Colwiz

By Colwiz

Free

iOS and Anroid OS.

Colwiz (Video), shows that Colwiz is a desktop and mobile application designed and developed by Oxford academics to enable academics and students completing research projects to manage, organise and control information and work flow.   The desktop app provides the functionality to:

·       Free 2Gbytes cloud space

·       Invite the research team (local and international) to join colwiz;

·       Private cloud communication space for the research team; enabling team to chat, share data, equations publications, documents, and survey results on-line chat communication;

·       Private organisation space to define task lists, and calendar events that can be shared with the team;

·       Import, add and manage your research project reference sources, and share with the research team;

·       Highlight and annotate reference sources, share your thoughts with the team;

·        Import research data for team to visualize and analysis the results;

The on-line and desktop enables you organise and manage your research project, enable you to share and store securely (backed-up) your research data, reference, communications, and connections in one location.  The mobile app provides you read access to all the files uploaded and stored on colwiz, that is  your publications, reference sources, research data, survey results, etc.

Personally an app both on-line, desktop and mobile app that has potential for student group research projects for example MEng, MComp original research projects, Phd projects and Final year projects.   However it would require asking corporate IT services to install on desktops.

Like Diigo, Colwiz has a bookmark tool functionality, however unlike Diigo does not appear you can install this functionality on the iPad Safari browser.   This limits the user to importing references to Colwiz from a Desktop, not practical when tablets now out strip desktop sales [1].    In addition the mobile app only provides read only functionality of your upload publications, and does not appear to access documents in the Colwiz drive.

In practical terms mobile app the Mendeley app offers more as you can add references and upload to Mendeley cloud.   Combine Mendeley with using Google Drive a project team would have all the functionality of Colwiz and more operating over desktop, online and mobile applications.  With a coporate license agreement with Google, resolves the copyright ownership personal Google [2].

References

[1] Ahmed, M. (2013) Tablet computers swallow desktop, The Times, 28^th March 2013, last accessed 2^nd April 2013 at http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/technology/gadgets/article3724628.ece

[2] Whittaker, Z. (2012) How far do Google Drive’s terms go in ‘owning’ your files?”, ZDNet, last accessed 22^nd April 2013 at http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/how-far-do-google-drives-terms-go-in-owning-your-files/75228

Explain a Website

EAW

By Morriscooke and Constructivist Toolkit LLC

$2.99

Available on iPad

Explain a Website (EAW) enables you to browse in the app a website, and to write and/or draw annotations on a website; the website dynamics are still operational so you can browse through the site making annotations on the each page.  The app provides recording facility so you can create a screencast recording of your annotations, verbal comments and navigation around the site.   This subsequent file can be exported as PDF (series of stills images without the audio is supposedly exported, however when I exported the file no program on the desktop or iPad could open the resultant file) or as a video to email,  DropBox or Evernote.  The video format is compressed MP4 codec.

In terms of education the app has potential to enable academics/teachers to feedback on student website assessments submissions, but also assessment submitted electronically to the VLE, as can browse the VLE in the app.   I personally have used the latter example to provide timely and constructive feedback on a e-submitted (submitted to VLE) draft student dissertation, the app enabled me to recording my musing and written comments as I scrolled down the web-based document.

A 2 minutes video of audio, annotations, screen movements, medium quality, and 640x450 resolution takes a couple of minute or less to be compressed into a MP4 codec format, and the resultant file can be as much as 7.1Mb (just small enough to be emailed), size dependent upon volume annotations, screen movement and audio, less activity recorded over 2 minutes results in a smaller file.  

However with respect to screencasting feedback of a large web based document, where it is possible to scroll down the large document recording you annotations and verbal comments, the resultant screencast feedback is likely to be longer than 2 minutes, therefore to ensure the resultant screencast is of a file size that can be emailed:

·         The resolution of the video project requires to be 320x225

·         The quality of the video needs to be low

However it should be noted;

·         The resultant video is significantly reduced in quality for the recipient

·         A 14 minute video can take up to 1/2hr for the app to be compressed into MP4 format

      ·         The resultant file is 9Mb and therefore only just small enough to be emailed
Therefore realistically the app if providing feedback to a class individually then the app should be realistically used to provide short screencast feedback.  However lengthy and detailed feedback on complex websites or large electronic documents should to be one off exercise to an individual or a few groups on each of their website assessment submissions. A student’s reflections of receiving EAW formatted feedback on their online submitted dissertation:

“The audio/video feedback was helpful in explaining key points to the user, I did experience resolution issues and the screen was very small and hard to see.”

The student comment also highlights that the resolution size (set to solve issue being able to transfer the feedback to the student, as feedback on 50 page dissertation consisted of 14 minutes reflections) is a critical issue, to low may hindered wide adoption by students and staff.

Dictionary.com

Dictionary

By Dictionary.com

Free or however to gain full functionality £1.49

iOS and Android OS platforms

This is not the standard dictionary supplied by the mobile phone OS provider, but an additional app that you can download for free or £1.49 version with additional features.

The app provides the user with the ability to search for spelling of a word by typing in part of a word and presents the user with a list of words to choose from or the user can speak the word, and the dictionary spells the word.

Once the user has the desired word the user is presented with;

·       Comprehensive list of the meaning of word

·       Visual display of the Synonyms (Synonyms displayed in blue are words in dictionary app that can be clicked on to find the definition of that synonym)

·       Sample sentences of the word being used in context (feature of paid version)

·       Different definitions of words and its orgins

·       The ability to have the word read out to the user

·       The ability to share on the social media; twitter, Facebook

As a dyslexic member of staff, the app simplifies a task that once could be described tall order for a disabled member of staff.  The app enables you to search for a word without having to know how to spell a word in the first place through voice, the results style enables the user to hear the word, see how to use the word in context, as well as its origins.  Thus ensuring the user has the right word, but also uses the word appropriately.  

In terms of education, any educationist tries to encourage their students to expand their vocabulary whether they are engineers or historians.   This app I whole heartily recommend to my first and second year students, particularly in relation in preparing their CVs or writing job application forms.  

The only feature that is missing from Spring 2013 app version is the visual tool provided in the web based application available through wed browser, where synonyms are illustrated using spider display.  Personally I prefer this visual display as it helps me to identify the synonym spelling I am seeking, as dyslexic it is quicker to spell the word you know to ascertain synonyms to then identify the word you are actually seeking.   In the app you can still click synonym for the meaning and example sentences. 

Mail/Gmail

Mail/Gmail

By mobile OS

Free pre-installed on mobile device

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

Today’s blog may seem like a weak entry, but equally not to mention the communication app  that has quite frankly revolutionized how I and others work would be equally foolish.

This app has significant importance as without its ability to sync to your education provider email the benefits of using Recorder Pro, Notability and Explain Everything as an app to provide timely and constructive good practice feedback would become a bit thin.   Email app provided is a critical app that underpins practicality of other apps for learning.

It should be noted though I currently use a blog, forums and twitter to communicate with the wider educational educator community in UK and internationally.   My preferred methods of communication, with colleagues and students, are email and Blackboard announcements. 

Email and Blackboard are two communication channels that essentially operate within a communication closed shop.   .   It should be noted in my mobile apps for learning blog there are entries highlighting the communication virtues of Facebook and LinkedIn apps, but it is only my first years who have insisted on communicating via Facebook and Graduates who prefer to communicate via LinkedIn   The rest of the University community it is email and Blackboard.   However, all the social media tools I use also stream email notifications of communication on these media.   Therefore I am able to scan read all communications (social media and email) in one app, and note any issues, provide constructive feedback in a timely reply to colleagues and students alike, without the burden of checking multiply apps’ communication streams. 

Users can sync the mail app with their education (staff and students) email account, use the app on the go to read all email communications, file emails, craft new emails, and reply to emails.   It should be noted this academic year at the height I was receiving 200 emails in the first two hours of teaching (all needing a response and action on my part) I still had further four hours of teaching.   Without the ability to access my emails on the go I would not have been able to provide effective timely feedback to everyone seeking communications.   Majority of my emails are read and crafted on my smart devices.

Equally my students have highlighted (see one student quote below) last summer that they are equally interdependent upon the ubiquitous nature of the email app, as it supports their communications for learning and personal development.

“So good to access the email on the go”

Prezi

by Prezi

Free to all Prezi Licenses Holders (Education license free to anyone in education) on iPhone/iPad, (there is an unofficial app for $1.96 on android app)

Available for iOS/iOS mobile platforms, unofficial app for android

I have used Prezi on-line via my desktop for over 18 months after being introduced to the cloud based dynamic presentation tool by my students in student presentation.   The dynamic nature of Prezi presentation tool is such that any other presentation tool now appears flat and jaded in comparison.   The impact of seeing you first Prezi presentation it inspires you to use immediately, last year it went;

• My students used Prezi for an assessment presentation to myself and  industrialists in Nov’12;
• Few days later I used Prezi to present to across University audience of Pro-VCs, Heads of Department both academic and administration;
• Head of HR was in attendance, who subsequently recommended to my student to use Prezi which he did few days later to present to University Exec’. 

Feedback from the latter student as to why they now use Prezi and their rationale for using on the Prezi iPad app:

"I believe this [Prezi] is a very useful tool and attracts the end-user quicker than using the standard PowerPoint presentation...The ability to be able to bring movement to slides with relevant ease and next to no time is a plus for the software.   

I have used Prezi for iPad for testing purposes, more curiosity than anything else. I find is useful that you can show the presentation to anyone, anywhere on tablet, phone and desktop."

Prezi enables you to combine different presentation styles for example;

·  table top thinking;

·  story narrative;

·  big picture drilling down;

·  a walkthrough through  the material

·  memory lane

·  sequential with parallel interaction, etc

The latter approach has been used to enable to present an entire module in one Prezi presentation, enabling the academics to show at the top level all the class topics that will be learnt and interaction between the subjects, then each class drill down sequential learning of each subject, but also show at parallel level the inter-relationship of each topic, [1].   Extraordinary approach and good practice use of Prezi as a Technology Education Learning tool (TEL).

Prezi on the iPad, the original app only allowed you to browse your presentation, and was great for presentation rehearsals.   However in the Fall’12, the iPhone/iPad app included edit facilities, and the facility to share your presentation.   The edit facility though is designed to be only for-touching and revising existing Prezi presentations already developed using a networked desktop.   Being able to edit text and add photos to your Prezi presentation on the fly, to make modifications correct minor errors, reduces your stress levels, particularly at conferences where access to desktop may be fraught.   With AV adaptor you can present through projector using Prezi app, as the presentation downloads to your iPad you are no dependent on the network.  

If you are a regular using Prezi and have iPad, then this app is a must.   The app removes/reduces the panic when you are rehearsing and you spot errors in your slides when you are at a conference or away from your desk. 

Reference 

1.      Vodenska, I., Chitkushev, L.  and Burstein, L.  (2012) Ubiquitous Technology Enhanced Learning of complex financial concepts- Pedagogy Improvement in face to face and online teaching environment.  4th International Conference on Computer Supported Education, Porto, Portugal, 16^th-18^th April 2012

Socrative

Socrative

by Socrative

Free

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

Audience response clicker devices have been shown to encourage student interaction in the lecture, aid academic and student understanding what students have grasped, areas that further development, [1] However, clickers need to be either distributed by the academic at start of lecture, [2] or institution needs to invest in sufficient clickers for every student enrolled on the course and students to bring them to every class, [3-4].

However, in January Chrissi Nerantzi introduced Socrative app to education developers in a workshop at Smart Devices for Learning Sheffield Hallam 2013| MELSIG, opening my eyes to a more practical method of introducing clicker response into the classroom. There are two apps one staff and another for students, also there is a web based versions.

• Staff version enables the academic to create quiz questions you can create Multiple Choice, True/False, and Short Answer questions.
• As from 21^st April 2013 the teacher can upload images (but need to remember students viewing on mobile devices (keep small)) to be used in quiz questions
• As from 21^st April free text answers can be assessed as correct or incorrect against an entered library of possible answers (ideally two or three) that are correct, but note free text is subject to student's spelling ability still.
• Student version enables the students to respond to the questions and view the answers. Note the students should be encouraged prior to class to download the student version of the app to their device.

To use in class the tutor needs to provide to the room number generated by teacher app for their quiz to the students. The quiz can be used in the same way educationally as best practice use of clickers to enhance the student learning and experience, [5].

Yesterday a colleague used the Socratives at the end of lecture to enable the students to assess their understanding of the module subject over the length of the module. During the session we experimented with using the space race display to encourage students to quickly complete the quiz. Also display the bar graph of student responses.

My observational reflections of the quiz:

• Students had sufficient devices collectively laptops, phones and tablets lend to other so everyone had access to the quiz.
• Highlighted weaknesses in student knowledge in one particular area enabled us academics to explain further the need to strength their knowledge in this area.
• The students also particular liked the bar graph plot of student responses, help them appreciate where all their knowledge collectively was strong and where they had weaknesses they were not alone.
• The space race encouraged them to respond quickly, but speed may create errors.

When everyone is responding simultaneously, the app response to moving from submitting the answer to the next question slowed, it is a question of WiFi bandwidth capacity.

The students’ reflections of the exercise:

“[class verbal interaction verse Socrative app class quiz] don’t mind getting it wrong on the computer [app]”

“[don’t mind collective class results being shown in class] If you don’t show your answers, how do you know you got it right”

 

During the class reflection of the app the students highlighted they had used the app before earlier in another module, with another academic, their reflections of the app;

"The students like it as they are able to respond anonymously which saves embarrassment. I get feedback regarding how well the class understands the material"

A cheaper and practical class interaction response solution, however each student needs to own tablet, smart mobile or laptop and the institution WiFI in a class room should have sufficient capacity for short high demands.

Reference

[1] Russell, M. (2007). Blended Learning: Enriching the Class Activity with Technology, Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Education, Coimbra, Portugal, September, 2007 Last accessed 11^thApril 2013 at http://icee.usm.edu/icee/conferences/asee2007/papers/985_BLENDED_LEARNING__ENRICHING_THE_CLASS_AC.pdf

[2] Laws, E. M. Motivating Students using In-Class Questions. Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Education, Coimbra, Portugal, September, 2007 Last accessed 11^thApril 2013 at http://icee2007.dei.uc.pt/proceedings/papers/153.pdf

[3] Murray, P. B., Rossiter, J. A.,& Panoutsos, G. Promoting the use of clickers across a whole engineering faculty: how, why and is it worth it?. Engineering Education 2012 Conference, Coventry, UK, 18-20 September 2012, Last accessed 11^th April 2013 at http://cede.lboro.ac.uk/ee2012/papers/ee2012_submission_122_gp.pdf

[4] Jefferies, A., Cubric, M., & Russell, M. (2013). Enhancing learning and teaching using electronic voting systems–The development of a framework for an institutional approach for their introduction. Cutting-edge technologies in higher education, 6, 17-45. Last accessed 11^th April 2013 at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/books.htm?chapterid=17077807

[5] Caldwell, J. E. (2007). Clickers in the large classroom: Current research and best-practice tips. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 6(1), 9-20, Last accessed 11^th April 2013 at http://w.lifescied.org/content/6/1/9.full.pdf+html

Flipboard

Flipboard

By FlipBoard

Free

Android, and iOS

This is a great resource it pulls together original current news articles from around the world, for example from valid news agencies for example The Guardian, cnet.com, The Irish Times, NBC news, BBC etc.  Also, it will pull in your Twitter, and Facebook feeds.  

The advantages of app are that:

·       You can easily access an article in full by clicking on the article or click to view at original location.

·        It simplifies the process of sharing relevant news with your twitter followers that would be of interest or your colleagues through email.   

·       The app provides access to a wide variety of valid news sources, but also less reliable rumor news sources this tends to be tech’ rumors . 

·        Valid sources cover subjects from business, to sport, to travel to tech & science to apps.

·       You can create your own magazine stored in flipboard cloud (so you can access on your iPad or iPhone, if you own multiply devices), you can add and collate news articles, and tweets that are of interest to you in one location or multiple personal magazine(s) so enabling you to organise and save information.

It is for latter as to why I use the app.

In terms of educational practice as I teach project management of IT systems I am always seeking current news on technology developments, disasters, and successes as a starting point or case study for a lecture discussion on a learning outcome.   This approach I found makes the learning more immediate and relevant for the students.  

The share facility means that one could twitter to the student the links to the sources or collated sources in a magazine, useful for media courses who always collating current materials for current courses/modules, or modern history relevant news articles as they come to light.      I have yet to explore with my students this facility as part a module, though I have used to share with my followers on twitter (which includes some students).   One hopes that adopting such an innovation would help increase their worldly knowledge and broaden their outlook.  

I also think we should encourage the students to use the app to create their own weekly news magazine to develop their worldly literacy.