ERIC Number: ED574396
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 50
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Getting a Read on the App Stores: A Market Scan and Analysis of Children's Literacy Apps. Full Report
Vaala, Sarah; Ly, Anna; Levine, Michael H.
Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop
In previous research the "Joan Ganz Cooney Center" and "New America" have characterized the children's educational app market as a "Digital Wild West" (Guernsey, Levine, Chiong & Severns, 2012; Shuler, 2011). The marketplace is chock full of choices but lacks essential information to aid parents' and educators' decision-making. In 2014, the "Joan Ganz Cooney Center", with partners at "New America", launched a new study of the most popular educational apps marketplace by focusing an in-depth inquiry on literacy-focused apps for children ages 0-8 years. Analyzed was a sample of 183 apps from among lists of the "Top 50" educational apps in popular app stores and those that had recently won critical acclaim from expert review sites. Next, the apps were examined along numerous dimensions, including characteristics of their descriptions (e.g., number of words used to describe each app; target audience age-range; specific skills mentioned) and features within their actual content (e.g., the nature of adult-directed information; types of activities). The study's key findings and recommendations follow.
Descriptors: Computer Oriented Programs, Educational Technology, Literacy Education, Marketing, Benchmarking, Educational Quality, Age Differences, Language Acquisition, Parent Role, Multilingual Materials, Bilingual Instructional Materials, Race, Ethnic Groups, Design, Social Influences, Preschool Children, Elementary School Students
Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. 1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023. Tel: 212-595-3456; e-mail: cooney.center@sesame.org; Web site: http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Pritzker Children's Initiative
Authoring Institution: Joan Ganz Cooney Center; New America
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A