Between the Lines Advanced HD

Features
Price $29.99
Age Range Upper Primary & High School
App Type Learning App
Version Reviewed 1.4
Android Available?
Lite Version Available?
Help Provided?

Bloom's Thinking Process
Creating
Evaluating
Analysing
Applying
Understanding
Remembering

Adaptability
Includes pictures
Includes recorded voice
Includes text
Includes video

Review Comments
Between the Lines is a series of apps which teach social skills and non-literal language. This is a review of the Advanced version which contains 225 tasks. The full version can be used by multiple users. There are two types of activities: Watch a video: - then see a choice of two explanations of the video. The videos are of adults. Listen to a voice: - based on what you have heard, try to guess the correct picture The skills taught in this advanced level include: Explaining idioms, slang and everyday expressions Listening to the tone of voice to explain a person's emotional state Understanding non verbals Understanding the thoughts of others This is a terrific app for teaching social understanding. The use of videos brings social context into the child's learning. There are a few fun games which appeal to this age group. One game involved throwing a ball at a target so a man falls into a barrel of water. Great! Other games included darts and shooting baskets. My only concern is that some of the videos show negative models. The authors caution that this is not a social modeling app. As with most social learning apps, this app is best used with an adult to provide feedback and further explanations. This review was of Between the Lines Advanced HD. There are other apps in this series: Between the Lines Level 1 HD (Lite version available) Between the Lines Level 2 HD (Lite version available) Between the Lines Advanced HD (Lite version available)

Review Comments

Between the Lines is a series of apps which teach social skills and non-literal language. This is a review of the Advanced version which contains 225 tasks. The full version can be used by multiple users.

There are two types of activities:

Watch a video: - then see a choice of two explanations of the video. The videos are of adults.

Listen to a voice: - based on what you have heard, try to guess the correct picture

The skills taught in this advanced level include:

Explaining idioms, slang and everyday expressions
Listening to the tone of voice to explain a person's emotional state
Understanding non verbals
Understanding the thoughts of others

This is a terrific app for teaching social understanding. The use of videos brings social context into the child's learning. There are a few fun games which appeal to this age group. One game involved throwing a ball at a target so a man falls into a barrel of water. Great! Other games included darts and shooting baskets.

My only concern is that some of the videos show negative models. The authors caution that this is not a social modeling app. As with most social learning apps, this app is best used with an adult to provide feedback and further explanations.

This review was of Between the Lines Advanced HD. There are other apps in this series:

Between the Lines Level 1 HD (Lite version available)

Between the Lines Level 2 HD (Lite version available)

Between the Lines Advanced HD (Lite version available)

Use	Rank (*)
Social Understanding		Ranked 3rd of 38
Non Literal Language		Ranked 2nd of 11
Body Language and Emotions		Ranked 1st of 4

(*) This app has been ranked according to its' effectiveness to achieve the learning goals and strategies listed. Some apps may rank highly for achieving a specific use and lower for other uses. Some students will learn and engage with one app more than others, because of the individual nature of us all.

Learning App
Learning apps are designed for a specific purpose. The authors claim to teach a goal, skill or concept.

Bloom's Thinking Process
Bloom's Taxonomy is classification system used to explain the behaviours important in learning. Apps range from simple memory tasks such as flashcards apps through to creative apps which ask students to create an original story or video.

Bloom's Creating
The student creates new ideas, products or ways of viewing things. Activities include making, animating, designing, constructing, planning, producing and inventing.

Bloom's Evaluating
The student justifies a decision or course of action. Activities include counting to check, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting and judging.

Bloom's Analysing
The student breaks the information into parts to explore understandings and relationships. Activities include explaining, ordering, inferring, comparing and organising.

Bloom's Applying
The student uses the information in a new situation. Activities include implementing, carrying out, using, illustrating, classifying and categorising.

Bloom's Understanding
The student comprehends the new information. Activities include describing, predicting showing understanding use a multiple choice.

Bloom's Remembering
The student recalls information they know. Activities include matching, 'fill in the blank', making a choice, answering using a multiple choice, naming a group.

Learning Connection
How well does the app teach the targeted skill or concept? This is the area where we refer to current research and pedagogy to evaluate the efficacy of the app.

Authenticity
Authenticity looks at the manner in which skills are learnt. Authentic apps use real life or genuine activities. Students learn in context rather than in a contrived or rote fashion (such as flashcards).

Feedback
Feedback needs to be specific and result in improved performance. Feedback should be supportive and encouraging rather than negative. Data should be available to support decision making.

Differentiation
Differentiation is the ability to customise the app to suit the student. The ability to record you voice, customise text, add pictures and alter settings enables individualisation of the app.

User Friendliness
User friendliness is a measure of how well a student can use the app independently. Some apps are simply intuitive to use. Others include audio or visual prompts which support the student.

Motivation
All apps are engaging the first time they are played. However, students with diverse learning needs may need to return to the app many times. Motivating apps offer rewards,games or incentives.

Social Understanding
Social understanding apps provide opportunities for children to gain an understanding of the social world. These may explain the hidden curriculum of social rules and etiquette. They help increase the awareness of the thoughts, behaviour and feelings of others. They may provide suggestions of ways to interact with peers.

Non Literal Language
Non-literal language includes figures of speech (simile, metaphor, irony, idioms and sayings) and inferential language (when the meaning is not directly stated but inferred) e.g. "Gee it's hot in here".

Body Language and Emotions

Domain	Score	Details
Learning Connection	4	I highly recommend this app for teaching social understanding. The app would need to be used with an adult to provide feedback when the child is incorrect.
Authenticity	2	The child show their social understanding by making a choice from between two or four choices
Feedback	2	When correct, the child sees a green tick and hears a positive bing. When incorrect, they receive a red cross. Progress is tracked. I like the option to choose to display the scores or keep them hidden.
Differentiation	4	There are many features which can be customised. You can select the activities to include and their order or presentation. You can select how often an encouraging game and feedback is shown. You can select the number of picture choices.
User Friendliness	4	The child can use this app independently although feedback from an adult is recommended.
Motivation	4	The games are great. They are suitable for older children and adolescents.

From the App Store

Developer Hamaguchi Learning & Development, LLC
App Store Rating (from 1 reviews)
Current Version Rating (from 1 reviews)
Current Version 2.4

Developer's Description
Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language & Auditory Development's groundbreaking app for the iPad is designed for adolescents and adults who would benefit from practice interpreting vocal intonation, facial expressions, body language, and idiomatic or slang expressions. Using real photographs, voices and short mini-video clips of a variety of social situations and expressions, this app provides a dynamic way to help learn and understand the messages that are “between the lines” and simply can’t be replicated with worksheets and static flashcards. American language and body language is used. For more information, watch a demo of this app on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7uV5kMSjko&feature=plcp For easier tasks, geared towards a slightly younger audience, check out Between the Lines Level 1 and Level 2 apps, also in the App store! This app includes 65-75 tasks within each of the three activities. There are three distinct activities in this app: 1. Listening: The user hears a voice speak a sentence, e.g., “What did you DO?!” (Often the same phrase is heard spoken in several different ways throughout the activity, but with different emotion and inflection) The narrator asks, “Who said it?” The user is shown a series of photographs. The user touches the correct facial expression that matches the voice. 2. Body Language: A very short video-clip is shown that depicts an interaction or situation. For example, one teacher makes small talk then asks her colleague, “How is your day going so far?” The other teacher responds with body language only, suggesting “Eh…not bad, not good, just so-so.” The camera closes in this actor and says, “What is she thinking?” The user’s task is to look at the choices of responses and select the one that matches the facial expression/body language. 3. Expressions: A very short video-clip is shown that depicts an actor speaking a sentence that contains an idiomatic or slang expression, e.g., “I want to convince my dad to let me go, but I think I have my word ‘cut out for me’.” The user is then asked, “What does that mean?”A list of slightly cruder slang terms (e.g., "This is BS", "He's not the sharpest tool in the shed") are no longer in the default settings but can be specifically added within the Activity setting. The game can be played by up to 75 users or as a group. The percentage correct is reported for each user’s performance on each of the three activities. Individual users can select their own settings; the group must have the same setting selections for the entire group. Options included: Tracking progress (can be displayed or not) automatic advance or manual advance, choices can be automatically shown or manually displayed. Reward animations are provided at selected intervals for a welcome fun and break including Dunk Tank, Bull’s Eye (darts), and Shoot the Basket.These are not games of skill-just a fun diversion. Please contact our tech support if you are experiencing any technical issues with our apps at info@hamaguchiapps.com PRIVACY POLICY: We do NOT collect personal data from our users and have no ads. Personal data regarding user performance on the tasks on this app are self-contained and not transmitted in any way, unless the user chooses to email them to someone else. There are no in-app purchases in this app. A demo link will allow a user with internet access to view a video on YouTube to learn about the features of this app, as well as a link to our other apps in the iTunes store. **Please check out the extension activities at the end of the Information Page, which is on the home page. It is also available on our website. Developed by licensed speech-language pathologist and author, Patti Hamaguchi, M.A., CCC-SLP. Visit our website: www.hamaguchiapps.com

Developer's Description

Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language & Auditory Development's groundbreaking app for the iPad is designed for adolescents and adults who would benefit from practice interpreting vocal intonation, facial expressions, body language, and idiomatic or slang expressions. Using real photographs, voices and short mini-video clips of a variety of social situations and expressions, this app provides a dynamic way to help learn and understand the messages that are “between the lines” and simply can’t be replicated with worksheets and static flashcards. American language and body language is used.

For more information, watch a demo of this app on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7uV5kMSjko&feature=plcp

For easier tasks, geared towards a slightly younger audience, check out Between the Lines Level 1 and Level 2 apps, also in the App store!

This app includes 65-75 tasks within each of the three activities. There are three distinct activities in this app:

1. Listening: The user hears a voice speak a sentence, e.g., “What did you DO?!” (Often the same phrase is heard spoken in several different ways throughout the activity, but with different emotion and inflection) The narrator asks, “Who said it?” The user is shown a series of photographs. The user touches the correct facial expression that matches the voice.

2. Body Language: A very short video-clip is shown that depicts an interaction or situation. For example, one teacher makes small talk then asks her colleague, “How is your day going so far?” The other teacher responds with body language only, suggesting “Eh…not bad, not good, just so-so.” The camera closes in this actor and says, “What is she thinking?” The user’s task is to look at the choices of responses and select the one that matches the facial expression/body language.

3. Expressions: A very short video-clip is shown that depicts an actor speaking a sentence that contains an idiomatic or slang expression, e.g., “I want to convince my dad to let me go, but I think I have my word ‘cut out for me’.” The user is then asked, “What does that mean?”A list of slightly cruder slang terms (e.g., "This is BS", "He's not the sharpest tool in the shed") are no longer in the default settings but can be specifically added within the Activity setting.

The game can be played by up to 75 users or as a group. The percentage correct is reported for each user’s performance on each of the three activities. Individual users can select their own settings; the group must have the same setting selections for the entire group.

Options included: Tracking progress (can be displayed or not) automatic advance or manual advance, choices can be automatically shown or manually displayed. Reward animations are provided at selected intervals for a welcome fun and break including Dunk Tank, Bull’s Eye (darts), and Shoot the Basket.These are not games of skill-just a fun diversion.

*Please contact our tech support if you are experiencing any technical issues with our apps at info@hamaguchiapps.com

PRIVACY POLICY: We do NOT collect personal data from our users and have no ads. Personal data regarding user performance on the tasks on this app are self-contained and not transmitted in any way, unless the user chooses to email them to someone else. There are no in-app purchases in this app. A demo link will allow a user with internet access to view a video on YouTube to learn about the features of this app, as well as a link to our other apps in the iTunes store.

***Please check out the extension activities at the end of the Information Page, which is on the home page. It is also available on our website.

Developed by licensed speech-language pathologist and author, Patti Hamaguchi, M.A., CCC-SLP. Visit our website: www.hamaguchiapps.com

Disclaimer: The evaluations and rankings information provided here are based solely on the opinion of the author and are for informational purposes only. Families should seek professional advice before making decisions regarding interventions for their child.