Niki Agenda
Features | |
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Price $9.99 | |
Age Range Early Childhood & Primary | |
App Type Learning App | |
Version Reviewed 1.4.3 | |
Android Available? | |
Lite Version Available? | |
Help Provided? |
Bloom's Thinking Process | |
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Creating | |
Evaluating | |
Analysing | |
Applying | |
Understanding | |
Remembering |
Adaptability | |
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Add own pictures | |
Includes text | |
Add own text | |
Includes images |
Review Comments | |
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Niki Agenda is both a weekly visual calendar and visual schedule. There is also a simple star reward system included.
Format: There is a daily view or weekly view. In the daily mode, the day is divided into morning, afternoon and evening. This breaks down the day into shorter periods without needing to include time. One of the features of this app is that time is not included. For children with autism, having time next to an event can be anxiety provoking if the activity doesn't run to time.
Reward System: A separate "I'm working for" page is included where the photo of the reward can be shown and the child can work for up to ten stars.
Task completion: Tap next to each step to add an icon of their choice for task completion. When setting up the child can choose a tick, cross, arrow, love heart, clock or star as an icon.
Pictures: Add pictures from your photo library or camera in to the "My Pictograms" section
Image Library: The app comes with a small image library or you can add your own image. All of the images show a young preschool aged boy. I wish there were some images of girls as well.
Text: A small amount of text can be added to each image. There are three font types: cursive, Helvetica and OpenDyslexic which is a font designed for people with dyslexia.
Voice: Voice is not included.
Locking for editing: The app includes a simple editing lock. The adult taps on this and needs to complete a maths equation to allow editing to occur.
Sharing: Sharing via Dropbox is available by in app purchase.
Multiple students: The ability to add multiple students is available by in-app purchase. |
Use | Rank (*) | |
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Schedules and Work Systems | Ranked 5th of 47 | |
Picture Calendars | Ranked 2nd of 13 |
(*) 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 |
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Learning apps are designed for a specific purpose. The authors claim to teach a goal, skill or concept. |
Bloom's Thinking Process |
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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 |
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The student creates new ideas, products or ways of viewing things. Activities include making, animating, designing, constructing, planning, producing and inventing. |
Bloom's Evaluating |
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The student justifies a decision or course of action. Activities include counting to check, hypothesising, critiquing, experimenting and judging. |
Bloom's Analysing |
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The student breaks the information into parts to explore understandings and relationships. Activities include explaining, ordering, inferring, comparing and organising. |
Bloom's Applying |
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The student uses the information in a new situation. Activities include implementing, carrying out, using, illustrating, classifying and categorising. |
Bloom's Understanding |
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The student comprehends the new information. Activities include describing, predicting showing understanding use a multiple choice. |
Bloom's Remembering |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
Schedules and Work Systems |
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Picture schedules use pictures to show a list of activities in a time sequence. Works systems are minischedules which give a list of steps within an activity. These systems usually include a way for the student to check off when they have completed an activity (this is called task completion) and a way to show the student that the schedule or activity has finished. |
Picture Calendars |
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Picture calendars turn the abstract concept of time into a concrete and visual form. They help students understand what is happening in their lives. They can prepare a student for a future event and reduce stress by showing them how long they need to wait for an event. Also see apps for Picture Schedules. |
Domain | Score | Details | |
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Learning Connection | 4 | Niki Agenda is a wonderful app for showing children their daily tasks. It's ease of use and uncluttered appearance will make it a popular app for children on the spectrum. | |
Authenticity | 2 | The child can show that they have completed a task or item on a schedule by tapping on the square and an icon appears. | |
Feedback | 1 | Feedback is not usually provided in calendar or schedule apps. | |
Differentiation | 4 | The pictures, text font, task completion icons can be changed in the set up screen. It is easy to change the | |
User Friendliness | 4 | Children will find this an easy app to use. For adults, the set up is also quite simple. There isn't a help section, however I found my way around quite quickly. Schedules need to be changed quickly as events change and the tasks were easily edited or reordered. | |
Motivation | 4 | The addition of a star chart is a bonus for this app. Most children would enjoy looking at their tasks and ticking them off when completed. |
From the App Store | |
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Developer Alessandro La Rocca | |
App Store Rating (from 0 reviews) | |
Current Version Rating (from 0 reviews) | |
Current Version 1.6.0 |
Developer's Description | |
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Niki Agenda is a daily/weekly calendar for children, teen-agers and adults needing visual organization of their days. Especially this helps people with communication difficulties and behavior problems to increase their levels of autonomy and participation. Niki Agenda can be very helpful for subjects with autism, mental retardation, behavior disorders, language disorders, pervasive developmental disorder, aphasia, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, emotional disturbances, learning disabilities, brain trauma, … Niki Agenda is a valued tool for parents and therapists, and has been designed to be easily managed by the end user as well. Niki Agenda provides two modes for scheduling activities (daily or weekly), and the day is divided into three times (morning, afternoon and evening). Each activity can be easily marked with a comprehensible symbol indicating its state (completed, canceled, next) or type (preferred, timed, rewarded). The application includes a basic library of pictograms that can be completed or replaced with own pictures and photos, and is widely customizable. Niki Agenda provides also a token economy feature. This shows the reward (a picture chosen from the library) and a set of stars to be lit, one for each completed activity. |
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.