Google Drive

Google Drive

Free

Available for Blackberry, Android, Kindle Fire HD, Windows 8 mobile OS and iOS mobile platforms

I have been a Google doc user since the beta release in 2006.  I have used it avidly to write collaboratively with co-authors and students, a great initiation tool for many penned chapters.   The tool has become one of my much used IT applications, so the Google Drive on my iPad and iPhone has become a much welcomed addition, particularly when I am collaboratively working as you can share the files with other Google account holders.    The app provides access to my Google account and cloud storage of my documents from PDFs, Google Docs, Presentations and Google spreadsheets.   Recently Notability provided the functionality that enabled users to export to Notability documents and audio recordings to Google Drive.  This has enabled me to collate assessment grid and audio feedback prepared on Notability onto Google Drive, in readiness to be shared with the external examiner.  

At our institution we provide each student with Gmail and Google account thus providing them full access to all Google apps on-line, therefore Google Drive on mobiles in theory would be a much welcome technological addition on student mobiles, our research supports this hypothesis (Nortcliffe and Middleton, 2013) and shown by the student’s comments below:

“Crack it open on a tablet, mobile, where ever… Can't edit PowerPoint’s, but can edit Word documents, saves all changes, set it up on desktop it sync with desktop, Google cloud, University Google account” Student A

Google Drive mobile app enables students to access their documents whilst on the move, share documents for group-work activities and continually participate in group documentation with the group or independently.   As Google Drive provides version control students are able to see who is and who is not contributing to the group documentation at any time and place, as highlighted by the following student’s reflection:

"[Google Drive] you can see what they have been editing (can see if group members are working)…last night [used Google Drive] whilst I was cooking.. Project management stuff...its handy, portable, you pick up your phone and you see you have got work to do" Student B

The only limitations are the fact you cannot edit Google presentation slides, or edit Google survey, though you can access the Google spreadsheet of the survey results.   Additional functionality of the mobile version is the ability to upload videos to Google drive, useful resource for transferring videos off the iPad and iPhone, into a private cloud space.   There is a facility for off-line documents on the  iPad, but if you select a mail document attachment to be opened in Google Drive the file is uploaded to the Google cloud, so currently I am not sure how the off-line feature operates.  

Reference

Nortcliffe, A.  and Middlleton, A. (2013) The innovative use of personal smart devices by students to support their learning, In Increasing Student Engagement and Retention using Mobile Applications: Smartphones, Skype and Texting Technologies, (Eds) Wankel, L. and Blessinger, P. (eds), (Cutting Edge Technologies in Higher Education). 175-210, 2013, Emerald, Bingley, UK

OverSkreen

OverSkreen

$2.49

Available for Android

This is app was demonstrated to me by a student on their android tablet as part of our research, Nortcliffe and Middleton (2012), students comments and reflections as computing students, that developers need to reflect more on how users use technology more:

“Makes your web browser float over things [home screens and other apps], over anything [enabling multi-tasking]” student E

“It is really interesting, the way people expect people to use technology is to be focusing on one or two things at once, the way people really use technology it is more chaotic than that” student D

To be frank this is an app I would like on the iOS.  The app enables the web-browser application to float over other applications or the home page.  Therefore provide the user with the functionality to breakout from a single app full-screen display.  It opens up the opportunity to enable the user to multi-task, for example make notes in Google Drive whilst reading article in a web based journal in OverSkreen web browser.  

I can see the practical advantage of this app, particularly when you could be viewing data of a survey in Survey Monkey in the browser, and you could be writing up the reflections of the results in Google Drive.   In my case I often or not have students work in email attachment, I want to be writing feedback in an email.   I could open up student attachment in the email web browser viewing mode; write the student feedback email in the mail app.   This would just make the process so much more practical and time efficient instead switching between apps, which I seem to be doing all the time.   My students inevitably find  me in my office using my phone, my iPad and my PC, as this is my current work around solution.   This app would make life easier, the functionality is possible on iOS, as it is a functionality provided in the Blackboard Mobile app, no wonder I like Bb mobile so much.

Reference

Nortcliffe, A.  and Middlleton, A. (2013) The innovative use of personal smart devices by students to support their learning, In Increasing Student Engagement and Retention using Mobile Applications: Smartphones, Skype and Texting Technologies, (Eds) Wankel, L. and Blessinger, P. (eds), (Cutting Edge Technologies in Higher Education). 175-210, 2013, Emerald, Bingley, UK

Genius Scan

Genius Scan

By The Grizzly Labs

Free on iOS and 89p on Android

Available for Android and iOS mobile platforms

As we no longer have scanners readily accessible to academic staff,  I am employed at an institution with a large campus, scanners not in location near our office.   The scanners have been supposedly replaced with advance photocopies which we have easy, however these photocopies regularly defeat all of us in the office in just doing the basic functionality of photocopying notes.   Therefore Genius Scan has been welcomed app by all us in the office when we want to scan received hard copies of documents requesting to be completed by hand, signed, and stamped and to sent back as fast as possible, i.e. email.   Typically these documents are copyright permission request documents from publishers and reference requests from employers for our students.  

However, occasionally I come across a hard copy article in journal or book which I wish to share with colleagues or students.   Adhering to the University CLA license, Genius Scan enables me to quickly scan a document and pass it on electronically to colleagues and students.  Replaces the photocopying an article and passing it on with post-it-note saying saw this and thought of you. 

Genius Scan operates similar to the desktop scanning software provides the user with post scan functionality of detecting a page, correcting an image perspective and image processing.   You can append scans to one another to build up a document.   The document can be saved as PDF or JPEG emailed, printed or transferred to variety cloud operations, for example Dropbox, Evernote to Google Drive etc.   Another app I would not wish to lose.

CV Coach

CV Coach by Aspect Resourcing Partners Free Available for iOS mobile platform

CV coach is an appropriate starting point app to provide hand holding advice whilst preparing your CV on a PC/Mac.  Demonstrates why you need certain sections on your CV.   An app I recommend to my first year students to help them to get started preparing their CV for placement applications.

However note that the advice on Reference on Request is only appropriately when you are further up the career chain, at the start of career you are competing with 100s if not 1000s just creates another hurdle that recruitment staff have to jump will not adhere you to them, you are adding work to their day.

Also, note that the Interests and Hobbies section at the start of your career this need to be more descriptive than a list, the type of interests to show are those that you can describe your involvement in to show off, imply and demonstrate in practice your employability skills in action, for example football referee, Youth Worker, Active Member of University Sport or Society or Charity Fund Raising show leadership to entrepreneurship.

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook

Free

Available for Blackberry, Android, Kindle Fire HD, Windows 8 mobile OS and iOS mobile platforms

The reality is social networking is very much part of our students’ lives it provides them with the mechanism to be part of a collective community of self esteem, Gangadharbatla (2008), typically students have Facebook accounts.   In our previous research students highlighted that Facebook app on their mobile devices is an important to supporting organisation and communication in group-work learning, Nortcliffe and Middleton (2013).  Facebook supports their learning immediacy, "the right here right now", as shown by the following student conversation as to why they use Facebook for learning;

"I use [Facebook] chat over email, for someone's opinion, to ask someone something,  you know you will get a response instantly",  student A, "Plus you know  that people will be looking at their Facebook whereas you don't know if people are looking at their emails", Student B, "[quicker response as] most people have got a smartphone now a days, you get the pop up on your phone" student A

I have had a Facebook account for few years it was very much dormant, that is until Sept’12.   After the ice-breaker session with my first year cohort of students, one member announced we should have a first year course Facebook site, he volunteered to set it up.  I asked the class if  wanted me to be part of the group, as I highlighted  in the past the students implied it was their space, consequently I had respected their wishes and stayed away.  However, this year the group unanimous said yes I was to join the party.

Six months down the line, I have to admit it has been a positive experience; the tool has been an appropriate, timely, effective and targeted communication tool.   With the added benefit of being able to keep a respective unobtrusive eye on the cohort and course, for example if the Facebook chatter increases if students are struggling in a modules, therefore I am able to discretely alert the module leader to the areas where students may need more explanation, but also I can inject myself signposting where the students can access more support.   

In terms of course leadership the reality is I only teach the students one hour every fortnight, a very desperate experience, Facebook has enabled the students and myself to create, maintain a collegiate relationship.   I agree with Ahne el (2007) it is easier to maintain a social network relationship than real-life relationship, particularly when the latter involves logistics, space and time, in the case of students working around students’ work, study and extra curriculum commitments.   

Equally students have used the app to communicate with myself; to ask course related questions, as a feedback mechanism on events, to organise course socials, to notify them their absence due to ill-health or family issues.   The cohort also use the mobile Facebook app to manage themselves, organise themselves to classes, share learning resources, to work together in study groups, to support one another’s personal learning, to group assessments, to socialise.    As shown by the following student’s comments:

“Not only can Facebook be used as a tool for sharing learning resources but it can also be used as a place for course mates to wind down and share information relating to their interests”

References

Ahn, Y. Y., Han, S., Kwak, H., Moon, S., and Jeong, H. (2007, May). Analysis of topological characteristics of huge online social networking services. In Proceedings of the 16th international conference on World Wide Web, 835-844

Gangadharbatla, H. (2008). Facebook me: Collective self-esteem, need to belong, and internet self-efficacy as predictors of the iGeneration's attitudes toward social networking sites. Journal of interactive advertising, 8(2), 5-15.

Nortcliffe, A.  and Middlleton, A. (2013) The innovative use of personal smart devices by students to support their learning, In Increasing Student Engagement and Retention using Mobile Applications: Smartphones, Skype and Texting Technologies, (Eds) Wankel, L. and Blessinger, P. (eds), (Cutting Edge Technologies in Higher Education). 175-210, 2013, Emerald, Bingley, UK

Skype

Skype

By Microsoft Corporation

Free

Available for Android, Kindle Fire HD, Windows 8 mobile OS and iOS mobile platforms

Conference calling app, calls are free from mobile Skype app to mobile Skype app or mobile Skype app to desktop Skype app over a wireless network.   This app has enabled me to supervise students from a far on projects.   Whether students or myself who is away from the University enables us to discuss project progress, issues, ideas and documentation together in the same way as project meeting face to face.   Use the app on speaker oppose to with a headset, the project conversation can be recorded using recorder pro and email the conversation to the student.  Therefore ensuring the project supervision is similar to my usual face to face project supervision meetings, see previous blog entry.   A student’s reflection of the experience:

“After having to split my final year into two years, Skype enabled my project supervisor to help me to complete a successful dissertation despite me not being able to attend regularly at the University Campus.  It played a major part in the completion of my degree”

Also, added advantage of the app you can text message with one another is ready for the conference call.   The only niggle I found was Skyping at home on a throttled broadband connection, i.e. broadband connection throttled by broadband provider and household of teenagers with multiple devices connected to the household WiFi and internet would result in my conference call connection being dropped.   Best advice I can offer is Skype conference call when the kids are not at home or use work WiFi.

In terms of students using mobile apps innovatively for learning it was the use of Skype I recently reported an event I witnessed and was the recipient of being used most innovatively last year to support a student’s learning experience, (Nortcliffe and Middleton, 2013).   A student member of a group was unable to attend a group’s feedback session due to medical reasons, so one of his peers initiated a Skype video call connection using his HTC phone over the University Wi-Fi to the other student at home on his laptop.   The phone was held at head height in the group circled around myself.   During the feedback session all the students (physically or digitally present) actively participated in the group’s feedback discussion and reflections.   In an recent email the digitally attended student recommended the learning experience as seamless despite the sound quality issues:

“Being on Skype with everyone there was just as ordinary to myself as being there (albeit the bad sound quality). I did enjoy taking part in the call though and think it should be done more regularly for people who are physically unable to attend.”

Reference

Nortcliffe, A.  and Middlleton, A. (2013) The innovative use of personal smart devices by students to support their learning, In Increasing Student Engagement and Retention using Mobile Applications: Smartphones, Skype and Texting Technologies, (Eds) Wankel, L. and Blessinger, P. (eds), (Cutting Edge Technologies in Higher Education). 175-210, 2013, Emerald, Bingley, UK

Recorder Pro

Recorder Pro

By Dava Consulting

69p

Available for iOS platform

In my opinion this is the best audio recording app on the iOS platform.  I have used a number of the audio apps, this app in particularl for over four years.   The app provides you with the choice of audio quality settings low 8kHz, 22kHz to 44.1kHz, and audio formats non-compressed AIFF and WAV to compressed (IMA4 codec) AIFC and CAF.   I personally have my app permanently setup as low 8kHz and AIFC format, this means I can audio record 1/2hr of audio and the file is still small enough to be emailed, approximately 8Mb.  

The app provides the functionality to create folders and rename your recordings, enabling you to organise your recordings effectively.   The audio recording functionality provides record, pause, auto pause (sensitivity can be adjusted), play, rewrite and delete.   The app is fully integrated with mail app and provides access to all your contacts. 

The app fulfills my requirements as an academic in providing audio feedback in an efficient and timely fashion for students.   I use the app twofold:

1.     To provide feedback on student assessment submissions that require very short feedback turn around, (Nortcliffe and Middleton, 2011), the majority students found the audio a good enough quality, more useful and help them improve.   Students found audio more beneficial method of feedback than other methods of feedback, as shown by the following student comments;

“I preferred it, better than written feedback, more descriptive whereas written feedback is quite basic.”

“It just feels more so [interactive], you get written feedback doesn’t feel the same as someone speaking to you”

2.     To audio record feedback conversations with students, whether they take place in a formal, informal or semi formal setting, typically often these are project supervision sessions, (Nortcliffe, 2011).   All project students found the audio quality sufficient and the methodology extremely beneficial during the project supervision, as supported by the following students’ reflections:

“The benefit of audio recording is being able to rewind to pick up on details that you may have missed the first time of hearing. I typically listened to the audio files a few times.”

“It reminded me of the discussions that I had with my supervisor. It also helped me in taking down appropriate changes to the required documents.”

It should be noted at the institution I am employed the student email address is configured to their student number, thus making it very straight forward to email the audio file to the learner.  I always also provide instructions in the email message on how to play the file in QuickTime, iTunes, or RealPlayer.   However, for a small proportion of Linux using students (anti-apple and MS) the file format is a problem.  I have asked if the developers would develop MP3 codec format as would make the audio recordings more universally accessible.

References

Nortcliffe, A, and Middleton, A. (2011) Smartphone feedback: using an iPhone to improve the distribution of audio feedback, International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education Special Edition 48(3), 280-293, 2011

Nortcliffe, A. (2011) About using iPhones/iTouches for project supervision, in Media-enhanced feedback: case studies and methods. ASSET and MELSIG (Ed) A. Middleton, available on-line: http://ppp.chester.ac.uk/images/4/43/Middleton-Media-enhanced_feedback_proceedings-final.pdf, 2011, last viewed 6^th January 2013