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EdTech Learning Platform
Professional

EdTech Learning Platform

Affaq Ahmed · Backend Engineer · ZySoftec · Cross-Platform / February 28, 2025

  • Node.js
  • MongoDB
  • Socket.IO
  • Stripe
  • Twilio
  • React
  • React Native

The client and product name are withheld under NDA. This page describes the system and my contributions without identifying details.

Overview

An intuitive, real-time learning platform (LMS) built for the Indian community. Admins create courses through an admin portal, teachers run live classes, and students answer quizzes in real time — all kept in sync across three React Native apps (TV, tablet, and mobile) by a WebSocket backend. On top of the live classroom, it offers a full set of LMS features: live leaderboards, attendance, and more.

My Role & Contributions

I joined to build the MVP and then carry it through to the full product, working from November 2024 to March 2025. My focus was the backend and the admin side:

  • Backend ownership — built and maintained the platform's backend on Node.js + MongoDB.
  • Admin portal — developed the admin side where courses and content are created and managed.
  • Real-time engine — implemented the Socket.IO layer that coordinates the TV and mobile apps, powering live quizzes, leaderboards, and class flow.
  • Integrations — integrated Stripe for payments and Twilio for SMS / communications.

Key Features

  • Admin-managed courses — admins create and manage courses from the portal.
  • Live, teacher-led classes — a dedicated teacher flow for running sessions.
  • Real-time quizzes — students answer quizzes live from the mobile flow, with results synced instantly.
  • TV ↔ mobile coordination — the classroom TV and student mobiles stay in sync over WebSockets.
  • Live leaderboard — real-time student rankings during class.
  • Attendance & LMS features — attendance tracking plus the wider LMS feature set.

Tech Stack & Architecture

  • Backend: Node.js with MongoDB.
  • Real-time: Socket.IO, coordinating shared state between the TV and mobile apps.
  • Clients: three React Native apps — one each for TV, tablet, and mobile — plus a React-based admin/web side.
  • Payments: Stripe.
  • Communications: Twilio.

The core flow ties everything together: an admin creates courses, a teacher teaches them through the teacher flow, and students answer quizzes through the mobile flow — with the TV and mobile experiences kept in lockstep by the WebSocket backend.

Challenges & Solutions

  • Cross-device real-time sync — the hardest part was keeping the TV and mobile apps perfectly in sync (quiz state, timing, leaderboard). I built this on a Socket.IO event model so every connected device reflects the same live state.
  • MVP to product — I shipped a working MVP first, then evolved it into the full product, growing the backend and admin tooling as features expanded.
  • Multiple client platforms — one backend had to serve three distinct React Native apps (TV, tablet, mobile) plus the admin web side from a shared API and socket layer.

Timeline

October 2024 – February 2025 · 5 months (MVP to product)