Open Access Peer-reviewed Research Article

An evaluation of educational apps for preschool-age children in Android and iOS

Main Article Content

Anastasia Strataki corresponding author

Abstract

Applications (apps) available as educational in digital app stores for preschoolers claim that they offer to learn content on a wide range of basic academic skills, including counting, reading, and pattern recognition. This research aimed to investigate the educational quality of a range of educational applications for Android and iOS Operating Systems aimed at preschool-age children, i.e., children from 3 to 5 years old. The evaluation was done using two scientific tools: the rubrics published by Lee & Cherner entitled "A Comprehensive Evaluation Rubric for Assessing Instructional Apps" and by Papadakis, Kalogiannakis & Zaranis entitled "Designing and creating an educational app rubric for preschool teachers". The research results showed that most proclaimed educational applications did not have a real educational value. Research extensions are discussed.

Keywords
preschool age, education, applications, mobile learning

Article Details

How to Cite
Strataki, A. (2022). An evaluation of educational apps for preschool-age children in Android and iOS. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 2(1), 278-288. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.012

References

  1. Ampartzaki, M., Kalogiannakis, M., & Papadakis, S. (2021). Deepening Our Knowledge about Sustain- ability Education in the Early Years: Lessons from a Water Project. Education Sciences, 11(6), 251. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11060251
  2. Aziz, N. A. A., Batmaz, F., Stone, R., & Chung, P. W. H. (2013). Selection of touch gestures for children’s applications. In 2013 Science and Information Conference, 721-726.
  3. Barianos, A., Papadakis, A., & Vidakis, N. (2022). Content manager for serious games: Theoretical framework and digital platform. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 2(1), 251-262. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.009
  4. Beschorner, B. & Hutchison, A. (2013). iPads as a literacy teaching tool in early childhood. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 1(1), 16-24.
  5. Bratitsis, T. (2018). An Attempt for Critical Categorization of Android Applications Available for the Greek Kindergarten. In Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 56-68. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75175-7_7
  6. Buckler, T., & Peterson, M. (2012). Is There an App For That? Developing an Evaluation Rubric for Apps for Use with Adults with Special Needs. The Journal of BSN Honors Research, 6(1), 19-32. http://hdl.handle.net/2271/1095
  7. Chaldi, D., & Mantzanidou, G. (2021). Educational robotics and STEAM in early childhood education. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(2), 72-81. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2021.02.003
  8. Chatzopoulos, A., Kalogiannakis, M., Papadakis, S., Papoutsidakis, M., Elza, D., & Psycharis, S. (2021). DuBot: An Open-Source, Low-Cost Robot for STEM and Educational Robotics. In Handbook of Research on Using Educational Robotics to Facilitate Student Learning, 441-465. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-6717-3.ch018
  9. Chen, X. (2016). Evaluating Language-learning Mobile Apps for Second-language Learners. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 9(2), 156-170. https://doi.org/10.18785/jetde.0902.03
  10. Drigas, A., & Kokkalia, G. (2016). Mobile Learning for Special Preschool Education. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (IJIM), 10(1), 67-80. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v10i1.5288
  11. Drigas, A., Kokkalia, G., & Economou, A. (2016). Mobile Learning For Preschool Education. Interna- tional Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (IJIM), 10(4), 57-69. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v10i4.6021
  12. Foti, P. (2021). Exploring kindergarten teachers’ views on STEAM education and educational robotics: Dilemmas, possibilities, limitations. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(2), 82-95. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2021.02.004
  13. Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Computers in Entertain- ment (CIE), 1(1), 20-20. https://doi.org/10.1145/950566.950595
  14. Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., Gray, J. H., Robb, M. B., & Kaufman, J. (2015). Putting education in “educational” apps: Lessons from the science of learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100615569721
  15. Kay, R. (2018). Creating a framework for selecting and evaluating educational apps. INTED2018 Proceedings. 12th International Technology, Education and Development Conference. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2018.0106
  16. Lee, C-Y. & Cherner, T. S. (2015). A comprehensive evaluation rubric for assessing instructional apps. Journal of Information Technology Education Research, 1(4), 21-53. https://doi.org/10.28945/2097
  17. Lynch, J., & Redpath, T. (2014). “Smart” technologies in early years’ literacy education: a metanarrative of paradigmatic tensions in iPad use in an Australian preparatory classroom. Journal of Early Child- hood Literacy, 14(2), 147-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798412453150
  18. McClure, E. R., Guernsey, L., Clements, D. H., Bales, S. N., Nichols, J., Kendall-Taylor, N., & Levine, M. H. (2017). STEM starts early: Grounding science, technology, engineering, and math education in early childhood. New York: NY: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
  19. Missen, M. M. S., Javed, A., Asmat, H., Nosheen, M., Coustaty, M., Salamat, N., & Prasath, V. B. S. (2019). Systematic review and usability evaluation of writing mobile apps for children. New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 25(3), 137-160. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614568.2019.1677787
  20. National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2012). Technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Spotlight on young children and technology, 61-70.
  21. Nikolopoulou, K. (2021). Mobile devices in early childhood education: teachers’ views on benefits and barriers. Education and Information Technologies, 26(3), 3279-3292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-020-10400-3
  22. Ok, M. W., Kim, M. K., Kang, E. Y., & Bryant, B. R. (2015). How to Find Good Apps. Intervention in School and Clinic, 51(4), 244-252. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451215589179
  23. Papadakis, S. (2021). Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research (AMLER): Mobile learning as an educational reform. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2021.01.001
  24. Papadakis, S., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2017a). Evaluation of Greek Android mobile applications for preschoolers. Preschool and Primary Education, 5(2), 65-100. https://doi.org/10.12681/ppej.11208
  25. Papadakis, S., Alexandraki, F., & Zaranis, N. (2021). Mobile device use among preschool-aged children in Greece. Education and Information Technologies, 1-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10718-6
  26. Papadakis, S., Kalogiannakis, M., & Zaranis, N. (2017b). Designing and creating an educational app rubric for preschool teachers. Education and Information Technologies, 22(6), 3147-3165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-017-9579-0
  27. Papadakis, S., Kalogiannakis, M., & Zaranis, N. (2018). Educational apps from the Android Google Play for Greek preschoolers: A systematic review. Computers & Education, 1(6), 139-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.09.007
  28. Papadakis, S., Kalogiannakis, M., & Zaranis, N. (2021). Teaching mathematics with mobile devices and the Realistic Mathematical Education (RME) approach in kindergarten. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(1), 5-18. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2021.01.002
  29. Poultsakis, S., Papadakis, S., Kalogiannakis, M., & Psycharis, S. (2021). The management of Digital Learning Objects of Natural Sciences and Digital Experiment Simulation Tools by teachers. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(2), 58-71. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2021.02.002
  30. Qureshi, A., & Qureshi, N. (2021). Challenges and issues of STEM education. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(2), 146-161. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2021.02.009
  31. Skaraki, E. (2021). Reinforcing preschoolers’ phonemic awareness through the use of tablets. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 1(1), 28-36. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2021.01.004
  32. Skaraki, E., & Kolokotronis, F. (2022). Preschool and early primary school age children learning of computational thinking through the use of asynchronous learning environments in the age of Covid-19. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 2(1), 180-186. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.002
  33. Statista, (2021a). Number of available apps in the Apple App Store from 2008 to 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/268251/number-of-apps-in-the-itunes-app-store-since-2008
  34. Statista, (2021b). Number of available applications in the Google Play Store from December 2009 to December 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266210/number-of-available-applications-in-the-google-play-store
  35. Statista, (2021c). Number of Apple App Store and Google Play mobile app downloads worldwide from 3rd quarter 2016 to 4th quarter 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/695094/quarterly-number-of-mobile-app-downloads-store
  36. Vaiopoulou, J., Papadakis, S., Sifaki, E., Stamovlasis, D., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2021). Parents’ Per- ceptions of Educational Apps Use for Kindergarten Children: Development and Validation of a New Instrument (PEAU-p) and Exploration of Parents’ Profiles. Behavioral Sciences, 11(6), 82. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11060082
  37. Verawati, A., Agustito, D., Pusporini, W., Utami, W., & Widodo, S. (2022). Designing Android learning media to improve problem-solving skills of ratio. Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 2(1), 216-224. https://doi.org/10.25082/AMLER.2022.01.005
  38. Walker, H. (2013). Establishing content validity of an evaluation rubric for mobile technology applications utilizing the Delphi Method [Dissertation]. Maryland.
  39. Yelland, N., & Gilbert, C. (2012). iPlay, iLearn, iGrow. London: IBM Paper.
  40. Yusop, F., & Razak, R. (2014). Mobile educational apps for children. In Management and Technology in Knowledge, Service, Tourism & Hospitality (pp. 51-53). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b16700-12
  41. Zourmpakis, A.-I., Papadakis, St., & Kalogiannakis, M. (2022). Education of Preschool and Elementary Teachers on the Use of Adaptive Gamification in Science Education, International Journal of Technol- ogy Enhanced Learning (IJTEL), 14(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTEL.2022.120556