EdPlace

EdPlace is one of the recommended Key Stage 3 apps by our teachers. Upon opening the application, the user is shown a splash screen where they can either log in as a parent, a student or a guest. It is noted that you require an EdPlace account to use the app in its full entirety. Once the user has logged on it displays ‘My Dashboard’ which includes a number of options such as auto assign worksheet, self assign worksheet, worksheets completed, average score, reward set and badges.

There is also a menu in the top right which provides further links to Assign work, to do & done, Progress, Rewards, login, account details, logout and a help button.

If you have logged on as a parent, you will see that there are a number of unique features. In the ‘Assign Work’ menu they subject content is listed under Maths, English and Science. These can be filtered out by Key Stage, Years and level. The developers can be commended for the level of content that is contained within the application. However, we would like to see other subjects included in the range and this may well be something they are considering for the future.

Once a topic has been explored further and the year and level has been found the worksheet then displays the number of points or questions available. This links seamlessly into the National Curriculum coverage and key objectives. In an ever changing world of education and syllabuses it is important that these Curriculum guidelines are kept up to date for the app to function effectively. Here the worksheet can be assigned to pre-loaded children.

Returning back to the dashboard the user has the option to look at work that has been assigned to students and work to be done and completed. They can also check progress and rewards. All of this information links to the on-line EdPlace platform. The EdPlace platform accompanies the mobile application very well. Here a parent, or a teacher, can see worksheets assigned to an individual or group, worksheets completed, average scores and rewards. Rewards can be set to encourage the child to progress further. The EdPlace platform will even suggest further topics for the student.

The layout of the app is good but can be confusing due to the nature of multiple menus and layers. We would have liked to have seen some instructional overlay graphics to help assist with the navigation of the app. The ‘Help’ option of the app only provided us with an email and telephone number for assistance.

The assigned worksheets are displayed in the child/student account. Here they can attempt the worksheet questions. We did notice that some of the graphics were limited to view on a mobile device, it wasn’t obvious to swipe to the left to find the question. A link to a sharing platform would also be beneficial such as a digital platform like Drop Box.

We love the fact that the app provides instant feedback once the questions have been answered. Answers can also be reviewed to see where the user has gone wrong. The character Eddie the Owl will also give the student advice on reasons they may have struggled with a particular topic or question.

Progress of the worksheet can be seen in the ‘Progress’ section and also ‘rewards’ that have been gained. This is excellent for creating competition at home or within the classroom. Reports of progress can be sent via email to parents for every 20 worksheets completed for each subject or when 5+ topics are covered.

Overall the EdPlace mobile application is a unique app that provides a huge amount of content that is readily available at the touch of a button. The developers have thought very carefully about how the app can compliment the on-line platform. We love the fact that the app provides instant feedback and can track in detail the progress of the child. The EdPlace: English, Maths & Science worksheets app deserves our 5 star recommendation.

You can download EdPlace on your iOS or Android devices from the app stores. Download the EdPlace app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.