Most teachers we know started teaching online the same way: a Telegram or Facebook group, a BaridiMob number in the pinned post, and endless private messages. It makes sense: the group is free, easy, and the students are already there.
But as the number of students grows, the hidden cost starts to show.
The hidden cost of free groups
- Links leak: the invite link or file gets copied and reposted, and you never know by whom.
- Payments are tracked by hand: receipts in private messages, students you forget to add, others still there after their subscription ended.
- You can't see who's learning: who watched the lesson? Who dropped off? Who needs help before the exam?
- Questions get lost: an important question buried under fifty “thanks, teacher” messages.
- The group isn't yours: it can be shut down or restricted any time, taking years of work with it.
- No brand: students remember “the maths group”, not your name or your academy.
What you gain by moving
| Telegram or Facebook group | Your academy on Dirassa+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Payments | Receipts in messages, manual tracking | BaridiMob, CCP, Edahabia, cash on delivery and activation cards, in one dashboard |
| Access | A link that gets copied and shared | A personal account per student, access that ends with the subscription |
| Video protection | Files downloaded and reshared | Signed expiring links and a watermark with the student's name |
| Tracking | None | Each student's progress, and the lesson where students drop off |
| Questions | Lost in the chat | A community with channels, Q&A and accepted answers |
| Exams | Photos of papers and outside forms | Auto-graded exams with reports |
| Ownership | The group belongs to the app | Your site, your domain, your name |
The 7-step migration plan
The key is not to close the group overnight. Move gradually, and make the academy better than the group before asking students to join it.
Step 1: get the academy ready before any announcement
Create your platform, pick your colours and logo, create the first course and turn on payments. A student arriving should find everything ready from day one.
Step 2: move the most requested content first
Don't move everything at once. Start with the chapter students ask about most, or this term's course. If you have old PDFs, AI can turn them into a structured lesson draft for you to review.
Step 3: create community spaces that mirror your groups
For each group you run today, create a matching space: a free one for general announcements, and a paid or members-only space for each course. Students will find the same spirit, better organised.
Step 4: bring current students in without paying twice
Students who already paid you in the group should join the academy without paying again. Two ways:
- Bulk enrolment: paste their email list and they're enrolled in the course in one go.
- Activation codes: create a batch of codes for students who already paid and send each one their own code.
Step 5: announce the move clearly, with a reason students care about
Don't say “we're moving to a platform”. Say what students gain: “every lesson organised in one place to rewatch whenever you like, an auto-graded exam after each chapter, and your questions won't get lost any more”. Pin the announcement and explain how to get in with a short video.
Step 6: put the academy on the student's phone
Your students live on their phones. When a student installs your academy as an app, your notifications reach them directly: a new lesson, an exam opening, a class starting — just like group messages, but under your own name.
Step 7: turn the group into an announcement channel, then close it
After two or three weeks, make the group announcements-only, with every post pointing to the academy. Once most activity has moved, set a closing date and announce it in advance.
What about students who resist the change?
Someone will always say “the group was easier”. Listen: the reason is usually access or payment. Offer the payment method they know (BaridiMob, or cash through an activation card) and help them sign in the first time. After a week inside the academy, most won't want to go back.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose students if I leave Telegram?
If you move gradually, prepare the academy before announcing, and bring current students in without a new payment, very few. Most students prefer the organisation within a week.
How do I move students who already paid me?
With bulk enrolment by pasting their email list, or by sending each one their own activation code.
Can some content stay free?
Yes. You can create free community spaces and preview lessons open to everyone alongside your paid courses.
Do notifications reach the student's phone like on Telegram?
Yes — when a student installs your academy as an app, they get notifications for new lessons, exams and live classes.