Learning Time With Timmy

This app has been developed by the British Council so as you would imagine the usability of the whole app is brilliant with any user being able to easily pick it up and get on straight away with playing and enjoying it. The look of the app is also very slick and in keeping with the illustrations from the main character of the app’s television programmes (Timmy Time by Aardman). In using such a familiar character the user is immediately engaged in using the app but it also gives a certain gravitas having such a familiar named developer and character involved.

 

The aim of the app is to help young children develop their understanding of words, numbers, colours etc through game play within the app. The developer has targeted the app towards not just young initial readers but also for students of a slightly older age that have English as an Additional Language and this fits perfectly with the premise of the app. There are three different games within the app and the user is exposed to around 60 different words through these games which they access through discovery in popping balloons, scrubbing away leaves and snow and matching the picture to the explanation and description given by the narrator. Each of the games allows the user a slightly different experience but this also goes some way towards helping them stay engaged within the app and also in returning to the app to continue practising their knowledge and understanding of the words. Within each of the games the narrator, along with text at the bottom, highlights what the user needs to achieve and this aids at helping the user to differentiate any support they might need but also in terms of a user whose first language is not English, it helps them to hear clearly how the word is supposed to be pronounced. 

 

The app has a feel of being aimed more towards the home/parent market rather than the school market as there are no specific techniques usually associated with educational reading, word recognition apps. However, having said that utilising a number of different approaches to learning new words is ideal so schools could easily encourage parents to use an app such as this to help. There are also a number of positives about this app over different approaches too and the way that the developer has created an app that young people will want to keep coming back to. Having such a character as Timmy is an immediate draw to using the app and this enables the user to want to keep coming back rather than a full on educational app that might do a lot towards helping the user in their reading but not keep them wanting to come back to the app.

 

Throughout the app the user is rewarded with stickers as they successfully complete different aspects. These stickers can then be used in a selection of different scenarios allowing the user to have an enjoyable ‘play’ experience away from the main focus of the app. There is also an opportunity to access a number of different videos of short clips of Timmy and his friends from the TV series. This is another addition that helps to make app really enjoyable and fully engaging to users and is a big draw to downloading the app in the first place.