View a detailed iPad App Evaluation ranked according to Learning Goals

Features
Price FREE
Age Range Upper Primary & High School
App Type Learning App
Version Reviewed 2.3
Android Available?
Lite Version Available?
Help Provided?

Bloom's Thinking Process
Creating
Evaluating
Analysing
Applying
Understanding
Remembering

Adaptability
Includes pictures
Includes animation
Includes recorded voice
Includes text
Includes images

Review Comments
Emotion Electric has two uses 1)to teach children to learn emotional vocabulary 2)to give children an opportunity to think about their current emotional state. This is an engaging app where the hosts, Jessica and Danny, discuss emotions. The emotions are "frustrated, hopeful, amazed, anxious, lonely, bothered, astounded, happy, panicked, gloomy, infuriated, delighted, shocked, concerned, bored, grouchy, brave, startled, timid, jealous, furioius, thrilled, astonished, frightened, sad, irritated, confident, surprised, afraid, mopey, outraged, proud, perplexed, petrified, regretful, angry, cheerful, curious, worried, annoyed, cranky, calm, confused, stressed, terrified". My Life Mood Dude shows a pink character. You can tap on his eyebrows, eyes and mouth, arms to change his face to fit your mood. Mood Tales: the child chooses a range of words. Then a tale is read using the words. The tale is full of emotions. Moodospere:the child can choose up to three words which describe their current mood. They can tap on each word to hear or read it's meaning. There are five words per page and they are spread over many pages. So, this means that it can take a while to find the emotion. My Stuff My Pictures: the child adds photos from their photo album My music: the child adds music from music album My videos: the child adds videos from the photo album My Games (matching emotions) Pets versus monsters: An emotion is written at the top of the page. Faces showing emotions shoot towards you and the child needs to flick the matching emotion back. Prankster madness: An emotion is written at the top of the page. Word balls with an emotion word appear. The child needs to tilt their device to catch the matching emotions. Hey you guys..catch: Faces move across the screen. The child chooses a written word ball, loads it into the cannon and flicks it to the face. What's the word? Tap on the emotion to read and hear the definition. This app can be used by up to four players.

Review Comments

Emotion Electric has two uses 1)to teach children to learn emotional vocabulary 2)to give children an opportunity to think about their current emotional state. This is an engaging app where the hosts, Jessica and Danny, discuss emotions.

The emotions are "frustrated, hopeful, amazed, anxious, lonely, bothered, astounded, happy, panicked, gloomy, infuriated, delighted, shocked, concerned, bored, grouchy, brave, startled, timid, jealous, furioius, thrilled, astonished, frightened, sad, irritated, confident, surprised, afraid, mopey, outraged, proud, perplexed, petrified, regretful, angry, cheerful, curious, worried, annoyed, cranky, calm, confused, stressed, terrified".

My Life

Mood Dude shows a pink character. You can tap on his eyebrows, eyes and mouth, arms to change his face to fit your mood.
Mood Tales: the child chooses a range of words. Then a tale is read using the words. The tale is full of emotions.
Moodospere:the child can choose up to three words which describe their current mood. They can tap on each word to hear or read it's meaning. There are five words per page and they are spread over many pages. So, this means that it can take a while to find the emotion.

My Stuff

My Pictures: the child adds photos from their photo album
My music: the child adds music from music album
My videos: the child adds videos from the photo album

My Games (matching emotions)

Pets versus monsters: An emotion is written at the top of the page. Faces showing emotions shoot towards you and the child needs to flick the matching emotion back.
Prankster madness: An emotion is written at the top of the page. Word balls with an emotion word appear. The child needs to tilt their device to catch the matching emotions.
Hey you guys..catch: Faces move across the screen. The child chooses a written word ball, loads it into the cannon and flicks it to the face.

What's the word?

Tap on the emotion to read and hear the definition.

This app can be used by up to four players.

Use	Rank (*)
Emotional Vocabulary		Ranked 11th of 64
Mood Diary		Ranked 6th of 15
Facial Features and Emotions		Ranked 5th of 7

(*) 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.

Emotional Vocabulary
Emotional Vocabulary apps help children to label an emotion, to identify emotions in others or to identify their own emotion. Emotions should be related to what can be seen e.g. a smile means happy. It is also useful to link the emotion to an activity e.g. being last makes me cranky.

Mood Diary
Children record their emotions.

Facial Features and Emotions

Domain	Score	Details
Learning Connection	4	This is certainly a fun app for older children and teenagers. The focus is on the child's own emotions and understanding their meaning. I wish the app included strategies for dealing with the emotions.
Authenticity	3	The child analyses their mood in the "moodosphere". The games are all multiple choice as the child chooses the written word to match the emotion showed in the picture.
Feedback	2	Feedback is provided in the game section only.
Differentiation	3	Luckily you can turn off the music.
User Friendliness	3	The child chooses their emotion in the "moodosphere". The emotions are spread over many pages and would be difficult to find.
Motivation	4	The games are terrific and would encourage children to return to this app.

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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.