Peer Review

Bloomin' Apps

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Sep 1, 2018 by ICT Literacy

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

This series of visualizations shows how technology aligns with Bloom's Taxonomy.

Type of Material:

Reference Material

Recommended Uses:

Can be used to help learners select tools to complete in-class or homework projects.
Good site to use when demonstrating the various levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy

Technical Requirements:

Accessible through Chrome and Firefox

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Categorize apps based on computing platforms, online tools, and Google Suite apps
Classify apps based on the purpose and implementation of the tool.
Explain and visualize Bloom's cognitive taxonomy.
Match apps and other online tools to Bloom's cognitive taxonomy.
Link the SAMR instructional model to Blooms cognitive taxonomy.

Target Student Population:

Middle School, High School, College General Ed, College Lower Division, College Upper Division, Professional, Pre-service teachers Library and information science majors

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Basic digital literacy and instructional design knowledge

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

Author Kathy Schrock is a national expert in educational technology. The website provides a rich selection of over 200 current relevant apps (e.g., Google Cardboard), which are hyperlinked, that are matched with the appropriate taxonomy element. Most tools are free or low-cost. The user can also down poster versions of the alignment of apps and Bloom's 6-level taxonomy in English and French. The organized website and links can be explored independently, and there are also links to provide deeper explanation of the taxonomy and SAMR models. The visuals alone may well be enough to explain the concepts. Visuals are appropriately attributed and have alt-text.

Concerns:

Some of the tools listed may not always be free of charge.

Emphasis is on apps, which might disadvantage non-mobile users.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The learning objectives are implicit, but the website itself reflects ICT literacy standards. The taxonomy and the tools grids are relational, but is not necessarily sequential. Especially if instructors use Bloom's taxonomy in designing instruction, they will find that the tools grids facilitate the appropriate incorporation of ICT literacy and critical thinking into learning activities. Because the materials are domain-neutral, they can be used in any academic subject.
Concerns:: Learning objects are not explicit, and assessment of learning is not explicitly addressed either.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The website is well organized and leverages visualization of concepts in a sophisticated and engaging manner, and facilitates both interaction and independent exploration. The labels and formatting makes it easy to use.Materials are largely ADA-compliant.
Concerns:: Because the links go to other websites (not under the author's control), those linked resources might not be ADA-compliant. Persons with visual impairments probably will not fully appreciate the visualizations.

Other Issues and Comments:

A good resource that uses a simple yet creative method to classify and categorize scores of helpful apps and online tools.

Having seen and used this website for years, this reviewer can attest to the fact that the author regularly updates the list of tools regularly to keep the page current.

Creative Commons: