{"id":74008,"date":"2024-09-03T00:06:05","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T04:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=74008"},"modified":"2024-09-03T00:06:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T04:06:05","slug":"educational-apps-for-children-what-parents-and-educators-should-look-for-and-ignore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/educational-apps-for-children-what-parents-and-educators-should-look-for-and-ignore\/","title":{"rendered":"Educational apps for children: What parents and educators should look for and ignore"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Educators and parents buy educational apps (EduApps) to help children learn, bringing in\u00a0billions<\/a>\u00a0of dollars for the mobile app industry,\u00a0a significant portion of which<\/a>\u00a0goes into the pockets of leading app stores.<\/p>\n

But when people visit app stores, they are overwhelmed with\u00a0hundreds of thousands of options<\/a>. Children can\u00a0learn from well-designed EduApps<\/a>, but choosing bad apps wastes schools\u2019 and families\u2019 time and money.<\/p>\n

When choosing EduApps, our research from the Technology Learning and Cognition lab at McGill University\u2019s Faculty of Education shows\u00a0educators<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0parents<\/a>\u00a0rely heavily on others\u2019 judgements, like star ratings.<\/p>\n

But app stores are not designed to showcase the information consumers need to judge an app\u2019s educational quality. For example, Apple says it offers \u201ca highly curated App Store where every app is reviewed by experts and an editorial team helps users discover new apps every day,\u201d yet\u00a0guidelines do not<\/a>\u00a0include educational quality standards.<\/p>\n

What to ignore<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We advise educators and parents to ignore information unrelated to educational quality, like:<\/p>\n

1. User ratings & reviews:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Popular EduApps in\u00a0Apple\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Google\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0app stores typically have very positive ratings (above four stars).<\/p>\n

Yet, experts still\u00a0raise concerns about their quality<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0expert-approved apps do not necessarily receive the highest star ratings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Written reviews are rarely more informative.\u00a0Research<\/a>\u00a0shows most reviews simply praise apps rather than explaining specific features.<\/p>\n

Even if reviews mention educational aspects, few reviewers have the background to make informed judgements of quality. Anyone can review an app \u2014 even children, who\u00a0like apps that allow them to have fun while they learn<\/a>\u00a0but may not know what learning features are necessary to help them learn best.<\/p>\n

2. Apple or Google rankings<\/strong><\/p>\n

Educators and parents may visit an app store\u2019s \u201ctop charts\u201d lists to find EduApps. Yet, how Apple\u2019s and Google\u2019s algorithms determine which apps \u201ctop the charts\u201d is unclear.<\/p>\n

Plus,\u00a0rankings are not related to educational quality<\/a>, making them unreliable for choosing high-quality apps.<\/p>\n

3. Recommendations from app review websites<\/strong><\/p>\n

Educators and parents might look to external app review websites like\u00a0Common Sense Media<\/a>\u00a0for recommendations. But\u00a0research shows<\/a>\u00a0many of the apps recommended by these websites still need substantial improvement \u2014 and only a fraction of apps get reviewed. Avoid relying only on recommendations from these websites.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Image of a fake educational app page to illustrate what to look for and avoid in app stores. (Emma Liptrot\/Adam Kenneth Dub\u00e9)<\/p><\/div>\n

What to look for<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We propose looking for\u00a0five educational benchmarks<\/a>\u00a0of quality that can be found in an app\u2019s written description, where developers describe the app and its features.<\/p>\n

1. Curriculum: What apps teach<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the bare minimum, EduApps must include content that is covered in an established learning program. Yet, many EduApps are what\u00a0researchers<\/a>\u00a0call \u201ceducational misfits\u201d because they are only weakly related to education, if at all. Look for apps that clearly state which curriculum their content is based on (for example, a particular provincial curriculum, a supplemental curriculum for learning an Indigenous language) or detail the content (suitable for grades 1\u20133 math). Don\u2019t bother with an app that doesn\u2019t tell you what it covers.<\/p>\n

2. Learning theory: How apps teach<\/strong><\/p>\n

An app developer\u2019s ideas about learning \u2014 their learning theory \u2014 impacts what tasks children are asked to do and what kinds of learning can happen. An app that uses repetition to help children memorize facts promotes different learning outcomes and meets different needs than an app that encourages experimentation and discovery. Look for apps that describe how they teach. Choose ones using approaches that align\u00a0with your needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If an app doesn\u2019t tell you how it helps children learn, it\u2019s not worth your time.<\/p>\n

3. Scaffolding: How apps support learning<\/strong><\/p>\n

EduApps should include supports that help children build their understanding and accomplish learning goals. These supports (called scaffolding) can include hints or instructions when children get stuck and breaking down complex tasks into smaller chunks or adapting difficulty to match children\u2019s abilities. Look for apps with supports that help guide and structure children\u2019s learning.<\/p>\n

4. Feedback: How apps correct learning<\/strong><\/p>\n

If we want children to learn from their mistakes, feedback is essential. Look for apps that give children informative feedback so they know where they went wrong and why.<\/p>\n

5. Educational expertise: Who made the app<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many app developers are not education experts, and\u00a0their priorities may not align with those of educators and parents<\/a>. Look for apps that consult educational experts like teachers or researchers so they are designed with children\u2019s learning needs and abilities in mind.<\/p>\n

Other considerations<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our five educational benchmarks focus on the potential educational value of apps. However, other considerations related to children\u2019s safety are also important, like how apps manage\u00a0children\u2019s privacy and data<\/a>\u00a0and how children are\u00a0exposed to advertising<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Working together to choose better apps<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The current state of app stores makes finding a good EduApp like searching for a drop in the ocean. To aid their search, educators and parents can look for educational benchmarks, and watch our video on YouTube, \u201cHow to find an educational app.\u201d<\/p>\n