learn to fish: learning to evaluate educational apps
DESCRIPTION
With so many "educational" apps in the marketplace, how do you decide which ones are worth keeping--and which ones to throw back? Don't let the perfect educational app be the one that got away!TRANSCRIPT
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Learn to Fish-Evaluate Apps Yourself!
NAEYC National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development San Francisco, June 2013
Lilla Dale McManis, PhD-Research Director [email protected] LillaDaleMcManis@DrLDMcManis
Copyright 2013.
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If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.
----Lewis Carroll
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Did you know?
• “App Store has been subject to over 10 billion downloads and AndroLib claims Market has exceeded 3.2 billion downloads. These numbers are undoubtedly impressive and awe-inspiring, but how many times are these billions of downloaded apps actually being used? A study by software company Localytics states that 26 percent of applications downloaded are only opened once.”
http://www.phonedog.com/2011/02/01/how-many-times-are-downloaded-applications-actually-being-used/
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Did you know?
• Would you be surprised to hear that more than 60% of the apps in the App Store have never been downloaded, even once? That's the conclusion of analytical firm Adeven. Christian Henschel, Adeven CEO, said that there are only a "couple of thousand apps" that get downloaded in number from Apple's on-line applications store.”
http://www.phonearena.com/news/400000-apps-in-the-App-Store-have-never-been-downloaded-says-report_id32943
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Purpose & Learning Objectives To provide you with the tools and understanding needed to evaluate Apps at your local program or classroom level… • Why it is important to systematically evaluate Apps
yourself?
• What are the key areas to consider?
• How does the “Early Childhood Educational Technology
Evaluation Toolkit” work? *Disclaimer: Photos and APPS do not imply endorsement.
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Setting the Stage…
Let’s first briefly visit NAEYC & Fred Rogers position statement
http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children
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When used intentionally and appropriately, technology and interactive media are effective tools to support learning and development.
• Active, hands-on, engaging, and empowering;
• Give the child control;
• Provide adaptive scaffolds to help children progress in skills development at their individual rates; and
• Are used as one of many options to support children’s learning.
• Technology and interactive media should expand children’s access to new content and new skills.
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Intentional use requires early childhood teachers and administrators to have information and resources regarding the nature of these tools and the implications of their use with children.
• To better meet the needs of individual children;
• Supporting enhanced communication with families; and
• Providing children new opportunities for exploration and mastery.
• Cost and maintenance must also be considered.
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APPS, APPS, & More APPs
• Apps on mobile devices making way into early childhood classrooms at unprecedented rate
• Reported in iLearnII study, Joan Ganz Cooney Center found as of mid-2011 already over 800,000 Apps
• Representing a multibillion-dollar market
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So What’s There?
• Cooney Center analyzed 200 Apps
• 100 in top selling category
education category of iTunes store
• Almost 50% of top 25 sellers for elementary
• In Education category overall, toddler/preschool Apps most popular (at 58%)
• As well as area w/ most growth from 2009 to 2011
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Their Conclusions….
• Assessing quality and learning value is difficult
– Common standards of educational value for Apps not present
– Few reputable reviewers
– These reviewers’ inability to keep up with all the Apps there are currently and that keep coming
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Their Recommendations
• Cooney Center calls for creating a common set of education standards and
• To take the opportunity to do so in the App market while it is still forming
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Let’s Check an App Out….
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Recent Case In Point….
http://childrensappreview.blogspot.com/2013/05/are-toca-boca-apps-really-educational.html
May 29, 2013
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Early Childhood Educational Technology Evaluation Toolkit
• To address, evaluation tool developed for software review which includes Apps on tablets.
• Areas chosen informed by research and key considerations identified as important by field of educational technology, specifically as relevant to younger learners.
• Tool published mid-2012 by NAEYC in journal “Young Children” & 2012 book “Spotlight on Young Children and Technology”.
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How do I know the technology and content are appropriate and children are learning?
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What would you like children to learn? A first step is to establish learning goals for the children. For example:
– approaches to learning (such as curiosity, flexible thinking, persistence)
– language/literacy
– mathematics
– social studies
– science
– social-emotional (like cooperation, identifying emotions)
– self-help
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Then it’s time to evaluate: • Educational value
• Engagement to enhance learning
• Child-friendliness
• Interactivity
• Monitoring of progress
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Educational value
• learning versus focus on winning?
• content based on research/standards?
• feedback is informative/teaches?
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Age-Child Appropriate
• appropriate cognitive skill(s)/subject matter?
• set in interesting context?
• pre/non-readers can navigate?
• free from bias?
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Child-Friendly
• simple/clear choices?
• multiple, positive opportunities for success?
• after adult support, children can use independently?
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Enjoyable/Engaging
• enough activities with variety?
• appropriate use of rewards?
• graphics realistic and appealing to intended age?
• activities match well to attention span?
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Progress Monitoring- Assessment
• covers all the key areas the software teaches?
• easy to use and interpret?
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Individualizing Features
• can be customized for child’s needs?
• allows creation of new activities?
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Integration
• initial training/professional development on integration included?
• ongoing training/professional development opportunities?
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Activity Time…..
Evaluate provided examples using the Toolkit
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App Evaluation Activity: Dora 3D Pyramid
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App Evaluation Activity: Reading Raven
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App Evaluation Activity: Toca Boca Hair Salon
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Closing Thoughts
We hope this session and the Toolkit will:
• free you from the current situation in which many App reviewers do not have a strong background in – child development
– Education
– teaching pedagogy
• are reviewing based on – personal preference
– bells and whistles
– pro or con agenda
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Apps versus Learning Systems Software
• Single Apps might be better for enhancement than main component of the curriculum.
• While tempting to always go free there is something to “you get what you pay for”.
• Less may be more.
• There are still many very good more comprehensive learning systems which meet a high standard according to the areas of the Toolkit.
• No matter how the App or any software comes into your classroom, YOU as the teacher are in the best position to decide if it is a good addition to your children’s learning environment.
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Action Plan
To help you incorporate the information from this session, consider this Action Plan:
• As a result of what you have learned in this session, what are the things you will want to do differently?
• When you succeed incorporating this new information, how will it impact your work?
• What kind of help do you need, and from whom, to implement your new information?
• How might you share what you have learned and your successes with parents and with colleagues?
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Q & A
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To Say Thank You….
• eBook
http://hatchearlylearning.com/resources/ebooks/evaluating-technology-ebook/
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Resources • How to Evaluate Technology for Early Learners: Hatch
Webinar http://hatchearlylearning.com/events/how-to-evaluate-technology-for-early-learners/
• Finding the Education in Educational Technology: NAEYC Young Children Journal
http://www.naeyc.org/yc/article/finding-education-in-educational-technology
• Joan Ganz Cooney Center: Publications http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/publications/
• Fred Rogers Center: ELE http://www.fredrogerscenter.org/resources/early-learning-environment/
• And we invite you to visit the Hatch Early Learning: Blog
http://hatchearlylearning.com/resources/blog/
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Good places for social connections
• LinkedIn: Early Childhood Technology Network
• Twitter: #ecetechchat
–Every other Weds. night @ 9 EST
• Facebook: NAEYC Technology & Young Children Interest Forum