Back inward Apr 2013 I delivered a workshop at the IATEFL 2013 conference inward Liverpool. The theme of the workshop was 'Criteria for Evaluating Web Tools as well as Apps' as well as inward the workshop I encouraged participants to percentage as well as explore their subconscious criteria for deciding which apps as well as spider web based tools they used amongst their students.
I especially encouraged them to think almost 'authentic' apps rather than those made for learning. This is because inward many ways I experience that most made for learning apps receive got made real picayune pedagogical progress beyond their roots inward CALL from the final century.
I also believe that encouraging students to acquire 'hands on' amongst authentic apps has a much to a greater extent than of import role inward helping them to railroad train digital literacies which they tin usage exterior of the classroom.
As a final result of that workshop as well as the inquiry that developed from it I've at ane time developed this listing of criteria for evaluating mobile apps for educational purposes.
Here I've divided the criteria into iv categories as well as given some explanation of each. I welcome your comments as well as feedback every bit this is soundless real much a operate inward progress.
I especially encouraged them to think almost 'authentic' apps rather than those made for learning. This is because inward many ways I experience that most made for learning apps receive got made real picayune pedagogical progress beyond their roots inward CALL from the final century.
I also believe that encouraging students to acquire 'hands on' amongst authentic apps has a much to a greater extent than of import role inward helping them to railroad train digital literacies which they tin usage exterior of the classroom.
Here I've divided the criteria into iv categories as well as given some explanation of each. I welcome your comments as well as feedback every bit this is soundless real much a operate inward progress.
Technical
Accessibility - Will all the students receive got the necessary equipment to usage it? Will it operate across all / most mobile platforms as well as also operate inside a desktop spider web browser?
- Unless teachers are working inward a teaching surround where a uniform laid of physical devices are provided for students, such every bit a consummate laid of iPads or Android tablets, as well as then they demand to banking venture check carefully that all the diverseness of devices that their students possess are all supported. The safest way to ensure this is to banking venture check to run into if the app also has a browser based version, thence that students without up-to-date mobile devices volition soundless last able to participate.
User friendly - Will students last able to larn how to usage it reasonably quickly?
- Apps that are complex as well as receive got a long fourth dimension to master copy may non last worth the commitment. Teachers demand to ensure that they programme how to learn the students how to usage the apps inward a reasonable amount of fourth dimension or receive got a strategy for gradually regain to a greater extent than features of an app every bit they railroad train to a greater extent than activities amongst it.
Registration - Do students demand to register to usage it?
- Getting students as well as teachers to register as well as recollect passwords tin last laborious as well as fourth dimension consuming, thence apps that don’t require registration as well as especially those which run inward the browser on mobile or desktop tin last real convenient to use. Registration does nonetheless offering students to a greater extent than protection as well as makes whatever potential misuse or mischief trackable dorsum to its source.
Security - Is the app secure?
- Although it tin last hard as well as fourth dimension consuming to check, teachers demand to determine that the app is secure as well as the creators volition process their students information as well as personal information responsibly as well as confidentially. If in that location is whatever cast of social interaction enabled through the app teachers demand to banking venture check if in that location is whatever machinery or procedure for blocking as well as reporting abuse.
Financial
Price - Is it gratis or affordable?
- One of the keen advantages of apps is that many are free, freemium (have both a gratis as well as a commercial version) or are quite depression cost. Having said that, fifty-fifty if depression terms apps are beingness used it needs to last decided who volition pay for them, especially if each pupil inward the cast needs one.
Business model - Is in that location a trouble organisation model to back upward the app? Is it clear how it makes money?
- Every app producer needs to laid upward coin somehow, thence it is of import to position the trouble organisation model supporting the evolution of an app. Although teachers as well as students are keen to usage gratis apps, apps that receive got no visible trouble organisation model may last generating coin through advertising or past times trading data. An app that has no visible agency of fiscal support, may receive got a real brusk life span, rapidly acquire unreliable, as well as neglect to railroad train as well as evolve due to lack of funds.
Motivational
Digital literacy - Does learning as well as using the app aid students to railroad train a useful or transferable digital literacy?
- Just using an app inward itself doesn’t necessarily found developing a digital literacy. The usage of the app must inward some way railroad train a digital science that tin last transferred exterior of the learning context as well as used inward some authentic way either inward the workplace or every bit purpose of the students’ lifestyle.
Authenticity - Does it receive got an authentic purpose beyond linguistic communication learning? Is it an app that a native speaker would usage for a genuine purpose exterior of a classroom?
- Apps that are motivating for native speakers to usage for a genuine purpose should also last motivating for linguistic communication learners for that same purpose, thence authentic apps that involve some sort of linguistic input or output are ideally suited to linguistic communication teaching purposes.
Personalization - Does the app enable user to limited some expression of who they are as well as what they believe?
- It’s of import that linguistic communication learners receive got the chance to usage linguistic communication creatively to limited something of their ain personality or identity. Apps which back upward this form of inventiveness tin last potentially real useful.
Pedagogical
Learning finish / outcome - Is in that location a a possible learning final result that usage of the app volition Pb to?
- Using an app is non inward as well as of itself a learning outcome. Use of the app needs to Pb towards some cast of learning goal. In some cases it tin last slow to run into what learning goals tin last achieved through using the app, at other times teachers may demand to think carefully what learning outcomes tin last achieved through edifice activities which include the usage of an app.
Interaction / communication - Does it back upward interaction as well as communication betwixt users?
- Apps which are developed approximately social interaction as well as communication are much to a greater extent than probable to last able to abide by a useful house inward the linguistic communication classroom as well as should last easier to base of operations tasks approximately every bit communication naturally fits amongst the aims of linguistic communication acquisition.
Prolonged use - Does the app demand prolonged usage to accomplish a satisfactory outcome?
- Many apps are designed approximately brusk daily tasks construct upward over a catamenia of fourth dimension to accomplish an outcome. If teachers direct to usage these kinds of apps they demand to component this long term approach into their timetabling.
Assessment - Is the operate on the app assessable past times the teacher? Does the app back upward the delivery of instructor reply as well as feedback?
- Students demand to know that teachers are evaluating, assessing as well as responding to their work, thence apps which tin back upward this form of instructor intervention tin last potentially real useful.
Collaboration - Does the app back upward collaboration betwixt users?
- The mightiness to collaborate on projects or producing some cast of tangible final result is viewed every bit beingness a potentially important digital literacy thence apps which foster these kinds of collaborative interactions inward a meaningful ways receive got keen potential.
Context - In what context would the app last useful? For whom is the app to a greater extent than useful?
- There are a pose out of unlike contexts inward which apps tin last used. Some may last to a greater extent than appropriate for usage at habitation past times the student, or inward the cast past times students, whereas others could last to a greater extent than appropriately used past times teachers for their ain evolution or the evolution of content for students.
Reusable - Does the app receive got sufficient depth of purpose to back upward multiple activities as well as tasks?
- Many apps receive got keen novelty value which tin last motivating for students, only novelty tin before long article of apparel off, thence it is wise to weigh the amount of exercise goodness students gain from novelty apps against their potential for extended usage as well as the amount of fourth dimension it takes to download install as well as register them.
Learner autonomy - Can app last used independently exterior of the cast past times the pupil to back upward some cast of learning?
- Apps that tin last used past times students working independently may good aid to foster a marker of learner autonomy if in that location is some inward built learning outcome.
As I said, this is soundless a operate inward progress, as well as I did fighting amongst which criteria savage inward to which of the categories as well as amongst the categories themselves, thence all comments are welcome.
I promise you lot abide by these criteria helpful inward evaluating the apps that you lot direct for your students.
Related links:
- Digital Video - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Manual for Language Teachers
- Making lectures as well as lessons to a greater extent than interactive amongst mQlicker
- Creating interactive video on the iPad
- Tools for learners
- Video communication apps as well as mobile learning
- Mix Images as well as Animation on Your Mobile
- Peer editing inward digital as well as mobile environments
- Taking notes from the spider web on the iPad
Best
Nik Peachey
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