Apps offer a digital doorway between the physical world in which children and families live and the rapidly growing digital cloud.
(Hirsch-Pasek, Zosh, Michnick Golinkoff, & Gray, 2015)
Apps, short for “applications,” are software applications that might run in a desktop, online, or mobile environment. Some, in fact, run in all three. However, the term “app” for most has come to mean applications used on a mobile device. Our group has chosen to concentrate on mobile apps for education in light of the current usage. We have further refined the topic to “mobile apps for K-12” to keep a tighter focus.
The concepts behind mobile learning (often referred to as m-learning) have existed for some time. In fact, Alan Kay presented the concept of the “Dynabook” for education in 1972. He envisioned a “self-contained knowledge manipulator in a portable package the size and shape of an ordinary notebook” (Crompton, 2013, p.90). In essence, he wanted to develop a tablet for mobile, personal learning, but the technology wasn’t ready for him. Now, with our explosion of hand-held devices (Techvibes reports that 68% of Canadians owned smartphones as of spring 2015), many of us are ready to embrace, or at least experiment with, mobile learning.
The use of mobile apps in education is a relatively new phenomena that has seen tremendous growth. The Global Education Apps Market-Market Study 2015-2019 estimated that, across all “app stores,” there were between 475,500 and 507,200 educational apps available. Considering that in 2009 there were only 23,000 apps in total in the Android Market (now Google Play), that development has been amazingly fast.
It is difficult to define “educational apps,” as there is no standardized definition or method of evaluation. In essence, any developer who chooses to describe an app as “educational” has created one, regardless of the realities of the app. Some are merely games or entertainment, while others are designed with pedagogical principles in mind. As it stands, it is up to the user to evaluate the app and decide what its educational value actually is. Luckily there are a number of groups that review and evaluate apps, including:
- Common Sense Media – reviews apps generally and provides some feedback on educational merit
- Balefire Labs-extensively reviews apps using 14 criteria, such as instructional design and usability
- Graphite-focuses on apps for use in the classroom and reviews on pedagogy, engagement, and support
- Children’s Technology Review-reviews apps from the point of view of the “picky teacher”
It’s a bit of a wild west out there in for educational apps, but mixed in with Candy Crush, and Smashy Road are some valid learning experiences. Hirsch-Pasek et al. (2015) suggest that educational apps should fulfill the “four pillars of the science of learning,” namely:
- Active, minds-on learning
- Engagement in the learning process
- Meaningful learning
- Social interaction
They further propose that educational apps should also scaffold exploration towards learning goals (p.7). An “educational app,” then, is one that goes beyond a mere game or pure entertainment, and builds on the four pillars while scaffolding towards the relevant learning goals. Ultimately, however, it is in the hands of the user to evaluate them.
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Before we move on, let’s get a quick snapshot of our use of mobile apps in education:
Opportunities for Educational Apps 
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