4 Mobile Learning Technologies reviewed

Mobile learning tools have proliferated over the last 10 years since the introduction of smartphones and tablets that can rival desktop and laptop computing power. The existence of apps does not necessarily translate to quality of content within them. This post discusses several popular apps and their uses.

Evernote:

Evernote is a note taking and organization based app that allows users to take notes, pictures, video, audio, and any other media all within one place. The app is accessible from any device and syncs all input to all devices. Convenient features include the ability to integrate reminders and calendar updates in notes, take notes and video in one place. Users can also separate notes by notebooks. In short, this is the standard school notebook on steroids and on the computer. Notes can be tagged and shared between users as well allowing for collaboration. Evernote also connects to Google Drive and other accounts to allow information to be linked to larger files. You can also install a Chrome extension that allows direct clippings of websites to be embedded within a notebook. 

As an organizational tool for note taking Evernote is hard to beat.  The mobile versions also support scribbling with fingers either for writing notes, drawing pictures, or other useful tasks.  As a tool for mobile learning, this allows students to access a central repository of their notes and information anywhere at any time. It can provide creative opportunities to make collaborative stories, books, or assessments of student learning.  It also provides several tools that can be useful to students with learning limitations or students that are learning English. There are even text to speech tools that with the right accommodations can record a teacher's voice and notes verbatim on a note for future review that are easy to add to most web browsers if they are not already installed on a computer.  A sample of some of the things that can be done using Evernote is available here.

Slides:

Google released Slides as part of its Drive suite of apps. At face value it works as a stand in for Powerpoint, but it provides many more useful functions that are note present in it's Microsoft predecessor. First, since it exists within the Google universe, it is integrated with their search engine and other apps. This means that it is easy to insert video, images, and links to other pages within a presentation making it much more useful and collaborative.  Slides presentations can also be embedded in many places and shared with either read, write, or read/write permissions. This can allow for collaborative work and learning at any time. Records of changes are connected to the accounts of the users, so any changes that are made can be connected to the person that made them.  Access to links allows students to log in to a presentation as it is being made no matter where they are, as well as later if they miss certain areas. Sick days and bathroom breaks are no longer a reason to miss class! 

I often run entire units through a Google Slides presentation. Students can move at their own pace through notes and activities and at some times, even contribute to the notes. An example of one of these units is included below. This past summer, an new "Explore" feature was added that allows research, images, slide layouts, and other items to be added- often with suggestions by Google that can lead you to resources and ideas you may not have had before. 

Quizlet:

Quizlet is an app that allows users to create virtual flashcards and other methods of testing themselves content or reviewing what they have learned. It is easy to create flashcards and once created, they can be accessed by anyone. This means that classes can have collaborative flashcards created by students, teachers, or both. There are also game elements that users can use to make their review more fun. These games include "Gravity" or "Matching". Menu options like "Learn" or "Test" allow users to change the way that they are viewing content and redefine how they are remembering. Scores can be compared to others that have used the Quizlet as well which adds a competitive component to the studying process.

A flashcard in Quizlet

Quizlet brings the classroom review game online and makes it mobile. Students do not need to be in the same room or using the program at the same time in order to review their learning. If mobile learning includes being able to move at your own pace through learning regardless of time and distance from a physical classroom students need to be able to review their learning in the same way. Quizlet allows this. There are other programs that include similar features and value, but Quizlet provides an ease of use that is difficult to beat. 

Matching Game in Quizlet

Duolingo

Duolingo is an app that allows learners to learn a large number of languages. This has obvious applications in a foreign language class, but it can also be used in other classes. In Social Studies for example, requiring students to communicate in a different language can help them realize the importance of language in communication, build connections between shared areas of language (for example Latin, French, and English, or even help them communicate with students from other countries.  

A Sample of a Dutch Lesson

Another method of learning Dutch

Duolingo uses an easy and interactive interface to teach basic language skills using visual, reading, and listening to teach. I used it to learn some basic Dutch before traveling to The Netherlands and Belgium a few years ago. After a few basic lessons, I was able to at least survive the grocery store and basic interaction with store and restaurant employees while I was there. There is a competitive and badge based component to Duolingo that allow you to see who is working at the same levels that you are and encourage further learning. In some ways, it is the learning a foreign language equivalent to a Fitbit. There are social, competitive, and reminder based elements to both and you are rewarded for your progress. Both include easy and intuitive user interfaces as well. Sharing progress is an easy way to keep yourself working to complete lessons and hold yourself accountable through the sharing portion of the app.
                                                       

All the apps discussed above fit the bill for use in Mobile Learning. They provide content to users in different ways and allow access on any platform, anywhere, at anytime. While these make mobile learning easy, they are still tools. They need to be used in appropriate and useful ways.  For teachers to be successful in the use of Mobile Learning tools, they will need to be aware of this and plan accordingly.

4 Productivity Tools Reviewed

Productivity Tools for the Students and Teachers in the Classroom

There are a variety of productivity tools available for both students and teachers. Four of them will be reviewed below in much the same manner as my last post. Each review will explain how the resource could align to Bloom's Taxonomy and Dale's Cone of Experience.

Webspiration:

An example of a mind map made using Webspiration 

Webspiration is a mind mapping productivity program that allows students and teachers to interact using a closed environment. This means that teachers have control over the information that students access to map certain aspects of their studies. This also means that teachers can keep an eye on student work. The program includes several templates that are aligned to different subjects., For example, for History, there are many options including primary source analysis, opinion support, decision trees, chronologies, and many others. Students can collaborate with each other and the mind maps include the ability to add graphics and symbols from a large library of items along with text and hyperlinks., Commenting and other social features are also available allowing students to view and comment on each other's work. Finally, there is a function that allows different maps to be linked to show connections, enable more collaboration, and other beneficial activities. 

Webspiration could be used for several levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Students need to acquire knowledge and show it through their work in this program. There is also the possibility for students to use the program for analysis and critical thinking. Mind maps are great for following logical and causal paths to discover viewpoints and other information. This could also be used as a portion of a larger project where students are creating or evaluating information. It can be used as a graphic organizer for their work in a greater project. 

Dale's Cone of Experience can also be applied at several levels. Students can read other mind maps, and expand their thinking through the commenting and discussion features. It may also be helpful in planning steps in a larger project where real experiences reinforce learning. For example, students seeking to lengthen the school day as part of an experiential learning project may use mind maps to structure their information and arguments before going on to collate and present arguments to stakeholders. 

Kahoot

Source: Kahoot.com, 

Kahoot is a quiz show style survey program. Teachers and students can create Kahoots which serve to gamify the learning experience. The program can be used for things as simple as polling, to more in depth versions of assessment. Length and question type are up to the teacher. The only limitation is that only multiple choice questions can be used.  Students login on their devices and watch for a question and answer possibilities on the board. They are awarded points for correctness and the speed of their answer- similar to bar based quiz games. Scores and rankings as well as breakdowns of answer choices are shown in real time. My students have been requesting that we use this regularly throughout the year. 

As part of Bloom's Taxonomy, Kahoot can be used in two ways. When students create their own Kahoot they engage in Understanding, Evaluating, and Creating content from what they have learned. As participants in a Kahoot, they engage in lower level thinking by Remembering, Understanding, and, if questions are well written,  Analyzing. 

Kahoot does not reach the top of Dale's Cone of Experience because there is no "performance aspect" to Kahoot. While students are at times speaking and participating in a Kahoot, they are only watching and responding to information, not truly interacting with it. Kahoot does provide a sight and auditory basis to evaluate student learning which can strengthen recall. However, even when creating a Kahoot, students are not "Doing" the actual content. They are only representing it in a different medium. Either way, Kahoot provides opportunities for active learning, just not at the highest possible levels that students could be using. 

Google Forms

Google Forms is a versatile tool that can be used for polling, quizzes, and any other information gathering function that you may need. Results can be automatically exported to spreadsheets. The new(ish) Explore feature added to Google Sheets also allows for automatic creation of charts and other graphical representations of data. The sheer flexibility of Google Forms allows for applications as part of many different projects for teachers and students. Recently added in summer 2016 was a feature that will automatically grade responses when teachers are using Forms for assessments.

As a tool for formative and summative assessment, Google Forms is an excellent program. The fact that all features are free is a great addition as well. When teachers use Forms, it best matches with the lower order thinking of Bloom's Taxonomy. Teachers can easily assess student knowledge, understanding, and analysis of different subject using Forms. If students are creating polls, surveys, and other tools using Forms as part of an assignment with real world value and application, they can be using higher order thinking through creation of the Forms and evaluation of the results. In many ways, Forms offers a more in depth, but less game styled version of what Kahoot can offer. Results may not come in live, but as soon as forms are submitted, the results are available and formattable as charts.

Within Dale's Cone of Experience, Google Forms offers similar utility. When used by a teacher, it can be used to assess the lower areas of the Cone ( text, pictures, etc.) Because of the versatility with which different elements can be added, it provides the opportunity to add video followed by assessment which can hit multiple levels of the cone, increasing the probability that students will remember their learning. Similar tools can be added as well. For students to learn at the highest levels of the Cone, they will need to be creating and using the forms to complete a real world task.  They can easily be given direct, real experiences with which polling, progress checks, or other understanding can be easily augmented through use of Forms. 

MindMeister

Mind eister is a similar program to Webspiration in that it allows students and teachers to create mind maps and webs that can organize thinking. MindMeister also allows live collaboration on mind maps. This means that a teacher can place a mind map on the projector and students can fill it in together. In my middle school classroom, the ability to anonymously edit something their friends could see was a little too tempting. If used in the right situations though, it can be a very productive tool. 

A student made mind map about the creation of the United States under the Articles of Confederation

Free accounts are limited to three mind maps at a time which can be limiting for teachers with multiple classes or large numbers of students sharing maps with them. Bloom's taxonomy can be reached at several levels using this program. Mind maps can be used for evaluation, analysis, and other critical thinking exercises. They can also provide powerful tools for teachers to spot check understanding, knowledge and other lower level skills. Placing a concept, vocab word, or prompt on a collaborative mind map can allow teachers to measure understanding. The limitations here would be that teachers would need to make sure that they knew who was contributing to the mind map and had a list of all the student's usernames. 

The ability to add pictures, video, emojis, and other media to MindMeister Maps, or to use pre-made templates allows students to interact with the program on many levels of the Cone of Experience. They can use Mind-Maps to plan out actions, deepen thinking, view and respond to information, or at it's simplest, view or read pre-made maps to gain information. 

All of the programs reviewed above have a common theme. They are tools. Tools can be used effectively to create something amazing, in this case at any level of Bloom's or Dale's theories of learning. They can also be used poorly and be ineffective or gimmicky additions to the classroom. With the right planning and forethought, teachers will find many applications for these programs and find the best possible ways to use them in the classroom. 

An analysis of 4 learning technologies

The following are reviews of several different web apps that can be used in the classroom to varying degrees of success. For ease of reading and use, each app will include the types of learning under Bloom's Taxonomy and Dale's Cone of Experience that can be used in each. 

Bloom's Taxonomy

Dale's Cone of Experience and possible applications of it

App # 1: Instagram

Instagram is a popular image sharing social media app. It is a platform that is already familiar to many students. It hasn't quite reached the market penetration of Facebook, but among Middle School students at least, it is much more popular for the moment. Instagram by nature is an app that would work best when students are allowed to create new things. The video and photo creation and sharing functions can allow students to create photos and videos and post them. This is not where the app ends though.  Bloom's Taxonomy can also be applied to knowledge building and analysis through the social network function. Students can research certain topics (usually limited to current events since George Washington wasn't known for his social media prowess). Most news organizations and businesses maintain a presence on Instagram and comments can allow students to engage in debate with each other and others around the world, although undertaking debates with strangers online can be risky at times. 

Within Dale's Cone of Experience, almost all levels of learning can be addressed through Instagram. Students can read short segments of information and follow links to larger sources, hear words being used contextually through videos, watch virtual demonstrations or exhibitions, participate in discussions, and provide their own performances or recreations of important events.  As with any tool, Instagram can be used to great effect or be a waste of time depending on how students are expected to use it.  There can be a great deal of pointless marketing, self promotion and other less academic topics to wade through, but there is strong potential for Instagram's use in education. 

App # 2: Wikispaces

Wikispaces is an open learning management system that is free for individual teachers to sign up for. There is a cost for larger scale use of the program. If you are experienced in using wiki based tools, it is easy to use and implement anything you need to. For the teacher looking to have a ready made "plug and play" type of system for delivering content, it does feature a bit of a learning curve. For teachers looking for a sandbox app that they can customize in many ways, it is a great choice. For those who don't Google Classroom, Schoology, and other more structured apps may be a better choice. 

Within Bloom's Taxonomy, teachers can use Wikispaces to facilitate every level of learning from knowledge to creation. Since Wikispaces is a repository for teacher content, it is up to the teacher to decide what should be included. If the teacher wants to assess student knowledge, it is easy to create assessments using the tools within the app. If the teacher wants students to create something new, there are tools that allow this to be assigned and turned in, but teachers will most likely need to link to another app for the actual creation of the project. Also included in Wikispaces are discussion board tools which can allow for analysis and application of learning as well as collaboration between students. 

Dale's Cone of Experience is also well met by this app. It can be used for lower level retention activities like reading: It is very easy to post a reading assignment and add in a few questions to assess basic understanding. There is greater potential in the higher retention activities from Dale's Cone. Discussions, collaboration, peer teaching, and other high functioning ways of learning can all be facilitated through Wikispaces. Unlike Instagram, teachers can provide a controlled environment for safe discussions and collaboration. 

App 3: Venngage

Venngage is an app that allows students and teachers to create high quality graphic organizers using premade templates or custom creation tools. These charts can be easily posted to social media accounts, turned in using a learning management system, printed, or inserted into presentations. The downside is that this is "freemium" app, where the majority of templates  and some advanced features are not available without paying for them. 

Venngage allows students to use higher level thinking under Bloom's Taxonomy. While lower level thinking can also be demonstrated through reproducing knowledge or showing understanding, Venngage encourages students to create something new and analyze information through representing it in graphical form. 

Likewise, Venngage is best suited to the higher levels of effectiveness under Dale's Cone of Experience. Students can discuss, debate, and use information in new forms with Venngage which, according to Dale offers the best rates for retaining information. 

App 4: Podomatic

Podomatic is a podcasting curation app. Anyone can create a channel and upload podcasts to it. Users can also create playlists of different podcasts and organize them in to categories. There is also a social element where you can follow friends and see their podcasts as well. Where Podomatic runs into problems is when students go to create a podcast. There is no creation tool other than the ability to upload and host a podcast on the Podomatic website. In order to actually record, another app is required. There is also no control for the type of content that users are able to access which may limit the usefulness of the app to elementary and middle school teachers where issues could arise from controversial or explicit content. 

Taken alone, Podomatic is best suited for finding new sources of information and building knowledge along with possibly discussing and analyzing information through the social component. Paired with a recording app, there is more opportunity for higher level thinking. There are a number of free voice and music recording apps that can be accessed by anyone. With this addition the creative possibilities are endless (as long as they are audio based). 

Dale's Cone of Experience similarly can be applied to Podomatic. Without the addition of recording tools and discussions using the social component, students are only able to listen to information which will not result in high retention of information. With the addition of recording tools, students can record discussions, do dramatic performances, and participate in many other higher order thinking activities. 

Introduction

Hi there!
My name is Drew Farrell and this blog chronicles my adventures in education technology and my attempts to integrate it into the classroom. I am a middle school social studies teacher in Westerville, Ohio and work with a wide range of students from my 8th grade advanced classes, to the high numbers of ESL students that my school serves. My main areas of interest in using technology are in adaptive technologies that can assist students who have roadblocks in the way of their learning , using technology in student led and project based learning, as well as using gamification to motivate students.