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Apps Analysis

By Stefan Dubowski

Slice Fractions

Application icon for "Slice Fractions" app. The icon is a cartoon elephant.

Developed with input from the Université du Québec à Montréal, this app emphasizes the fun in fractions. Players aged five to 12 solve problems by popping bubbles and slicing blocks, so that an endearing wooly mammoth can get across the screen. The activities solidify important subjects such as fraction ordering and subtracting, and part-whole partitioning. The games make education fun and effective. The free version on Android offers access to just one set of riddles. You have to make an in-app purchase for the rest. The School Editions for both Apple and Android provide a guidebook with tips for teachers who want to use Slice Fractions in the classroom.

DEVICE: Apple; Android
SOURCE: iTunes ($5.49); Google Play (free)
RATING: 4+; Everyone
EDULULU RATING: 4/5

Quizlet

Application icon for "Quizlet" app. The icon is a blue circle around the letter Q.

This nifty study aid allows you and students aged 12+ to create, find and share flashcards for math, science, languages and other subjects. Quizlet offers different features to help improve memorization. Players pair terms and definitions while racing the clock in a match game, and users hear how words and phrases should sound when they select the pronunciation function. Although you can choose from more than 21 million flash cards in 18 different languages, many users prefer to make their own shareable cards to tackle particular concepts. Students can keep their cards private or include them on the Quizlet network.

DEVICE: Apple; Android
SOURCE: iTunes (free); Google Play (free)
RATING: 4+; Everyone
EDULULU RATING: 3.5/5

Satellite Safari

Application icon for "Satellite Safari" app. The icon is a satellite in space.

Catching a glimpse of a satellite streaming by is one of the joys of watching the night sky. Budding astronomers aged 9+ no longer need to leave these sightings to chance. Satellite Safari tracks hundreds, including the International Space Station. It’s full of fascinating details, for instance, when a satellite was launched, from where and what for. Latitude, longitude, altitude, speed and brightness (visual magnitude) are all on display. Select a bird’s-eye view to see where these orbiting apparatuses are in relation to oceans and continents. This app is especially helpful for Grade 9s studying earth and space science, which includes an exploration of Canada’s contributions to satellite technology.

DEVICE: Apple; Android
SOURCE: iTunes ($3.99); Google Play ($2.99)
RATING: 4+; Unrated
EDULULU RATING: 4.5/5

*EduLulu is part of Groupe Média TFO, a world leader in education. The online guide’s evaluations are the work of teams of independent experts (including OCTs), who review up to 100 English, French and bilingual educational apps (iOS and Android) each month for ages 2 to 17. To access the complete list and search by filter, visit edululu.org/en. Interested in becoming an EduLulu evaluator? Go to oct-oeeo.ca/1NzwdJd to learn how to get involved.