what you were looking for, start your free trial now!

Updated : April 11, 2024

Naina khare

Naina Khare is a full-time writer who fiercely believes in the power of storytelling and primarily holds expertise in creating content for B2B SaaS brands. She’s infinitely curious and happiest when reading, writing, or exploring spirituality and self-growth. Over the years, Naina has written content for various SaaS and B2B companies.

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