Educreations
| Original author(s) | Wade Roberts, Chris Streeter[1] |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Educreations, Inc |
| Stable release | 2.2.20
/ 7 February 2019 [2] |
| Engine | |
| Website | www.educreations.com |
Search Educreations on Amazon.
Educreations is a mobile application present on the App Store (iOS), intended for use in classroom situations. It allows for teaching content to be presented with videos utilising their interactive whiteboard and screen casting[3] in-app functionality. In academic papers and reviews it has been called: "a tool that instructors can use to record live lectures while simultaneously drawing and annotating the presentation in real time."[4] It is currently being used at different educational institutions globally, from primary to tertiary levels of education. Similar mobile applications exist, such as "Showme" and "Docerci"[4]. The application was intended for the iPad, however content can be viewed in a similar manner using Adobe Flash-enabled devices.
History[edit]
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The company was incubated by ImagineK12, a Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator for educational technology technology startups in 2012[5] by Wade Roberts and Chris Streeter.[6]
On August 14, 2012, Educreations Inc, announced the completion of a $2.2 million Series A round financing from Accel Partners and NewSchools Venture Fund.[1] During this time they reported that around 50,000 teachers have created and shared lessons on the Educreations platform, and it's use in over 12,000 schools and in 117 countries (at the time). [1]
In 2013, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced Educreations as one of the 25 mobile applications on its list of Best Apps for Teaching and Learning for Content Creation. [7]
As of May 2019, they have published version 2.2.20 as the most stable release for download on the App Store (iOS).
Reception[edit]
Educreations was created in the United States, and it's primarily with educational institutions within the regional United States. Most of the reviews and academic research were created by teachers or students from these institutions. Most reviews and research is ultimately positive with very few negative comments (usually provided by students rather than the teachers). An example of the criticism of Educreations is that the "videos are too short"[4] Most of the noteworthy sources which investigate the use of Educreations ultimately investigate the model of the Flipped classroom and how it compares to the traditional learning experience.
An review of Educreations by Marilyn Gardner in 2012 stated the features and functionality in its early stages. She reviewed the free app, without any paid functionality. "Recordable whiteboard, can add voice-over, and also can add photos from iOS devices, then share the resulting Adobe Flash Player files." She suggested the use of a Wacom or other Graphics tablet for better input resolution. She was critical that the output files are in Adobe Flash Player video format (not HTML5), the resulting videos can't be played on another iOS device but are readily playable and shareable on most ever web browser supporting Adobe Flash Player video.[8]
Educreations has been described as an application which allows for students in the United States to meet Common Core State Standards.[9] It was recommended by Hillman in 2014 as it improved the learning experience of her own students. Using whiteboard features, students utilised the interactive whiteboard functionality to save their 'working out' for specific mathematics problems during class.[9]
Educreations was also reviewed by 'AutismApps'[10] an organisation partnered with the Autism Association of Western Australia. It recommends this application for those with Autism, due to the visual prompts being a motivator.
From it's inception to 2017, Shaun Langevin from Common Sense Media has created an evaluation on Educreations.[11] Most of the reviews present on the site are positive, with a 99% recommendation rate from Students saying they both liked the application and learning from it.
Academic Research[edit]
Northwestern Health Science University Physiology (2016)[edit]
Northwestern Health Sciences University conducted a survey in 2016, investigating the effectiveness of Educreations as a learning tool. Paper surveys were distributed in two trimesters reaching 143 students undertaking a physiology course. Survey results showed 'high student satisfaction' with this mode of content delivery (a tool to deliver supplemental physiology content). The interviewed students stated that they appreciate the fact that the faculty actually took time to produce content.[4]
Since the survey, they state that Educreations has been employed in teaching basic science and other courses such as history and neurology at the university.
They concluded that Educreations is a "cost-effective tool that can be used to develop custom content." [4]
University of Massachusetts Online Blog[edit]
The University of Massachusetts Amherst, through their blog "Online Tools for Teaching & Learning"[12] have also reviewed Educreations based on the SAMR model created by Dr. Ruben Puentedura.[13] The SAMR[14] model is used to determine which technology will create an effective educational experience.
It met these criteria:
- Substitution: Educreations serves as an interactive whiteboard which has the capability of replacing a traditional whiteboard.[12]
- Augmentation: Educreations allows for the ease of embedding other digital documents such as images, and other documents into it's Screencast videos.[12]
- Modification: Teachers can post videos to Educreations for Students to view at any time and any location. This provides more class time to spend on other and larger discussions and activities.[12]
- Redefinition: Students have the same opportunities to create content as their teachers do. Assignments can be made more exciting. This can also allow for more user-to-user collaboration.[12]
They found that it also appeals to 3 of the ISTE Standards for Students. This means that Educreations allows students to become: "Empowered Learner, Knowledge Constructor and Creative Communicator".[15]
Arkansas Tech University (2014)[edit]
Arkansas Tech University measured Educreations as a multimedia online discussion tool on students’ learning outcomes and self-efficacy[16] They stated that many higher educational institutions in America are increasing the amount of online courses that they offer (89% of public four-year colleges and universities offering various online degrees). In this instance, Educreations was utilised for it’s functionality as a discussion board, rather than just a pure interactive whiteboard/screen casting application. Educreations adds support for students’ online learning and can facilitate as well as improve interaction and communication between students as well as between students and teachers.
They concluded that when students interact with online discussion activities which use audio, video, drawing or images, their self-efficacy and learning outcomes improve.[16]
Use in the Flipped Classroom[edit]
A flipped classroom is a type of learning that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content outside of the classroom (and often therefore online). In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home while engaging in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of a mentor. Educreations has also been described as very useful in creating a flipped classroom[17] as it allows for students to create and view content within their own home or wherever else they wish.[18]Many schools experiment with the model of the flipped classroom, as it allows students to participate in more critical thinking activities during class."[4]
An example of where Educreations would be used is a Flipped university setting.[19]Like any Educational software it is often analysed in great depth to see it's effectiveness against the traditional educational setting.[19] Educreations could be used in a setting where lectures are all online, with class which dedicates all it's face-to-face contact with teacher-led examples and small group problem solving.[19] The screencast videos can serve as a backup for missed lectures and can be accessed from any device with an account.[4]
It's use at Northwestern Health Sciences University[4] as well as at the University of Massachusetts both allowed for personalised and colloquial communication and relationships between students and teachers. The flipped classroom model can also be used at any level of education from primary to tertiary. Educreations also employs Crowdsourcing for content. This means that if a particular user has uploaded content and set it to public, any other user may view the content (most of which is advertised on their website).
Platform & Technology[edit]
When using Educreations, Microsoft PowerPoint slides are created by an 'instructor' are first uploaded as JPEG images into the app on the iPad. As the instructor lectures, the app can be used to record their voice as well as their real-time handwriting. Upon completion, a video link is generated that can be shared via email. 'Students' can then view the final 'lecture' on any device and in any browser that supports Adobe Flash. [4]There has been criticism of the fact that the video that the application outputs are in Adobe Flash format, meaning that while iPads are the devices used to create videos, they are also unable to view them.[8] Currently, there is no version of the application present on Google Play.
According to Crunchbase[20], some of the technologies used to power the Educreations website include Viewport Meta, iPhone, Mobile and Compatible and SPF (sender policy framework).
Branding[edit]
As the screenshot demonstrates, the User interface has been updated for version 2 (currently at 2.2.20)[21] The functionality presented to create videos is the same however, albeit featuring a user interface with a lighter colour scheme than before. The logo used has also been updated, previously sporting a visual representation of the Pythagorean theorem. [22] It now features a Sierpinski triangle on navy blue. This re-brand occurred around 2015.
Usage[edit]
Most of the functionality that Educreations' provides in terms of being a interactive whiteboard is accessible from this screen (pictured in the screenshot). From this page, the following can be completed:[21]
- Background paper changes
- Options are white paper, lined paper, graph paper and co-ordinate grid[22]
- Duplicating Pages and their ink
- Saving Draft and Finished Video
- Undo and Redo (last marker changes)
- Start, pause and stop recording
- Changing Marker and eraser colour
Uploading photos, text, using the camera, searching the internet are all available with the Pro pricing subscriptions.[22]
Terms of Use[edit]
Shaun Langevin from Common Sense Media[11] also stated that: "With the free version, users can save one draft presentation at a time and paid users can have unlimited drafts in progress: Drafts allow users to begin working on one device and sign in on another to continue. This is a great feature for classrooms that share iPads. Paid versions also allow teachers and students to import presentations, web pages, maps, and documents from Google Drive and DropBox. Of course, once they're in the app you can draw over them. In addition, the paid version offers more storage, sharing, and download options."
His evaluation created however notes the fact that many issues relating to Intellectual Property are left unclear. These issues are that it is:
- "Not specified whether data is shared for advertising and/or marketing."[11]
- "Not specified whether this product displays behavioral or contextual advertising."[11]
- "Not specified whether this product allows data collection by third-party advertising or tracking services."[11]
- "Not specified whether this product uses data to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services."[11]
- "Not specified whether this product allows third parties to use data to create ad profiles, data enhancement, and/or targeted advertisements."[11]
According to the Apple App Store [21] and their website, there are 3 subscription-based pricing plans: Basic, Pro Classroom and Pro School. The basic form is free, Pro Classroom is $8.25 a month, and finally, Pro School is $1495/year. Each have ranging functionality and is intended for different scales of app use (i.e. how many teachers/students are using it per school).
The basic version allows users to work on and save only one draft presentation at any one time. In contrast, paid users have any number of drafts. Drafts can be saved and edited from any device which is logged in. The two paid plans allow teachers and students to import presentations, web pages, maps, and documents from Google Drive. The paid plans also offers more storage, sharing, and download options.[21]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Accel Partners (April 2012). "Educreations Announces $2.2mm Series A from Accel Partners & NewSchools Venture Fund". Education Letter; Atlanta: 87 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ "Educreations". App Store. Retrieved 2019-05-06.
- ↑ Bissell, Laura (2017). "Screen-casting as a Technology-enhanced Feedback Mode". Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice. 5: 4–12 – via EBSCOhost.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Ahmad, Kashif; Hinck, Glori (September 2016). "The Impact of a Course-Content Creation Tool (Educreations™) on Student Learning in a Physiology Course". Medical Science Educator. 26 (3): 275–277. doi:10.1007/s40670-016-0259-2. ISSN 2156-8650.
- ↑ "Imagine K12 – K12 edtech accelerator". Imagine K12 – K12 edtech accelerator. Retrieved 2019-05-11.
- ↑ "Educreations, Inc.: CEO and Executives – Bloomberg". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ American Libraries (September 2013). "AASL names Best Teaching Apps". 44. .9–10: 10 – via Academic OneFile.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gardner, Marilyn (2012). "Educations Interactive Whiteboard; A free iOS /iPad interactiwe sketchpad , itunes.apple.com/us/app/educreations-interactive-whiteboard/id478617061?mt=8 sketchpad iOS". The Physics Teacher. 50 (3): 189–189. doi:10.1119/1.3685131. ISSN 0031-921X.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hillman, Carrie (February 2014). "Meet Common Core using Educreations". Learning & Leading with Technology. 41.5: 29 – via Gale.
- ↑ "Educreations Interactive Whiteboard". Autism Apps. 2017-05-11. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 "Educreations Review for Teachers". Common Sense Education. 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 "Online Tools for Teaching & Learning – Designed by students in EDUC 595A at the University of Massachusetts Amherst". Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ Common Sense Education (2016-07-12), How to Apply the SAMR Model with Ruben Puentedura, retrieved 2019-05-12
- ↑ "SAMR Model: A Practical Guide for EdTech Integration". www.schoology.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ "ISTE Standards for Students | ISTE". www.iste.org. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ibrahim, M. & Watts, A. (2014). Examining the Effect of Using Voicethread and Educreations on Preservice Teachers’ Self Efficacy and Learning Outcome in Online Course. In M. Searson & M. Ochoa (Eds.), (pp. 554–560). Jacksonville, Florida, United States: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved May 30, 2019 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/131143/.
- ↑ "Educreations – Product Reviews". EdSurge. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ "Educreations". Sophia. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Yestrebsky, Cherie L. (2016), Muzyka, Jennifer L.; Luker, Christopher S., eds., "Direct Comparison of Flipping in the Large Lecture Environment", ACS Symposium Series, American Chemical Society, 1228, pp. 1–18, doi:10.1021/bk-2016-1228.ch001, ISBN 9780841231627, retrieved 2019-05-30
- ↑ "Educreations". Crunchbase. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 "Educreations, Inc Apps on the App Store". App Store. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 "Creating in Educreations". Creating in Educreations. Retrieved 2019-05-31.
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