Apps

Educational apps (Source: Edsys, goo.gl/IPOaJk, under CC0 Public Domain licence)

The nature of apps

Apps, or applications, are pieces of software which are downloaded from the internet to mobile devices (though the term is now sometimes also used for software on desktop and laptop computers). They have specific and limited functionality (as opposed to the general functionality of a web browser), often make good use of the features of mobile devices, may run with or without internet access, and are typically inexpensive or even free.

Worldwide, mobile smart devices are dominated by two major operating systems, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Apps designed for Android devices are available from Google Play (formerly the Android Market); apps designed for iOS devices such as the iPhone or iPad are available from the Apple App Store (formerly the iTunes Store); and apps for Microsoft’s Windows phones are available from the Microsoft Store (formerly Windows Phone Marketplace). Note that generative AI chatbots are now available in app format for mobile devices. Some web apps, usually created with HTML5, are cross-platform and can be used with a variety of operating systems on a variety of devices. With the rise of responsive design websites, increasing numbers of regular webpages can also automatically reformat themselves for viewing on mobile and other devices.

The vast majority of users’ time on smart devices is spent in apps rather than accessing the web through general-purpose web browsers (like Apple’s Safari, Google’s Chrome or Mozilla’s Firefox). Some educators are concerned that many apps are tightly controlled and template-driven, and may limit end users’ control over their creations and communications far more than is usually the case on the broader web 2.0. On the other hand, one of the reasons that tablets which run mobile operating systems are so frequently used with young learners nowadays is precisely because apps limit students’ choices and keep them away from the wider internet. It is important for older students to have access to more generative devices like laptop or desktop computers – whether instead of or, more commonly, in addition to mobile devices – in order to create and communicate more freely and effectively online.

Learning with apps

There are many thousands of educational apps, designed to cover all subject areas and all levels. Most are very much web 1.0 in orientation. Their value lies in their convenience and accessibility, but most are pedagogically highly traditional: they primarily involve information transmission and/or repetitive, behaviourist style drills, quizzes and puzzles. Many e-books and e-textbooks fit into this category. Teachers can of course create their own mobile quizzes using a variety of polling and survey services; and students can also be asked to create mobile revision quizzes for their peers, thus shifting their learning in a constructivist direction.

There is a smaller number of apps which are more web 2.0 in orientation. Typically, these are generic apps (that is, apps which are not subject-specific but can be used across many subjects; in fact, most are not dedicated to education, but are general-purpose apps which may be repurposed for education). They include creative apps like GarageBand and iMovie, which can be used, for example, to produce digital stories or videos. They also include communication apps like Instagram or Facebook, which can be used for social sharing or social networking. Many such apps support collaborative learning to various degrees.

The newest developments involve a shift in the direction of web 3.0, and specifically the concept of the semantic web, with the incorporation of generative AI into apps. Such apps can function somewhat like smart tutors or coaches, with some well-known early examples including Duolingo Max and Khanmigo. With the release of AI-powered smartphones starting in 2024, there is some speculation that we may be about to begin moving beyond the era of mobile apps and may instead interact with our devices through an inbuilt intelligent AI assistant. For more information, see the generative AI page of this website.

Beyond educational apps, there are also organisational apps which are not used for teaching and learning per se but which, as the name suggests, may be helpful in staying organised. These include note-taking and multimedia storage apps, timetabling and scheduling apps, and even class management apps.

A quick Google search for terms such as ‘best educational apps’ will turn up numerous lists, with new lists constantly being published in order to keep up with the rapidly changing app landscape. A particularly useful reference which links apps to Bloom’s Taxonomy is Kathy Schrock’s Bloomin’ Apps (updated 2024). There are a number of frameworks to evaluate educational apps, many of which were developed some time ago, but whose general principles still apply:

• • Critical Evaluation of an Android Content-Based App (Kathy Schrock, 2013)
  • Critical Evaluation of a Content-Based iPad/iPod App (Kathy Schrock, 2015)
  • Evaluating Apps: A Rubric for Evaluation (iPAC/Mobile Learning Toolkit, 2017)

For frameworks to evaluate educational tools more generally, including apps, see:

• • A Rubric for Evaluating E-learning Tools in Higher Education (Lauren Anstey & Gavan Watson/EDUCAUSE, 2018)
  • A Rubric for Selecting Active Learning Technologies (Katie Bush, Monica Cormier & Graham Anthony/EDUCAUSE, 2022)

Making apps

Nowadays, there is plenty of app-building software available, which allows teachers and students to create their own apps. The easiest services to use are template-driven and require little coding knowledge, but these are likely to have more limited content and formatting options. Coding knowledge is useful – and sometimes necessary – for the more sophisticated app builders, which means they can also be used to help support the development of students’ coding skills. Examples of app builders include Appery.io, Appsbar, AppyPie AppMakr, Flutter, GoodBarber, iBuildApp, Mobincube, Shoutem and Thunkable (note that this list contains a mixture of free, freemium and paid options) and the educationally oriented LearningApps and MIT App Inventor. E-books in the open epub format can be created using Apple’s Pages and a wide variety of other creation software.

More references about apps are available on the Publications on Mobile Learning page.

Last update: March 2024.