Application Evaluation
NAME of App____________________________
Cost:
What is this app all about?
Characteristic
Active: Minds ON!
● Purpose- active, attainable goal
● Flexible learning and movement
● Appropriate level of student control
and agency
Engagement
● Allows the student to stay on task
● Coherence Principle: Avoiding as
many distractions as possible
● Meaningful feedback
Target Age:
Evidence Comments
● Something is created Active apps are something that can change the way this
● Involves specific generation is growing up. If parents and educators are taking the
movement or time to pick apps that are super active, students will become
gestures excellent thinkers and will become leaders by using knowledge
● App is able to be they learn through fun and active apps.
taught by child to
another
● Gives feedback on
incorrect answers
● Gets their whole
body involved: lots
of movement
● Achieving sustained One of the biggest concerns when it comes to creating an
engagement engaging app is creating an app that will allow for the student to
● App allows the child stay on task, and have the least amount of distractions possible.
to feel in control
● This could be a potential problem because what could be
considered to be distracting for one age group or grade level,
would not be considered distracting for another. Creating an
 ● Progressive access to content (when engaging app for all grade levels could be a challenge.
necessary)
● Motivation: Intrinsic and extrinsic

Meaningful Learning
● Constructivism: Build on pre-existing
knowledge (making connections)
● Higher order thinking skills
● Relevant material
● Putting rote learning in context
● There is a specific It is important that skill being taught has some foundation to build
order to content upon, connections are made to prior knowledge. Students are
● Minimal to no off encouraged to use higher order thinking skills, which can help
topic material solidify knowledge. Material presented is relevant to skill or topic
● Rote learning is being covered. There are elements of rote learning, but they are
engaging engaging and not the main purpose.

Social Interaction ● Social interaction It is crucial that apps have a way for the students to interact
● Responsivity enables learning socially, whether it be with the app itself or with other students.
● Multiple users engaged in mediated ● Social dialogues Cooperative and collaborative learning environments are optimal,
interactions students engage in however, the social interaction must be a high enough quality that
● Support development of parasocial are crucial for it does not detract from the learning situation.
relations with on-screen characters advancing cognitive
development
● Critical thinking
skills benefit from
collaborative
learning

Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J., Golinkoff, R., Gray, J., Robb, M., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting education in “educational “ apps: Lessons from the
science of learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3-34.